Oceans

Science News for Students articles on oceans

  1. Animals

    Catching ‘Dory’ fish can poison entire coral reef ecosystems

    More than half of saltwater-aquarium fish sold in the United States may have been caught in the wild using cyanide, new data show.

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  2. Oceans

    Polar bears swim for days as sea ice retreats

    Melting sea ice is forcing polar bears to swim long distances — up to nine days in one case. Such long treks may be more than the bears can handle.

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  3. Environment

    Not so sweet: Fake sugar found at sea

    Sucralose — sold in stores as Splenda — has begun turning up in seawater. This raises concern about the fake sweetener’s impacts on the environment.

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  4. Archaeology

    Diving deep into history

    New technologies help underwater archaeologists learn more about shipwrecks and other artifacts at the bottom of rivers, lakes and oceans.

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  5. Environment

    Gulf oil spills could destroy shipwrecks faster

    In the Gulf of Mexico, leftover crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill may be speeding the corrosion of old shipwrecks.

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  6. Climate

    Sea level rising fastest in 2,800 years

    The oceans rose faster during the 20th century than any time in the past 2,800 years. More than half of the rise came from global warming.

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  7. Animals

    What a drag! Fishing gear’s effects on whales

    Many whales become entangled in the gear that fishing boats use to catch fish and shellfish. Such debris can have dire impacts on the big mammals.

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  8. Oceans

    Arctic ice travels fast, carrying pollution

    Climate change is melting old sea ice in the Arctic. Now, younger, thinner ice is migrating far and fast, taking pollutants with it.

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  9. Ecosystems

    As big animals poop out

    Whales move nutrients from deep ocean to surface waters. From there, nutrients move to land and fertilize continents. But the system is in trouble.

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  10. Oceans

    Scientists identify plankton from space

    Plankton are often too tiny for our eyes to see. But when huge numbers bloom at once, they now can be ID’d from space, a new study shows.

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  11. Environment

    Table salt and shellfish can contain plastic

    Bits of plastic have turned up in sea salts purchased in Chinese supermarkets. The finding suggests all sea salts may be similarly tainted. Shellfish too.

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  12. Environment

    Plastic trash travels up to Arctic waters

    Bags, fishing rope and other tiny bits of plastic are now polluting Arctic waters, posing threats to area wildlife.

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