Atlantic Ocean

The A23a iceberg, photographed last December. It first split from Antartica in 1986 and stayed in the Weddell Sea until 2020, when it started drifting away.

The World's Largest Iceberg Is Stuck in a Spinning Ocean Vortex

The mega iceberg A23a is destined to melt after breaking free from Antarctica in 1986, but this pause in its journey is delaying its fate, experts say

A mantle rock sample viewed under a microscope.

Scientists Drill Deeper Into Earth's Mantle Than Ever Before, Probing for the Origin of Life on Earth

The record-setting rock samples will provide insight into the chemical processes that may have kick-started life on our planet

The Brazilian sharpnose sharks were purchased from fishers between September 2021 and August 2023.

Thirteen Sharks Test Positive for Cocaine Off the Coast of Brazil

All of the wild Brazilian sharpnose sharks tested in a new study had the drug in their bodies, but many questions remain about cocaine's effects on aquatic creatures—and the humans who eat them

Spinner dolphins swim in the Red Sea. Research has shown some dolphins are shy, while others are extroverted.

Five Amazing Dolphin Behaviors, Explained

From calling each other by name to using tools, these social creatures are a lot like us

After Shackleton's death, the ship was used for seal hunting, Arctic research and rescue missions.

Ernest Shackleton's Last Ship, Quest, Discovered Off the Coast of Canada

The famed explorer died of a heart attack aboard the ship near South Georgia Island in 1922, and it sank in the north Atlantic Ocean in 1962

A subpopulation of orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar (not pictured) have interacted with roughly 700 boats since 2020, causing five of the vessels to sink.

Orcas Sink 50-Foot Yacht Off the Coast of Morocco

The vessel's two passengers were evacuated onto an oil tanker in the Strait of Gibraltar. The incident marks the fifth vessel the mammals have sunk in recent years

A hawksbill sea turtle munches away on a sponge near Juno Beach.

Journey Under the Sea With 15 Amazing Photos of Marine Life

These Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest images feature the captivating creatures that live beneath the waves

Curator Frances McIntosh says the collection's survival is "nothing short of a miracle."

Shells From Captain Cook's Final Voyage Were Rescued From a Dumpster

Long presumed lost, the collection of rare shells is now on display in England

The gray whale was spotted during an aerial survey on March 1, about 30 miles off the coast of Nantucket.

A Rare Gray Whale, Believed Extinct in the Atlantic for 200 Years, Has Been Spotted off New England

Scientists say a lack of Arctic sea ice due to climate change could have created a passageway for the mammal to travel from the Pacific Ocean

The USS Jacob Jones, an American destroyer, sank off the southwest coast of England in December 1917.

Divers Recover Bell From Wreck of American Destroyer Sunk in World War I

Sixty-four American sailors died when a German torpedo hit the USS "Jacob Jones" on December 6, 1917

A great white shark cruises through Atlantic waters.

Fifty Years After ‘Jaws,’ We’ve Learned a Lot About Great Whites

Though sport fishing tournaments and other activities led to population declines in the 1970s and 1980s, more recent science and conservation efforts have helped the sharks rebound

Ringed by dramatic mountains, Cumberland Bay, on the coast of South Georgia Island, is home to whales, seabirds, penguins and elephant seals. The island draws scores of sightseeing cruises each summer.

Humpbacks Have Rebounded in This Spot Decimated by Whaling

South Georgia Island’s Cumberland Bay has seen a resurgence of the marine mammals

This year was marked by many broken records in the ocean.

The Top Ten Ocean Stories of 2023

Major discoveries, an undersea tragedy and international cooperation were some of the biggest saltwater moments of the year

More than 200 cold-stunned turtles have already been rescued since November.

52 Cold-Stunned Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles Rescued From Cape Cod

The critically endangered creatures were flown by private plane to rehabilitation centers in Florida

Atlantic bluefin tuna circle a holding pen near Malta. The Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico were long thought to be the only locales where the massively valuable fish spawns.

Bluefin Tuna Get Busy Off North Carolina

The extremely valuable fish likely spawn in a patch of the Atlantic Ocean called the Slope Sea

This is the only known first-class Titanic dinner menu of its kind from April 11, 1912.

Titanic Passengers Dined in Style Before Disaster Struck

A water-stained first-class dinner menu dated April 11, 1912 just sold for more than $100,000

Atlantic salmon spend most of their lives in the cool waters of the ocean. When they venture upstream in freshwater rivers to spawn, however, they encounter challenging warmer waters.

Engineers Create 'Air Conditioning' for Salmon With Chilled Patches of River Water

Wild Atlantic salmon can struggle with heat as they swim upstream to spawn—but artificial "thermal refuges" may help them cool off

North Atlantic right whales face threats of entanglement in fishing gear and injuries caused by ships.

North Atlantic Right Whale Numbers May Be Stabilizing at Last

After a decade of decline, the latest population estimate is good news—but conservationists say we "have a long ways to go" to safeguard the marine mammals

A shot of Hurricane Ian, taken from the International Space Station on September 28, 2022

Atlantic Hurricanes Are Getting More Dangerous, More Quickly

If such changes are in response to climate change, the future may feature more sudden, daunting storms

The Titanic struck an iceberg on the evening of April 14, 1912, and sank several hours later in the early morning hours of April 15.

The U.S. Government Is Trying to Stop an Upcoming Titanic Expedition

A company is planning a mission to recover artifacts, including the famed Marconi wireless telegraph, in 2024

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