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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
Oil spills from Iran war may contaminate water and food supply and threaten protected wildlife refuge
Air strikes on oil facilities and oil tankers in the Persian Gulf have unleashed what is set to become an ecological catastrophe, satellite images show.
Glowing ring of plankton surrounding New Zealand islands linked to deadly underwater plateau
Earth from space A recent satellite photo captured a gleaming halo of phytoplankton encircling the remote Chatham Islands. The stunning sight is the result of a hidden underwater structure, which has also helped kill hundreds of cetaceans.
Colorado River may have pooled and spilled over to form the Grand Canyon, solving a long-standing mystery — but not everyone agrees
The Colorado River muscled its way through today's Grand Canyon after pooling as a giant lake, according to new research.
Scientists discover potentially huge freshwater reservoir hidden beneath Great Salt Lake
Researchers have found a layer of fresh water beneath Utah's Great Salt Lake that reaches up to 2.5 miles deep and could turn out to be as big, or bigger, than the lake.
Lençóis Maranhenses: Brazil's dune-filled expanse that sits at the intersection of 3 biomes
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park hosts sand-dune fields that fill up with lagoons every wet season, but the reserve also has mangrove swamps where species such as the scarlet ibis thrive.
Colorado River negotiations have stalled among 7 states and water is scarce. What happens next?
Two researchers explore how water rights for the Colorado river get negotiated and why these negotiations have stalled.
Extreme blast of Arctic air from polar vortex paints a picturesque plume off Florida coast
Earth from space A recent satellite photo captured a stunning scene of sediment swirling across the West Florida Shelf after an extreme cold snap that covered large parts of the eastern U.S. in snow.
'Dark oxygen' discovery on the seafloor is 'fundamentally at odds with thermodynamics' and should be retracted, experts say
In a recent opinion article, marine scientists and electrochemists listed a number of reasons why it's unlikely that metallic nodules on the deep seafloor could produce oxygen in total darkness.
Drought paradox study reveals plants around Colorado River turn to groundwater when it gets too hot and dry, reducing flow into the already strained basin
Vegetation draws on groundwater during dry summers, leaving less water for the river and, ultimately, people.
'We got evidence of boars, deer, bears, aurochs': Ancient DNA reveals sunken realm Doggerland had habitable forests during the last ice age
A landmass that once connected Britain to mainland Europe had temperate forests that could have sustained Stone Age people for millennia before the landmass was flooded, a new study suggests.
