Ocean Today Kiosk Video

News of the Day – Deep-Sea Crab Eats Trees (high resolution video)

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:07:23 -0400

By golly you'll never believe it! In the deep ocean, there's a species of crab that eats trees!

Scientists have identified this crustacean as Munidopsis andamanica. Try saying that three times fast!

You can just call it a galatheid crab or squat lobster. The creature feasts on wood that has sunk to the ocean floor. So meals come from coastline trees that have fallen into the sea, or even the occasional shipwreck. My, how tasty!

This discovery is helping scientists learn more about animals colonizing deep sea wood. hey say natural tree debris is making an important and significant contribution to life in the deep sea; thus answering the age-old question – if a tree falls in the ocean, is there anyone to eat it?

And that's your news of the day!

News of the Day – Immortal Jellyfish (high resolution video)

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:06:35 -0400

For centuries, man has searched for the fountain of youth. Reversing the aging process would be a move toward immortality.

Well, it appears one creature is already a step ahead of us. It's a jellyfish. Doesn't that news sting?

Scientists have discovered that a hydrozoan named Turritopsis nutricula is biologically immortal. But how is this possible? The key is in its life cycle. Normally, an adult jellyfish produces larvae that settle underwater. The larvae then grow into polyps. The polyps then bud off new jellies that grow into adults, and the cycle begins again.

Apparently, Turritopsis nutricula can reverse this process – changing back to the immature polyp stage after growing into a mature adult. By altering and transforming its cells, this jelly can go from baby to adult and back again. Funny, my wife says I do the same.

Scientists believe this life cycle can repeat indefinitely, potentially making this jellyfish immortal. So this discovery proves that to turn back hands of time, you may actually need tentacles.

And that's your news of the day!

News of the Day – Southern Ocean Current Found (high resolution video)

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:06:46 -0400

Well, stop the presses! We've got some news that's definitely current!

Did you know there's massive southern ocean current almost two miles below the ocean's surface? Incredible!

Recent measurements found it's the strongest current ever recorded at this depth – transporting 40 times as much water as the Amazon river! My, that's hard to swallow!

The current carries dense, oxygen-rich water that sinks near Antarctica to the deep basins of the Indian and Pacific oceans. Scientists say this current is an important component of the global ocean "conveyor belt," which pushes water from the ocean surface to the deep ocean and back again. This has a direct influence on temperatures around the world.

So, to truly understand the global network of currents that influence our climate, you literally need to scratch below the surface.

And that's your news of the day!

Hurricane Storm Surge (high resolution video)

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:13:59 -0400

Powerful winds aren't the only deadly force during a hurricane. The greatest threat to life actually comes from the water - in the form of storm surge.

Storm surge is water from the ocean that is pushed toward the shore by the force of the winds swirling around the hurricane. This advancing surge combines with the normal tides and can increase the water level by 30 feet or more.

Storm surge combined with waves can cause extensive damage. It can severely erode beaches and coastal highways. The pounding waves can take out boats and buildings. As the waters move inland, rivers and lakes may be affected, and add to the rising flood levels.

Protecting Titanic (high resolution video)

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:07:53 -0400

More than two and half miles below the surface, the wreckage of the Titanic rests on the seafloor …… both as a memorial and a living laboratory.

One hundred years ago, the world's most advanced passenger steamship struck an iceberg. On April 15th, 1912, it sank – losing 1,496 lives.

The legend of Titanic was larger than her size, and finding the wreck site opened a door to not only exploration and scientific study, but to salvage as well.

Black Coral (high resolution video)

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:57:40 -0400

Black carbon is the fancy name for soot. And like carbon dioxide, it’s causing changes in the Arctic climate.
Black carbon comes from the burning of fossil fuels, like coal and diesel, and from forest fires, and cookstoves. The majority reaching the Arctic comes from North America and Eurasia.
Studies suggest that black carbon is contributing to the acceleration of sea ice melting in the Arctic. Loss of this ice would lead to more rapid warming and possibly irreversible climate change.

