Satellite radar altimeter measurements reveal the sea surface signature of oceanic Kelvin waves. Sea level anomalies show where the ocean surface is higher or lower than its long-term average. The ...

New cooperative agreements will enable U.S. IOOS regional associations to operate regional coastal observing systems throughout U.S. waters.

Marine debris can entangle and harm marine organisms. For air-breathing organisms, such as the green sea turtle, entanglement in debris can prevent animals from being able to swim to the surface, ...

A North Atlantic right whale mother and calf spotted off the U.S. southern coast by NOAA researchers during the 2020 breeding season. Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in Massachusetts is a ...

Chocolate chip sea cucumber found at Johnston Atoll. Most sea cucumbers are scavengers, moving along the seafloor and feeding on tiny particles of algae or microscopic marine animals collected with ...

The term "bathymetry" originally referred to the ocean's depth relative to sea level, although it has come to mean “submarine topography,” or the depths and shapes of underwater terrain. In the same ...

Hurricane Laura rapidly strengthened on August 26 in the Gulf of Mexico. By the time Laura reached southwest Louisiana early on August 27, maximum sustained winds reached 150 mph. This part of the ...

All corals require very salty water to survive—from 32 to 42 parts per thousand—restricting them to coastal and open ocean areas. Because of this, different types of coral communities are typically ...

The Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine, Florida, stands sentinel over Matanzas Bay. The coquina structure remains sturdy after three centuries. The natural coquina outcroppings ...

Water temperature and pressure determine how far sound travels in the ocean. While sound moves at a much faster speed in the water than in air, the distance that sound waves travel is primarily ...

Hundreds of massive container ships rely daily on accurate real-time tide and current information to navigate safely to and from U.S. ports. Current measurements are important to shipping, commercial ...