Oceanography

A gray shaded relief map with a rainbow categorization showing the densities of sargassum in the Atlantic Ocean.

Sargassum in the Atlantic Ocean Reaches a New Spring High

August 23, 2023April 11, 2023 by Caitlin Dempsey

Researchers using remote sensing data from NASA’s Aqua and Terra satellites have measured the largest ever March density in the Great Sargassum Belt.

Map showing the Indian Ocean, Oman Sea, and the Red Sea. Map: Epmistes, MediaWiki Commons.

What is the Difference Between a Sea and an Ocean?

October 15, 2023March 24, 2023 by Caitlin Dempsey

A look at the geographic definitions of oceans and seas.

A girl with a white sweatshirt and black leggings dances in the shallow water of the beach by the ocean. Her back is to the camera and the sun is shining with a clear blue sky.

Oceans Produce Half of the World’s Oxygen

August 7, 2023March 18, 2023 by Caitlin Dempsey

The oceans produce over half of the oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere, making them a vital source of oxygen for life on our planet.

Geography Facts About the Atlantic Ocean

August 7, 2023April 23, 2022 by Caitlin Dempsey

The Atlantic Ocean, named after the Greek god Atlas, is the second-largest ocean in the world.

The current US Exclusive Economic Zone is delineated by yellow outlines. As of January 2021, 53 percent of the United States' ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes waterways were unmapped. Map: NOAA Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping.

53% of U.S. Ocean, Coastal, and Great Lakes Waters are Unmapped

October 3, 2023September 7, 2021 by Caitlin Dempsey

According to a new report by the United States’ federal Interagency Working Group on Ocean Coastal Mapping, 53 percent of the country’s ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes water is still unmapped.