Deep Ocean (high resolution video)

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:24:44 -0400

The deep ocean. A place so different, filled with strange life forms. But what’s down there? How much do we know about it? As it turns out, not very much. 95% of the ocean remains unexplored, most of which is considered the deep ocean.

But what exactly is the deep ocean? The first 200m of the ocean are the open ocean. Much of the marine life we know of lives here, where there is light.

Below 200m, where there is little light left, you enter the Twilight Zone.

Happening Now: Dead Zone in the Gulf (high resolution video)

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:32:20 -0400

The numbers are in. The 2011 Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone or Dead Zone measures 6,765 square miles – nearly the size of New Jersey. This is a huge blow to the already fragile Gulf ecosystem and economy.

It begins innocently enough. Farmers use fertilizers to increase the output of their crops so that we can have more food on our tables and more food to sell to the rest of the world.

But it is this agricultural run-off combined with urban run-off that brings excessive amounts of nutrients into the Mississippi and starts a chain of events in the Gulf that ends deadly.

Manatee 101 (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:55:22 -0400

The Manatee in - Destination: Warm Waters

What’s that in the distance? Its voice… it’s so soothing… and its shape – It’s not exactly human, but, after being away at sea for so long … could it be? Yes! It’s a mermaid!! Legend tells of sailors sighting mermaids on their long journeys in the South Seas – but what they most likely were seeing… were manatees!

Manatees are sirenians – and like whales, dolphins, and mythological mermaids, they never leave the water… however, they don’t have long hair, musical harps, or underwater kingdoms. Sirenians live in warm tropical waters. So if the water starts to get cold, the manatee is on the move – migrating to warmer temperatures.

Sounds Under the Surface (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:52:25 -0400

Every day we are surrounded by noises – from cars and planes, construction sites, and factories. While for most of us it is an annoyance, in some cases it can be harmful.

But have you ever thought about noises in the ocean? There are natural sounds from storms and waves, but also an increasing number of human-made sounds from boats, oil exploration and production, and military sonar.

Protecting Coral Reefs (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:51:36 -0400

Buck Island Reef National Monument lies one and a half miles north of St. Croix, Virgin Islands, in the Caribbean. This magnificent coral ecosystem is under protection as a National Monument and serves as a Marine Protected Area.

Corals, which only thrive in a narrow range of conditions, are slow growing and vulnerable to changes in their marine environment, including pollution, sedimentation, and warming ocean temperatures. Over the past few decades the marine environment of Buck Island Reef has been significantly threatened by these stressors, along with disease, hurricanes, and overfishing. Biologists see the plight of corals as a signal that our planet may be in danger.

Exploring History (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:50:54 -0400

Henry Stommel, an eminent oceanographer from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, envisioned the day that there would be “a thousand swimming robots” in the sea. His vision has been partially realized with the technology in Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), computer-controlled systems operating under the water.

When you compare vehicles, some of them look like torpedoes, some of them look like stingrays, some of them look like things with flippers on them. So the breadth of that is pretty exciting, and what they can do.

Weird Animals: Sea Cucumber (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:50:03 -0400

This is a Sea Cucumber - a really big one!

They scavenge for tiny pieces of food on the ocean floor.

There are thousands of different species.

Some are as small as a coin, others can grow to the size of a person.

Can you believe they don’t have brains? It’s true!

I think we can all agree – that is one weird animal!

Weird Animals: Blackspotted Puffer Fish (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:49:23 -0400

This is a Blackspotted puffer fish.

It can be found in the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean.

It has four teeth fused together that look like a beak.

This fish is poisonous, so it’s not safe to eat.

To scare away predators, it puffs its body up like a balloon. That’s how it got its name.

I think we can all agree – that's one weird animal!

Weird Animals: Giant Moray Eel (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:48:41 -0400

This scary fella is a Giant Moray Eel.

It likes to hide among reefs and rocks.

It can grow as long as 13 feet.

Did you know it has a second set of jaws in its throat? The jaws grab prey and drag it in to eat.

I think we can all agree – that’s one weird animal!

Weird Animals: Manta Ray (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:47:56 -0400

This is a Manta Ray.

