Oceanography

Scientists have long been fascinated by the ocean's dynamic nature, where the force of the water collides with atmospheric phenomena to create waves of monumental size.

By Clarissa Mitton

All that seashell collecting you've been doing actually hurts the environment.

By Mark Mancini

The ocean’s depths are one of the most mysterious areas on the planet – and the inhabitants of this murky domain are stranger than anything you’ll find on land.

Early explorers drove flags into the ground to claim territories. But no one bothered to float a flag in the oceans. For the most part, we peaceably shared the oceans until we realized what valuable goods could be found in their dark and murky depths.

By Josh Clark

Whether you sail, surf, fish or collect shells, having one of these could help you out before you hit the water.

By Jennifer Horton

The dead zone, caused by massive amounts of algae growth, is a vast area off the Gulf of Mexico that is deadly to marine life. How is human activity making the dead zone worse?

By Jacob Silverman

How do they measure "sea level"? Is it the average of the tides? And is the sea level actually rising or not?

Rip currents are the number-one concern for beach lifeguards: About 80 percent of all beach rescues are related to rip currents. Learn what they are and what you should do if you get caught in one.

By Tom Harris

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the world's largest landfill, and it can be found in the middle of the Pacific. Millions of pounds of trash collect here.

By Jacob Silverman

Also known as "freak waves," these colossal walls of water have been alleged to be in the range of 100 feet or more. Learn what separates rogue waves from other large waves, what causes them and find out about some of the better-known rogue wave incidents.

By Ed Grabianowski

You might never notice the relentless movement of the oceans unless their waters went eerily still. What forces drive the oceans every second of the day?

By Jennifer Horton

Rough times call for creative measures. The world is filled with oceans, and oceans are filled with wave energy that could potentially be transformed into power. Is wave energy a viable fossil fuel alternative?

By Jane McGrath

It's colorless, odorless and definitely life-sustaining, but is it invisible to the naked eye? Not usually. So what's going on with everyone's favorite liquid?

By Robert Lamb

The Southern Ocean has finally been officially recognized, though scientists have known about it for over a century.

By Jesslyn Shields

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, plays an essential role in regulating ocean temperatures, but it looks as if it may be collapsing. What happens next?

By Joanna Thompson

It covers more than 30 percent of the planet, and is home to all kinds of sea creatures. What other facts make the Pacific Ocean so amazing?

By Mark Mancini & Yara Simón

NOAA's Argo program distributes floating observatories across the globe. Why? They collect data about the world's oceans that is critical to understanding the planet.

By Jennifer Walker-Journey

Anyone who's been to the ocean has probably seen the foamy white stuff that clings to the sand after a wave breaks and recedes, but what the heck causes that bubbly foam and is it dangerous?

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

According to Guinness World Records, the waves in Nazaré, Portugal, are the biggest ever surfed. Scientists attribute the massive waves to an underwater canyon, but how does it work?

By Dylan Ris

The ocean is so deep, it puts the height of Mount Everest to shame.

By Mark Mancini

You might be surprised at how little of the world's oceans scientists have investigated.

By Jennifer Walker-Journey & Austin Henderson

The oceans take up most of the surface area of our planet and remain mostly unexplored. But how many oceans are there?

By Jesslyn Shields & Austin Henderson

The waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans meet at the tip of Cape Horn and never the two shall mix, right?

By Jesslyn Shields

To say geologic time moves at a snail's pace is an insult to snails. Our planet's continents are always in flux: Could a new ocean grow amid those incredibly slow changes?

By Laurie L. Dove

If it looks like a party is on, maybe they'll come back. Playing the sounds of a noisy, healthy coral reef can attract important fish species to devastated reef habitats.

By Jesslyn Shields