Ocean

Find out everything there is to know about the ocean and stay updated on the latest oceanic news with the comprehensive articles, interactive features and beautiful images of the ocean at LiveScience.com. Learn more about the Earth's oceans as scientists continue to make amazing discoveries about our largest bodies of water.
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'We know far more about the deep ocean than the moon or Mars,' says explorer Jon Copley
By Sascha Pare published
The deep sea, which encompasses waters deeper than 660 feet (200 meters), is home to alien-like creatures, but we know far more about these inky depths than people think, ocean explorer Jon Copley tells Live Science.

Team Egg or Team Sponge? Scientists divided over identity of mysterious golden orb from bottom of ocean
By Hannah Osborne published
The weird gold dome-shaped object was found during an NOAA expedition to the Gulf of Mexico and is now being preserved in ethanol until it can be sent for laboratory analysis.

'It is biological in origin': 1st analysis of weird golden orb from ocean floor leaves scientists stumped
By Hannah Osborne published
The golden, dome-shaped object was discovered in the Gulf of Alaska during an NOAA expedition and after bringing it to the surface, scientists still have no idea what it is.

Fukushima nuclear power plant is now pumping wastewater into the Pacific Ocean
By Sascha Pare published
The International Atomic Energy Agency — the UN's atomic watchdog — has said the release meets international safety standards with a "negligible radiological impact."

Odds of 'strong' El Niño now over 95%, with ocean temperatures to 'substantially exceed' last big warming event
By Sascha Pare published
Sizzling ocean temperatures in the east-central tropical Pacific throughout July indicate there is a good chance El Niño conditions will remain strong for the next six months.

Clearest-ever seafloor maps show deep-sea 'Grand Canyon' off US coast in stunning detail
By Harry Baker published
By combining high-definition maps with sensors that detect changes in the water column, researchers have created a "centimeter-scale" picture of how currents and tides shape the Monterey Canyon.

Florida waters now 'bona fide bathtub conditions' as heat dome engulfs state
By Sascha Pare published
The unprecedented water temperatures — reaching up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit in some places — could intensify storms and hurricanes in the Sunshine State.

Indian Ocean gravity hole was caused by extinct ancient sea, scientists say
By Ben Turner published
Scientists have puzzled over the origins of a gravity hole in the Indian Ocean for years. Now, researchers think the sunken floor of an extinct ocean could be the cause.
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