Ocean science news, explainers, and statistics covering marine environments, currents, climate, coasts, seafloor research, and the changing global ocean.
A catcher beach is a stretch of coast where winds and currents repeatedly deposit floating debris. Its sand or rocks may hold fishing floats, bottles and other objects that entered the water far away. The unusual concentration can make the beach look like a major local source of pollution even when ocean circulation delivered much…
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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a broad, shifting region where currents concentrate marine debris between California and Hawaii. It is neither a solid island nor a continuous blanket of bottles. Much of its plastic consists of tiny pieces dispersed across the surface and through the upper water column. A NOAA explanation says the exact…
The Loop Current is a swift flow of warm Caribbean water that enters the Gulf through the Yucatan Channel, curves northward in a loop and exits through the Florida Straits. From there, its water feeds the Florida Current and the Gulf Stream. The loop changes size and position, sometimes extending deep into the Gulf before…
A national marine sanctuary is a federally protected area of U.S. ocean or Great Lakes waters recognized for exceptional natural, cultural, historical, scientific, or recreational value. NOAA manages each sanctuary under site-specific rules and a management plan. Protection does not usually mean closing the whole area to people; compatible fishing, boating, diving, research and tourism…
