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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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Latest about Rivers & Oceans
Sørvágsvatn: The lake that 'floats' above the ocean thanks to a unique optical illusion
Sørvágsvatn, also called Leitisvatn, is the largest lake in the Faroe Islands. Viewed from a certain angle, one side appears to hover above the Atlantic Ocean.
'Blackwater' lakes and rivers in the Congo Basin are now emitting ancient carbon into the atmosphere
Carbon that has been buried in the Congo Basin's peatlands for millennia is seeping into lakes and rivers. Why this is happening remains unclear, but researchers warn that tropical peatlands could be nearing a tipping point.
Early warning indicator hidden within the Gulf Stream could signal the collapse of key Atlantic currents, study finds
Shifts in the Gulf Stream could help researchers predict the human-driven failure of a huge system of ocean currents known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.
3 rivers merge into striking half-and-half waterway in Guyana
Earth from space A 2023 satellite photo highlights the point where a trio of rivers converges in Guyana. One of the waterways has been significantly altered by mining waste, creating a striking color contrast.
China banned all fishing to save the Yangtze River. This 'nuclear' option appears to be working.
Decades of overfishing and habitat degradation led to huge declines in freshwater biodiversity in China's longest river, but there are signs of recovery after a fishing ban was implemented in 2021.
Enormous freshwater reservoir discovered off the East Coast may be 20,000 years old and big enough to supply NYC for 800 years
An expedition off the coast of Massachusetts has confirmed the existence of a freshwater reservoir beneath the seafloor. Now, scientists are starting to understand when and how it formed.
Giant underwater plumes triggered by 7-story waves at Nazaré captured off Portuguese coast
Earth from space A 2020 satellite photo shows the immense power of 7-story waves crashing along the Portuguese coast. Later the same day, a surfer rode a 101-foot-tall wave at Nazaré, setting a new world record.
Last year, the oceans absorbed a record-breaking amount of heat — equivalent to 12 Hiroshima bombs exploding every second
In 2025, the ocean absorbed an extra 23 zettajoules of heat energy in 2025, breaking the ocean heat content record for the ninth consecutive year.
18 of Earth's biggest river deltas — including the Nile and Amazon — are sinking faster than global sea levels are rising
Worldwide, millions of people live in river deltas that are sinking faster than sea levels are rising, research suggests. This exacerbates the risk of catastrophic coastal flooding and land loss.
