A new model suggests that inhospitable hydrodgen-sulfide rich waters could have delayed the spread of complex life forms in ancient oceans. The research considers the composition of the oceans 550-700 million years ago and shows that oxygen-poor toxic conditions, which may have delayed the establishment of complex life, were controlled by the biological availability of nitrogen....

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Protection of marine areas from fishing increases density and biomass of fish and invertebrates (such as lobster and scallops), finds a systematic review. The success of a protected area was also dependent on its size and on how it was managed, however even partial protection provides significant ecological benefits....

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Colorful new images chronicle the seasonal stirrings of our salty world: Pulses of freshwater gush from the Amazon River's mouth; an invisible seam divides the salty Arabian Sea from the fresher waters of the Bay of Bengal; a large patch of freshwater appears in the eastern tropical Pacific in the winter. These and other changes in ocean salinity patterns are revealed by the first full year of surface salinity data captured by NASA's Aquarius instrument....

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With over half of the U.S. population living in coastal areas, it's no wonder that our shorelines have dramatically changed over time. Curious to see how development has altered the shoreline near you? With NOAA's Historical Shoreline Survey Viewer, it's easy to access a large number of historical shoreline surveys conducted by NOAA and its predecessor organizations.

About 7,800 surveys—the earliest dating back to 1841—are available for viewing in Google Earth. In addition to overlaying a scanned image of the survey in Google Earth, the Viewer provides links to download: the original scan and metadata, the resulting extracted vector shoreline, and a descriptive report compiled by the survey team.



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Scientists have developed an instrument capable of simulating the high pressures and low temperatures needed to create hydrate in sediment samples....

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A commercial ship is properly loaded when the ship’s waterline equals the ship’s Plimsoll line....

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Late last October, one of the most destructive storms ever to hit the United States bashed the beaches of Brevard County in Florida, including the shoreline of NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Scientists are assessing damage along a 1.2 mile stretch of shoreline near Launch Pads 39A and B and developing restoration plans....

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While the hybrid cyclone-nor'easter known as Hurricane Sandy is long over, the communities hit by the massive storm will be rebuilding and recovering for years to come. To aid in this effort, staff from throughout the National Ocean Service (NOS) are working in partnership with federal, state, and local partners to deliver coastal science, management, and operational expertise.

NOS has unique expertise in protecting coastal and estuarine habitat, reducing marine debris, and providing navigation, coastal mapping, observing, monitoring, and high-accuracy geospatial positioning services. In combination with our decision support, technical assistance, and training activities, NOS provides a suite of resources and tools to aid recovery.

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New maps by scientists show how rising sea temperatures are likely to affect all coral reefs in the form of annual coral bleaching events under different emission scenarios. If carbon emissions stay on the current path most of the world's coral reefs (74 percent) are projected to experience coral bleaching conditions annually by 2045, results of the study show....

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During an expedition to the South Pacific Ocean, scientists discovered that organic matter derived from decaying algae regulates nitrogen loss from the Ocean’s oxygen minimum zones....

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