Ocean science news, explainers, and statistics covering marine environments, currents, climate, coasts, seafloor research, and the changing global ocean.
Flotsam is vessel-related wreckage or cargo that entered the water accidentally, while jetsam is material deliberately cast overboard, traditionally to lighten a vessel in distress. The everyday phrase “flotsam and jetsam” means scattered odds and ends, but the two words preserve different histories in maritime practice. NOAA’s comparison uses intent as the key separator: accident…
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A bivalve is a soft-bodied mollusk enclosed by two shell halves, called valves, joined at a hinge. Clams, oysters, mussels and scallops belong to the group. Most live in water and feed by moving water across their gills, which collect oxygen and often capture microscopic food. NOAA’s bivalve overview describes roughly 9,200 species across marine…
Marine biogeography is the study of where ocean species and habitats occur, why they occur there and how their distributions change. It connects biology with maps and environmental measurements. A marine biogeographer might ask why a coral grows on one bank but not another, where a fish population shifts during warming, or which seafloor habitats…
A bight is a long, broad, gentle bend or recess in a coastline that forms a large open bay. Compared with a compact cove, a bight spans more shoreline and remains widely exposed to the sea. The term can refer to the curve itself or to the coastal waters lying inside it. NOAA’s geographic definition…