They are the largest ray in the ocean, and are actually closely related to sharks.

Those flaps on its front are called cephalic lobes. They help the Manta Ray funnel food into its mouth while it swims.

Did you know Manta Rays can leap out of the water? It’s true!

I think we can all agree – that’s one weird animal!

Weird Animals: Painted Flutemouth Fish (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:47:15 -0400

This is a Painted Flutemouth fish, also known as a Trumpet Fish.

It’s usually 15 to 31 inches long, including that long snout.

This fish is sneaky. It sometimes swims in an upright position to look like a coral branch or floating twig. This lets it ambush smaller fish it wants to eat.

I think we can all agree – that’s one weird animal!

Seal Anatomy (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:46:21 -0400

All pinnipeds have four flippers, a layer of blubber, and sensitive whiskers on their snouts. The Harbor seal has all of these and a lot more. Like many marine animals, Harbor seals have streamlined fusiform bodies, tapered at both ends. Harbor seals have spotty coats. The dorsal side has more spots than the ventral side.

To move around, the Harbor seal depends on its flippers. The pectoral, or fore, flippers are short and webbed with five bony digits. The digits are about the same length and each has a blunt claw, around one to two inches long. In the water, the fore flippers are used for steering. The webbed hind flippers also have five bony digits. But the outside bones are longer and wider then the inside ones. Moving the hind flippers from side to side propels the Harbor seal through the water.

Seal 101 (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:45:46 -0400

The Harbor Seal in Seaside Homebody

Ahhh A nice sandy beach, easy access to deep waters, lots of warm sunshine, plenty of food nearby… the perfect home for the harbor seal.

Harbor seals are at home all along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, north of the equator. They are not considered migratory animals and stay pretty much in the same area all year long. Rivers and estuaries are home for harbor seals, as well as sandbars, beaches, and rocky coves.

Gentle Giants: Goliath Grouper (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:45:01 -0400

Sometimes, while diving, you hear them before you see them. Then, their enormous outlines come into view. These gentle giants are goliath grouper, the largest of the groupers in the Atlantic basin.

Goliath grouper, which were once known as jewfish, can grow to more than eight feet in length and 800 pounds. From July through September, goliath groupers converge at special locations to spawn. As a group, they release milt (or sperm) and eggs into ocean currents to create the next generation of goliaths.

After hatching in the open ocean, these baby fish make their way into coastal mangrove estuaries or areas where salt and freshwater mix. Here they settle in leaf litter along the muddy bottom.

Killer Whale Anatomy (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:43:55 -0400

Orcinis Orca. They’re commonly known as the Killer whale because of their aggressive nature. But the Orca isn’t actually a whale: it’s in the dolphin family. And while it shares a lot of the same characteristics of dolphins, the Orca has some unique features that are all its own, like its camouflage coloring.

The Orca is counter shaded: black on the top and mostly white on the bottom. Looking down from above, the black on the dorsal side mixes with the dark ocean. Looking up from below, the white on the ventral side blends into the sunlit water. Other animals may not recognize a Killer whale until it’s too late.

Killer Whale 101 (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:43:00 -0400

The Killer whale in, three of a kind.

In oceans all over the world, Orcas are swimming. In the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest, a matrilinial pod of resident Orcas is following the salmon run. Grandma heads up the pod – she makes all the decisions of where they should travel to feed and when they should do it. The family sticks together – sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, 9 to 60 family members interact with one another their entire lives.

Dolphin Anatomy (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:42:15 -0400

The Atlantic Spotted dolphin. They’ve been evolving for about 10 million years now. And while their ancient ancestors loved on land, rising ocean waters led these animals to become mammals of the sea.

Dolphins are mammals, and all mammals breathe air. Dolphins breathe through a blowhole. Atlantic spotted dolphins also blow bubbles through their blowholes as one way to communicate with other dolphins.

Dolphin 101 (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:41:23 -0400

The Adventures of the Atlantic Spotted Dolphin.

