Ocean science news, explainers, and statistics covering marine environments, currents, climate, coasts, seafloor research, and the changing global ocean.
A spring tide has a larger-than-average difference between high and low water, while a neap tide has a smaller-than-average tidal range. Spring tides occur near new and full moons, when the Sun, Moon and Earth are nearly aligned. Neap tides occur near the first and third quarter moons, when the solar and lunar tide-producing forces…
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A marine protected area is the broad category; a marine reserve is a highly protected type within it. An MPA can allow fishing, boating, tourism or other uses under site-specific rules. A reserve generally prohibits extracting or destroying natural resources, which is why it is often called a no-take area. The names are not perfectly…
An atoll lagoon and a coastal lagoon are both sheltered bodies of water separated from a larger sea, but their barriers come from different geological settings. An atoll lagoon lies inside a ring or partial ring of coral reef in the open ocean. A coastal lagoon sits beside a continental or island coast, usually behind…
Coastal blue carbon is carbon captured and stored by tidal wetlands and shallow coastal ecosystems. Salt marshes, mangrove forests and seagrass meadows are the core habitats usually included. Plants remove carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and a large share of the carbon accumulates below ground in waterlogged soil and sediment. The term focuses attention on climate…
