Ocean science news, explainers, and statistics covering marine environments, currents, climate, coasts, seafloor research, and the changing global ocean.
Scientists measure sea surface temperature because the upper ocean exchanges heat and moisture with the atmosphere. Surface conditions influence weather and control habitat for many marine organisms. A temperature map can reveal currents or developing climate patterns, including areas where ecosystems face unusual heat. The “surface” is not one universally fixed depth. Infrared satellites sense…
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Dredging removes sediment or debris from the bottom of a waterway. A machine excavates the material and lifts it through the water. The load then moves to a placement site. The method changes with the sediment and the reason for removal. NOAA’s explanation of dredging emphasizes the steady accumulation of sand and silt in channels.…
A new nautical chart can take as little as six months to compile when reliable data already exists. If survey crews must measure the seafloor or update the shoreline first, production may stretch across several years. The schedule depends less on drawing the chart than on finding and verifying every piece of information a mariner…
Sea foam appears when waves and wind whip dissolved organic material in seawater into persistent bubbles. A thin line of white froth on a beach is usually a natural product of the coastal ecosystem, although dense or discolored foam can sometimes accompany pollution or a harmful algal bloom. NOAA’s sea foam explanation compares the process…