A pod of Atlantic Spotted dolphins is swimming in he warm Gulf Stream waters of Southern Florida. But one of the pod members seems to be missing – one of the youngsters is off exploring. The warm waters are also home to the dolphins’ predator – the shark! The youngster’s mother knows she’s vulnerable to attack when she’s alone. Imitating her daughter’s signature whistle, the mother dolphin calls to the wayward youth. Sensitive hearing allows the youngster to pick up the mother’s calls. She rejoins the group safely.

Creatures of the Deep: Sea Spider (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:40:31 -0400

This creature was found 2,300 feet deep in the ocean. It’s a Sea spider, and ones living this at this depth can grow quite large, spanning almost 3 feet wide.

Their 8 long legs help carry vital organs, like their digestive tract.

They also have 3 to 4 extra limbs – used for cleaning, courtship and carrying their young.

With over 1,300 different species, they are found in every ocean throughout the world.

Creatures of the Deep: Chimaera (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:39:49 -0400

This creature was found 4,200 feet deep in the ocean. It’s called a Chimaera.

This fish has no bones in its body; its skeleton is made of cartilage.

The dots on its face are sensory organs that detect electrical fields in the water – helping the Chimaera find its prey.

By living in deep water, far from our coasts, the Chimaera is accustomed to lurking in the dark.

Creatures of the Deep: Bathysaurus Ferox (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:37:54 -0400

This creature was found 6,900 feet deep in the ocean. It’s a Deepsea Lizardfish, also called a Bathysaurus Ferox.

It is the world’s deepest living superpredator; anything it meets, it eats, including individuals of its own kind.

This frightening creature has both male and female organs.

Razor sharp fangs can be found on this fish’s jaws, and even it’s tongue – a clear warning to stay away.

Creatures of the Deep: Basket Star (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:37:01 -0400

This creature was found 1,800 feet deep in the ocean. It’s called a Basket star.

This extraordinary invertebrate has a mass of twisting and turning arms that can measure a meter long. Each branch has tiny sharp hooks, allowing the creature to capture prey.

It feasts mainly on zooplankton.

Basket stars are able to grow their limbs back if they are broken or chopped off by predators – an ability as freakish as it is amazing.

Creatures of the Deep: Anglerfish (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:36:08 -0400

This creature was found 1600 feet deep in the ocean. It’s an Anglerfish – distinguished by the rod protruding from its head that it uses to attract prey.

With flexible bones, and a stomach that can be expanded, it can swallow fish that are twice its size.

The pectoral and pelvic fins can perform as feet, allowing this fish to walk along the bottom of the sea.

This strange looking creature is an example of the bizarre life forms living deep below the surface.

Ocean as a Lab: Whale Tagging (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:34:45 -0400

Hi, I’m Pat Halpin, and I am an ecologist, and I study whales, and we have been tagging whales in Antarctica, to look at their behavior and their feeding patterns under the ice.

The whale populations are coming back, but they were severely depleted, and so there’s a lot of work to be done to make sure we can stabilize those populations. One of the big concerns in the future is as we have climate change, the ice edge is going to be retreating and we really don’t understand how that’s affecting the marine populations.

Our main goal is to have baseline data, and to be able to understand how do these animals, these great whales, actually use the resources here. In Antarctica, we were primarily tagging humpback whales. So what we are interested in is to actually see how the whales use krill or other prey underwater, how deep they are diving, what kind of behavior they have.

Ocean as a Lab: Trouvadore Shipwreck (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:34:05 -0400

My name is Dr. Donald Keith. I'm a marine archeologist. I work in the Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies.

I started off in land archeology, but it didn't take long before I realized that there's a whole lot of stuff underwater that has been inaccessible for the last many millennia. But now we have the technology to go underwater and to relocate things that have been lost for hundreds of thousands of years.

We found out about the Trouvadore about 16 years ago. We went to the Smithsonian, looking for artifacts that had been sold to museums in the U.S. more than 100 years ago. But while we were there, we ran across old letters written by the guy who sold these artifacts to the Smithsonian. And he listed all the items he was selling. And way toward the end, there was a entry that said, "Two African idols from the last slave ship that wrecked in the Turks and Caicos Islands in 1841" and it gave the location, Breezy Point, East Caicos. And that was the beginning of our understanding of this whole event that had been completely lost to history, and we said, this is important. It's about how the people who live there today got there.

