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Ocean Portal by The Smithsonian Institution

Temperature & Chemistry

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PHOTO Sea lion with data collector on back Many species are being recruited to gather data in hidden corners of the ocean. From sea lions to sharks, these animals can collect information about how climate change is affecting ocean te...MORE PHOTOS


	PHOTO MORE PHOTOS Robot Explores Ocean Eddies The first unmanned, underwater robot or glider Scarlet Knight maneuvers through...
	PHOTO MORE PHOTOS Zones of the Open Ocean Oceanographers divide the ocean into three broad zones. Together, they could hid...
	ARTICLE MORE STORIES Underwater Robots Explore the Ocean CREDIT: Provided by Rutgers University Glider Technology Now Used to Stud...

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					Ocean Acidification with Dr. Francisco Chavez Apr 30, 2013 - 9:29AMDr. Francisco Chavez of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute estimates that a million tons of CO2 enter the ocean hourly. His studies in Peru explore the phenomenon of ocean acidification, which occurs when waters have...

How will climate change affect glaciers and ice sheets?

Apr 24, 2013 - 9:45AM

How will changes in temperature affect glaciers and ice sheets? Dr. Sarah...

Shell Dissolves in Seawater

Nov 29, 2012 - 11:11AM

Over a 10-year period NOAA scientists have collected 72,000 seawater samples...

SPOTLIGHT


Ocean Acidification with Dr. Francisco Chavez Dr. Francisco Chavez of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute estimates that a million tons of CO2 enter the ocean...

Sea lion with data collector on back Mar 23 2010 - 9:44am Many species are being recruited to gather data in hidden corners of the ocean. From sea lions to sharks, these animals can collect information about how climate change is affecting ocean temperature and chemistry. More about climate change can be found in the Climate Change section.	Lecture: One Year After the Gulf Oil Spill Apr 26 2011 - 5:02pm On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, opening up a well that pumped nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the ocean. It was the largest spill in U.S. history. In this presentation given at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History on April 19, 2011, experts discuss...
Measuring Ice Core Temperatures Jan 4 2011 - 5:15pm Marine biologist Mette Kaufman measures the temperature of a recently-drilled ice core. Variations in temperature at different points of the ice core provide information about the living conditions of the various organisms that live in the Arctic ice.	Ocean Acidification with Dr. Francisco Chavez Apr 30 2013 - 9:29am Dr. Francisco Chavez of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute estimates that a million tons of CO2 enter the ocean hourly. His studies in Peru explore the phenomenon of ocean acidification, which occurs when waters have high concentrations of CO2.
Scientists Work to Predict and Prevent Algae Blooms Jul 5 2011 - 6:20pm Algae, like all organisms, normally grow in balance with their ecosystems, limited by the amount of nutrients in the water. But sometimes, certain species of algae reproduce so rapidly that they cause damage. In the ocean, microscopic forms of algae can "bloom" into dense patches near the surface,...	Coral Growth Rings Nov 8 2012 - 10:50am Ultraviolet light illuminates the growth rings in a cross-section of a 44-year-old deep-sea coral (Primnoa resedaeformis) collected off the coast of Newfoundland at about 1,300 feet (400 meters).
Robot Explores Ocean Eddies Dec 8 2010 - 1:00pm The first unmanned, underwater robot or glider Scarlet Knight maneuvers through the dangerous opposing and circular currents in swirling eddy fields of the Atlantic Ocean to collect data below the waves where satellites cannot see. A satellite communication system in the tailfin sent data to...	Searching for the Ocean Acidification Signal Dec 12 2012 - 1:00pm It’s not an easy question to answer. In the lab, scientists can set up a series of seawater tanks with a variety of pH levels to figure out how different species react to more acidic water, observing the structure of their shells, their metabolism, or their behavior. Or researchers can go to areas...
Shell Dissolves in Seawater Nov 29 2012 - 11:11am Over a 10-year period NOAA scientists have collected 72,000 seawater samples, and their data show that the ocean is becoming more acidic because of climate change-caused warming. That small shift is enough to dissolve the shells of animals like this pteropod in the lab—or even in the ocean. Because...	Line W: A 10-Year Portrait of Our Planet Dec 16 2011 - 4:37pm The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's "Line W" program is conducting research to better understand how the oceans and the atmosphere work together to cause, and are affected by, climate variability on the earth. Since 2001, a set of moored instruments and repeated research cruises across...
How will climate change affect glaciers and ice sheets? Apr 24 2013 - 9:45am How will changes in temperature affect glaciers and ice sheets? Dr. Sarah Das from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution explores this phenomenon first hand in Greenland, where she studies how the melted ice travels through glaciers and out to the sea. Learn more about climate change.	The Gulf Oil Spill: Effects on Marine Life Jun 9 2010 - 3:48pm The Deepwater Horizon disaster has imperiled the ecosystem along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Most oil spills have occurred at the ocean surface. This one, originating at the ocean floor and rising up through the water column, has the potential to affect the marine environment at every level. More about...
Taking the Ocean’s Temperature Jan 14 2011 - 3:04pm A fleet of underwater floats called Argo is deployed at more than 3,000 spots around the world. The floats transmit information about water temperature, salinity, and pressure which scientists use to understand trends in ocean temperature and climate change. Explore other videos that capture the...	Zones of the Open Ocean Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am Oceanographers divide the ocean into three broad zones. Together, they could hide 20 Washington Monuments stacked on top of each other. Each zone has a different mix of species adapted to its light levels, pressures, and temperatures. About three-fourths of the ocean is deep, permanently dark, and...
Underwater Robots Explore the Ocean Oct 29 2010 - 4:01pm CREDIT: Provided by Rutgers University Glider Technology Now Used to Study Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico The first underwater robotic vehicle—or “glider”—to cross an ocean is the centerpiece of a new temporary exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The U.S. Integrated...	Exploring Ocean Life with an Underwater Vehicle Dec 16 2011 - 4:46pm Studies along the Northwest Atlantic Ocean shelf break- the transition from continental shelf to slope- by researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Rutgers University are revealing connections between physical processes in the ocean and the things that live there.