What are El Niño and La Niña?

El Niño and La Niña are climate patterns in the Pacific Ocean that can affect weather worldwide and can also have global impacts on weather, wildfires, ecosystems, and economies. [...]

This Interactive Chart Shows Changes in the World’s Top 10 Emitters

A lot has happened since countries met in Paris in 2015 and agreed on an accord to combat climate change. So far, 196 countries ratified or otherwise joined the Paris Climate Agreement, representing m[...]

Kelp Deforestation: Threats to our Underwater Forests

Kelp forests are some of the most dynamic and ecologically productive marine habitats in the world. A root-like system called a holdfast affixes to the rocky seafloor, supporting a long stipe that ext[...]

What is Ocean Acidification?

The term ocean acidification is used to describe the ongoing decrease in ocean pH caused by human CO2 emissions, such as the burning of fossil fuels. It is the little known consequence of living in a [...]

Marine Pollution Potentially Mitigated by Kelp Farms

Emerging research from the University of Alaska Fairbanks suggests that implementing kelp farms may be an effective strategy for combatting the growing problem of marine pollution. The university stud[...]

The Biological Productivity of the Ocean

Productivity fuels life in the ocean, drives its chemical cycles, and lowers atmospheric carbon dioxide. Nutrient uptake and export interact with circulation to yield distinct ocean regimes. [...]

5 “Blue Forests” That are Vital to Life on Earth

When you think of a forest, chances are you picture trees rising high above you, leaves crunching underfoot. But there are some very different types of forest – in and under the water – th[...]

Beyond Plastic Waste

With more than 8 million tons of plastic entering the ocean each year, humanity must urgently rethink the way we make and use plastics, so that they do not become waste in the first place. Cheap, ligh[...]