Oceans

Scientists estimate that kelp forests’ annual exposure to heat will more than quintuple by 2100. New research shows that predator species like California sheephead can help these forests recover by controlling sea urchins and other grazers that feed on vulnerable kelp.

Research on marine survivor species after mass extinction could help scientists and policymakers better understand the presently unfolding biodiversity crisis.

Nearly half of all dredge operators extract sand from protected areas of the ocean, research shows, highlighting the need to mitigate demand for the world’s most mined material.

Nearly 50 co-authors from around the globe have contributed to Navigating Our Way to Solutions in Marine Conservation, a wide-reaching book that explores why scientific insights alone aren’t sufficient to advance ocean stewardship.

A collaboration between Stanford researchers and Indonesian organizations aims to capitalize on aquatic food sources to improve nutrition, food security, and livelihoods.

Aboard the same fishing vessel Steinbeck used for his 1940 Sea of Cortez expedition, undergraduates studied science and literature while gaining a deeper appreciation for the ocean.

Between 1997 and 2024, endangered North Pacific loggerhead sea turtles shifted their foraging northward at a rate six times faster than the average for most marine species. The turtles face risks as they adapt to ocean warming caused by climate change.

“This is one of those great examples of science where you go out looking for one thing, but you end up finding something else that’s even better,” the study’s senior author says.

Microscopic organisms in the ocean play a key role in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. A new study unveils a hidden biological factor that could change our understanding of how this process works, and make climate change predictions more accurate.

Soaring human demand for the tiny crustaceans is threatening whale species once hunted nearly to extinction, but scientists say careful management could help ensure there’s enough krill to go around.