Ocean as a Lab: Shark Finning (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:33:13 -0400

My name is Mahmood Shivji. I'm the Director of the Guy Harvey Research Institute, and I study shark biology and shark conservation. What we have here are fins from over 400 sharks that were confiscated by NOAA's Office for Law Enforcement agents from a commercial fish dealer. And what they've done is they've asked us to see if we can identify these fins using our DNA techniques, because they want to know whether some of these fins come from species that are illegal to catch.

These are the large fins that are used for steering primarily by the shark. They're used to make a delicacy that's known as shark fin soup. These fins are typically exported to Hong Kong and sometimes to mainland China. The demand for shark fin is so high, sharks have been overfished worldwide. In fact, some of our studies have shown that up to 73 million sharks a year are being killed, just to supply the demands of the shark fin trade. And if you kill all the sharks off, then the entire ocean ecosystem suffers.

Ocean as a Lab: Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:30:39 -0400

My name’s Andy Bowen, I’m a research specialist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the project manager for the development of the Nereus vehicle.

Nereus is a new class of robotic vehicle, capable of descending into parts of the ocean that have previously been unexplored, and I think it’s fair to say, that will result in new discoveries about our ocean environment. Our final trials for the Nereus vehicle were of course to take it into the deepest part of the ocean and that was to the bottom of the Marianas Trench, in the Western Pacific.

Ocean as a Lab: Oil Spills (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:29:40 -0400

Hi, I’m Chris Reddy, and I’m an environmental chemist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and I study oil spills.

This is Wild Harbor salt marsh in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It was the location that was impacted by an oil spill in 1969. It’s a pretty beautiful place, but in reality, there is oil still present here. What’s interesting to us is, why has oil persisted here after 40 years? What are the conditions that do that? We’re interested in how nature responds to an uninvited guest, and in this case the uninvited guest is oil.

Ocean as a Lab: Ocean Acidification (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:28:58 -0400

My name is Francisco Chavez, and we’re here in Peru, studying the impacts of air sea exchange of CO2 on processes like ocean acidification.

I’ve really been studying the ocean off Peru for over thirty-five years. Humans have introduced an awful lot of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Anybody who takes a plane or a car is putting CO2 into the atmosphere. Not all the CO2 actually stays there. A lot of it goes into the ocean. For example, about a million tons of CO2 will enter the ocean in one hour today.

Ocean as a Lab: Mangrove Forests (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:26:12 -0400

I’m Candy Feller. I work for the Smithsonian and I study mangroves in Belize.

We are at Carrie Bow Cay; this is the Smithsonian Institution’s marine field station. More than 65 scientists come each year to do research.

Well today, we’re going to the mangroves to attend to a long-term fertilization experiment. More and more people are moving into the costal zones, so all the nutrient runoff from residential areas, industrial areas, washing right into these shallow water ecosystems. In this experiment we’re adding nitrogen and phosphorus, two elements that are used in, commercial fertilizers, to see how excess nutrients affect mangrove ecosystems.

Ocean as a Lab: Line Islands Corals (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:25:17 -0400

My name is Stuart Sandin. I am a marine ecologist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. I do my research in the Line Islands. This is a collection of atolls that are about a thousand miles south of Hawaii in the central Pacific Ocean. I work on the ecology of coral reefs, and I work on the conservation and restoration of this imperiled habitat.

We really have two major research goals in the Line Islands. The first is to describe a baseline coral reef, to describe what a coral reef looks like in the absence of human disturbance. Our second research goal is to describe what characteristics of the coral reef are systematically changed by human activities.

Ocean as a Lab: Population Survey FLIP (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:24:15 -0400

My name is John Hildenbrand, and I study the acoustics of whales and dolphins. I found that by monitoring the sound, it’s a very efficient was of finding where the animals are and then also making some sort of relative assessment of how many animals there are. When we track the number of calls in each area, it helps us to estimate the number of animals that are present. We do this because we want to conserve these populations.
So we’re standing outside on the FLIP. FLIP is a unique vessel. There are a series of ballast tanks that can be flooded, that make it rotate or flip up into the vertical position. There are 90 meters of FLIP beneath the water surface, another 20 meters of FLIP from the waterline to the bow, which is now pointing straight up in the air, and then 8 meters above that is a platform for observations of whales and dolphins.

