From the mightiest river to the deepest spots in Earth's oceans, our aquatic ecosystems hold many secrets waiting for us to dive in and discover. Live Science keeps you updated on the latest underwater research and delivers extraordinary facts and images from our planet's rivers and oceans, past and present. So if you want to discover the largest ocean that's ever existed on Earth, the mysterious "dark river" that may flow hundreds of miles beneath Greenland or breathtaking images from our oceans, Live Science's expert writers and editors are here for you with the latest news, features and articles about rivers and oceans.
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—The Congo River Basin: Home of the deepest river in the world
Latest about Rivers & Oceans
Rare 'sunglint' transforms Alabama River into a giant 'golden dragon'
Earth from space A 2023 astronaut photo shows the moment the Alabama River briefly morphed into an undulating golden serpent, similar in shape to a Chinese dragon. This temporary transformation was the result of a rare mirror-like phenomenon known as a "sunglint."
Collapse of key Atlantic current could bring extreme drought to Europe for hundreds of years, study finds
Scientists modeled Europe's future if a key Atlantic current were to collapse and found that the continent faces a much drier future.
Antarctica's Southern Ocean might be gearing up for a thermal 'burp' that could last a century
When humans manage to cut enough emissions and eventually reduce global temperatures, new research shows the Southern Ocean could kick warming back into gear.
Shapeshifting 'braided river' in Tibet is the highest in the world, and is becoming increasingly unstable
Earth from space A 2025 satellite photo shows a particularly complex section of the Yarlung Zangbo River as it twists its way through the Tibetan Plateau. This part of the "braided" waterway has experienced drastic visual changes over recent decades, which could soon be accentuated by climate change.
An 'ice tsunami' in 2024 ripped through the Yukon with such force it tore up trees and the riverbed
Chunks of river ice tore down trees after a landslide caused a tsunami in the Yukon in December.
Coral Triangle: The giant hidden 'Amazon' beneath the sea that appears somewhat resilient to climate change
The Coral Triangle is an extremely biodiverse patch of ocean around the Philippines and Papua New Guinea. Its relatively murky waters appear to shield it against climate change — for now.
The Red Sea experienced 'one of the most extreme environmental events on Earth' 6 million years ago
The Red Sea became a desert about 6.2 million years ago, before a massive flood from the Indian Ocean turned it into a waterway again.
The whale-shaped island in Belize with a 'great blue blowhole'
Earth from space This 2020 astronaut photo shows the unusual cetacean-like shape of Belize's Lighthouse Reef. It's home to the famous Great Blue Hole, which doubles as the island's "blowhole" when viewed from space.
Massive system of rotating ocean currents in the North Atlantic is behaving strangely — and it may be reaching a tipping point
An analysis of clam shells suggests the North Atlantic subpolar gyre has had two periods of destabilization over the past 150 years: one around 1920 and the other from 1950 through present.
Chinese submersible explores previously unknown giant craters at the bottom of the Pacific — and they're teeming with life
Scientists have discovered and explored a giant hydrothermal system at the bottom of the Pacific, which could provide a window into the origins of life on Earth.
