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PHOTO Tide Pools and Adaptations Adaptation is the key word if you are looking to survive in a tide pool, a space that some scientists describe as the most competitive real estate in the ocean. Tide pools are exposed to the...MORE PHOTOS


	BLOG POST MORE STORIES The Great Hermit Crab Migration Over the last few days, a video of hermit crabs stampeding across the rocky shor...
	PHOTO MORE PHOTOS Sand from Orient Point, Long Island, New York There are different types of beaches and multiple factors that influence the for...
	VIDEO MORE VIDEOS Trash on the Beach and in the Ocean While conducting field work in Curaçao in 2011, Smithsonian researchers encounte...

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					The Importance of a Wave Apr 11, 2013 - 9:32AMLarge waves are a draw for surfers, scientists and spectators alike to locations around the world. Changes to the coast and ocean floor as well as sediment flow can change the nature of a wave as it reaches shore. So when three...

Jingle Shells

Dec 17, 2012 - 9:26AM

The jingle shell (Anomia simplex) is a common bivalve found on the...

Coral Sand Under a Microscope

Oct 24, 2012 - 10:52AM

Coral sand is aptly named: it's sand made up of tiny bits of coral and other...

SPOTLIGHT


The Sant Ocean Hall: Life in the Sand Exhibit Sandy beaches are home to a Diversity of Life In the Shores and Shallows Gallery of the Smithsonian's Sant Ocean Hall, a...

Surfer at Bogue Banks, North Carolina, USA Dec 23 2010 - 3:32pm “As I set up for a sunset shot—one last, solitary surfer exited the water and I quickly fired a few frames trying to capture the serenity of the moment.” -- Nature's Best photographer, Karen Doody. See more beautiful ocean photos in our slideshow of winners from the 2010 Nature's Best Ocean Views...	Marine World Heritage Photo Gallery Nov 9 2010 - 12:54pm Marine World Heritage is a prestigious list of 43 marine ecosystems and biodiversity treasures from across the globe, including countries such as Australia, Iceland, Russia, South Africa, the Phillippines, United States, and Yemen. Together, they can be considered the “Crown Jewels of our...
The Sant Ocean Hall: Life in the Sand Exhibit Sep 21 2011 - 2:04pm Sandy beaches are home to a Diversity of Life In the Shores and Shallows Gallery of the Smithsonian's Sant Ocean Hall, a beach display features magnified grains of sand and the tiny beach critters that live between them.	Coral Sand Under a Microscope Oct 24 2012 - 10:52am Coral sand is aptly named: it's sand made up of tiny bits of coral and other ocean animals such as foraminifera, molluscs, and crustaceans. This picture -- at 100x magnification -- took 18th place in Nikon's 2012 Small World contest, which celebrates scientific photos taken under the microscope. It...
Sand from Orient Point, Long Island, New York Sep 21 2011 - 3:23pm There are different types of beaches and multiple factors that influence the formation of sand. Many beaches may look alike, but they are actually very different from each other. Wave patterns, geology, and other factors shape the composition, size, texture, and color of sand. Grains can be big or...	Trash on the Beach and in the Ocean Jul 28 2011 - 12:01pm While conducting field work in Curaçao in 2011, Smithsonian researchers encountered trash along remote beaches and deep in the water column. This video gives a brief glimpse of some of the marine debris they found. Read about how the experience inspired one of the researchers to make changes in her...
Sunset at Carrie Bow Cay Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am The sun sets over the Smithsonian’s Marine Field Station at Carrie Bow Cay, Belize.	The Importance of a Wave Apr 11 2013 - 9:32am Large waves are a draw for surfers, scientists and spectators alike to locations around the world. Changes to the coast and ocean floor as well as sediment flow can change the nature of a wave as it reaches shore. So when three condos were going to be built on the shore of his favorite surfing spot...
Biodiversity in the Coastal Zone Aug 29 2012 - 6:02pm Logistically speaking, the nearshore zone of the ocean -- the coastal areas to a depth of around 65 feet (20 meters) -- is the most-studied region of the ocean because of its accessibility. But, surprisingly, the estimates for how many species live in this region worldwide vary widely, from 178,000...	Sunset in Bali, Indonesia Jun 5 2012 - 10:38am The sun sets over Sanur in Bali, Indonesia during low tide. Follow along with updates through blogs and photos from the team of students and researchers who are doing field research through the education program hosted by the Indonesian Biodiversity Research Center.
Tide Pools and Adaptations May 23 2011 - 3:50pm Adaptation is the key word if you are looking to survive in a tide pool, a space that some scientists describe as the most competitive real estate in the ocean. Tide pools are exposed to the water's ebb and flow, and plants and animals must adapt to survive wave turbulence, desiccation stress,...	Jingle Shells Dec 17 2012 - 9:26am The jingle shell (Anomia simplex) is a common bivalve found on the Atlantic coast of North America, amongst the more commonly known clams and oysters. As with oysters, the lower shell is glued to a hard surface. Even after the mollusk is dead, the shell keeps its beautiful and shiny exterior....
Sea Stars and Urchins off Antarctica Sep 28 2012 - 3:03pm Sea stars (Odontaster validus) and sea urchins (Sterechinus neumayeri) spread over an algae-covered seafloor off the coast of Antarctica.	Scientists Catalog Life on the Island of Moorea Oct 15 2012 - 1:44pm Welcome to Moorea, a tiny, isolated island in the middle of the vast Pacific. Moorea is 132 square kilometers (51 square miles) of tropical ecosystems – from jungle and wetlands to beaches and coral reefs – with no major landmasses for thousands of miles. While it may look like the perfect vacation...
Science in a Time of Crisis: Oil Spill Pioneers May 10 2011 - 1:54pm Part 1 of a 6-part series describing WHOI's efforts to understand the scope and impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. "Oil Spill Pioneers" describes WHOI's four decades of experience studying oil spills, dating back to the 1969 Cape Code oil spill in Falmouth, MA....	Star Sand Grains Collected from Southern Japan May 24 2012 - 10:54am These star-shaped grains of sand, collected from southern Japan, look like miniature works of art -- but they were not sculpted by an artist. They are the shells of microscopic organisms called foraminifera, which build intricate shells from the calcium carbonate they collect while drifting through...