Article

The Sant Ocean Hall Turns Ten

The ocean is essential to all life, and covers 71 percent of the Earth’s surface....

Article

On the Trail of DNA in the Ocean

DNA is everywhere—it can be found in hair, saliva, blood, bones, feces or even...

overview

Scientists Catalog Life on the Island of Moorea

Welcome to Moorea, a tiny, isolated island in the middle of the vast Pacific....

overview

Mangroves

Mangroves are survivors. With their roots submerged in water, mangrove trees thrive...

overview

The Census of Marine Life

Did you know that over 17,000 species thrive in the deep sea where no light...

overview

Seagrass and Seagrass Beds

Seagrasses are found in shallow salty and brackish waters in many parts of the...

Personal Perspectives

Up Close and Personal with a Mangrove Root

I got a lot of funny looks at the airport when I opened the oversized cooler for...

Article

Not Just Another Fuzzy Face

Who hasn’t grinned at the sight of a sea otter floating on its back while...

The Time For Earth Optimism is Now

Here at the Smithsonian we think the time for Earth Optimism is now. So we are...

Article

Flippers or Feet? An Extinct Mammal May Have Been Replaced By Today's Sea Cows

In the seagrass beds and kelp forests of the Oligocene-Miocene transition, nearly...

Article

Making a Mark on the Ocean Floor

Until very recently oceanography was a field dominated by men. A seafaring career,...

Personal Perspectives

Shipboard Life in the Antarctic

Strapped in to a harness on the back deck of a 230-foot research vessel off the...