A bloom of algae from up above — What Exactly Is a Red Tide?

A Honduran small-scale fisherman on a boat setting out to fish. — Clever Measures Track Fishing Pressures

The formation of a hurricane is complicated, but basically, it depends on three factors. First, you need warm water, at least 80 degrees. The second ingredient is moist air. And finally, there needs to be converging winds for a hurricane to — Where Do Hurricanes Get Their Strength?

Quicklinks

A satellite image of a hurricane.

Hurricanes Typhoons & Cyclones

Two penguins on a rocky shore.

Penguins

Mangrove roots stick out above coastal waters.

Mangroves

A colorful coral reef in blue ocean water.

Corals

A brittle star holding on to deep-sea coral.

Deep Sea

A giant squid at the surface of the ocean.

Giant Squid

A hammerhead shark swims just underneath the surface of the water.

Sharks

An iridescent jellyfish underwater.

Jellyfish & Comb Jellies

Featured Content

Aerial image of Hurricane Bill

The Ingredients for a Hurricane

by Isaac Ginis

a midwater jelly floats in the water

Mysteries of the Mesopelagic

by NOAA

The Komodo National Park site in Indonesia was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1991. The site hosts "Komodo dragons" (Varanus komodoensis), a unique species that exists nowhere else in the world and is of great interest to scientists studying evolu

Tunicates—Not So Spineless Invertebrates

by Linda Cole

Explore Map

Daily Catch

A yellow moray eel inside of a sea sponge in the waters off of Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand

A Moray Eel's Meal

A yellow moray eel, Gymnothorax prasinus, inside of a sea sponge in the waters off of Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand. Photographer Brian Skerry takes an artistic eye to his underwater photography, such as the blurred yellow illuminating the otherwise well-hidden eel.

Around the Web

Dirty, Crevassed Glaciers in Alaska

Ocean Leadership

History and Seaports in Charleston

Ocean Leadership

Dry Season Fires in Australia

Ocean Leadership

The Eastern Caribbean Is Swamped by a Surge of Seaweed

Ocean Leadership

Roving Exhibit Highlights Ocean Plastics Problem

Ocean Leadership

Are You An Educator?

At Smithsonian Ocean, we have lesson plans, activities, and resources to help you engage your students in the wonders of our oceans.

See Lesson Plans