Media Gallery: Photos A-Z

  • An underwater photo of sharks

    Blacktip Sharks by Enric Sala
    Aug 16 2012 - 11:22am
    Enric Sala has spent much of his career looking for the ocean's "time machines" -- areas rich in biodiversity and largely unaffected by humans. In this recorded webcast, Sala, a National Geographic...
  • These bleached corals in the Gulf of Mexico are the result of increased water temperatures.

    Bleached Corals
    Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
    What is coral bleaching? These white corals in the Gulf of Mexico’s Flower Garden Bank National Marine Sanctuary are bleached due to an increase in water temperatures, which causes corals to lose the...
  • Compare the healthy coral on the left with the bleached coral on the right.

    Bleached Corals, Pacific Ocean
    Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
    Compare the healthy coral on the left with the bleached coral on the right. Increased water temperatures caused the bleached coral to lose the microscopic algae that give the coral color and provide...
  • Elders bless a new canoe with lighted sage, song, and traditional dances.

    Blessing a New Canoe
    Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
    When a new canoe is put in the water, elders bless it with lighted sage, song, and traditional dances. Some canoes also receive a name. More about raven spirit can be found in our Raven Spirit...
  • <p>This new species of lobster (<em>Dinochelus ausubeli</em>) is blind and has bizarre claws. It was discovered about 300 meters (984 feet) deep in the Phillipine Sea by a Census of Marine Life expedition.</p>

    Blind Lobster
    Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
    This new species of lobster is blind—an adaptation to deep-sea life—and has very bizarre claws, or chelipeds. It was discovered about 300 meters (984 feet) deep in the Phillipine Sea by a Census of...
  • Blob Sculpin, A Deepwater Fish

    Blob Sculpin
    Oct 31 2012 - 10:23am
    The ghoulish “blob sculpin” (Psychrolutes phrictus), a deepwater fish found off the Pacific coast of the U.S. from the Bering Sea to Southern California, can grow to about 70 cm (more than two feet)...
  • Atmospheric carbon is captured by coastal mangroves, seagrasses and salt marshes at a rate five times faster than tropical forests.

    Blue Carbon
    Apr 19 2013 - 10:05am
    What is blue carbon? It's a term used to describe the carbon that is captured from the atmosphere by ocean ecosystems, mainly coastal mangroves, seagrasses and salt marshes. These coastal areas can...
  • A blue cod and sea pens, a unique type of cnidarian, speckle the seafloor in New Zealand's Fiordland region.

    Blue Cod Amongst Sea Pens
    Jun 22 2012 - 10:13am
    A blue cod and sea pens, a unique type of cnidarian, speckle the seafloor in New Zealand's Fiordland region.You can see more beautiful underwater photos from Brian Skerry in his image...
  • A blue shark, with a copepod attached to its dorsal fin, coasts through waters near New England.

    Blue Shark
    Sep 29 2011 - 1:39pm
    A blue shark swims through waters off the coast of New England in this image captured by National Geographic photojournalist Brian Skerry. A red-colored female copepod (Echthrogaleus coleoptratus)...
  • Close-up photograph of the face of a blue footed booby.

    Blue-footed Booby
    Dec 7 2009 - 3:14pm
    Blue-footed Boobies (Sula nebouxii), common in the Galapagos Islands and other warm coastal areas of the Pacific, can catch flying fish in mid-air. Their blue feet are for fashion AND function. Male...
  • Boat Propeller Fouled With Barnacles

    Boat Propeller Fouled With Barnacles
    Dec 27 2010 - 1:45pm
    Home is where the hull is: Since the dawn of seafaring, humankind has had to deal with pesky creatures, such as barnacles, that “foul” ship hulls and boat propellers like this one. Find out more in "...
  • A scientific diagram containing photos and illustrations of the bones and teeth of fossil whales.

    Bones and Teeth of South America's Oldest Fossil Whales
    Sep 12 2011 - 2:55pm
    These are fossil remains of archaeocetes, ancient whales, from the Paracas Formation of Peru's Pisco Basin. Smithsonian paleobiologist Nicholas D.