Ocean as a Lab: Fish Farms (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:23:06 -0400

Hi, I’m Dallas Alston, I work with aquaculture in Puerto Rico. Our main research is to determine the effects of aquaculture on the environment. To increase the amount of fish that are available for increased populations around the world to eat, we’re looking to grow our own fish in the ocean. Hopefully we’ll take the pressure off of native or wild fish because fish are being overfished.
We went out and studied a farm which is located on an island east of Puerto Rico. The fish farm in this case was located underwater; it was a submerged cage. We were studying the effects of feeding that cage on the environment. The owner of the farm was named Brian O’Hanlon.

Sylvia Earle TED Winner (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:23:14 -0400

Sylvia Earle TED Winner Fifty years ago, when I began exploring the ocean, no one -- not Jacques Perrin, not Jacques Cousteau or Rachel Carson -- imagined that we could do anything to harm the ocean by what we put into it or by what we took out of it. It seemed, at that time, to be a sea of Eden, but now we know, and we are now facing paradise lost. I want to share with you my personal view of changes in the sea that affect all of us and to consider why it matters that in 50 years we've lost -- actually, we've taken, we've eaten -- more than 90 percent of the big fish in the sea, why you should care that nearly half of the coral reefs have disappeared, why a mysterious depletion of oxygen in large areas of the Pacific should concern not only the creatures that are dying but it really should concern you. It does concern you, as well.

Bluefin Tuna (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:20:51 -0400

If fish were cars the bluefin tuna would be the Ferraris. That’s how sleek their lines are…and how quickly they accelerate.
And how expensive they can be… especially at fish markets like this one in Japan…where sushi lovers have long coveted the rich red meat of the bluefin.
Here, a single bluefin tuna was once auctioned off for $175,000 dollars. Sales like those have painted targets on the backs of these great migratory fish.

Chemical Contaminants (high resolution video)

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:19:49 -0400

Take a look at the items around your house - your TV, your couch, your clothes, your computer. Many of the materials used to make them contain a chemical that helps prevent them from catching on fire. Great idea right? Well, scientists have started finding traces of these chemicals in places in our environment that they weren’t intended to be.

Terrapin Release (high resolution video)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:12:48 -0400

These students are preparing to embark on a special journey. They are part of the National Aquarium's "Aquarium on Wheels" program. Participants create and perform plays at libraries to help educate school-age children about environmentalism and wildlife. But they also take time to do some learning themselves.

Today, they are riding out to Poplar Island just off the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the Chesapeake Bay. There they will release a group of diamondback terrapin turtles. The island is a haven to many species of birds and is a popular breeding ground for terrapins. In fact these turtles were hatched here before being taken in for scientific observation, and today, they will return home.

Tsunami Strike: Japan Part I: Destruction (high resolution video)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:12:44 -0400

On March 11, 2011 a 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the Pacific coast of Japan generated a tsunami. This series of ocean waves sped towards the island nation with waves reaching 24 feet high. The result was devastation and utter destruction.

Towns were engulfed by water and swept away. Farmland was flooded. Tens of thousands of lives were lost. The National Police Agency reported damages to hundreds of roads, bridges, and more than 100,000 buildings. The surging water flooded rivers and destroyed harbors. In some areas along the coast, tsunami waves reached 6 miles inland. Tsunamis not only cause severe damage when they first strike land, but also as the water recedes back to sea.

Tsunami Strike: Japan Part II: Propagation (high resolution video)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:12:40 -0400

80 miles east of Japan, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake rocks the ocean floor. This disturbance causes a transfer of energy from the seafloor to the ocean, generating a series of ocean waves, known as a Tsunami.

In about 20 minutes, waves strike the Japanese coastline. Other nations go on high alert, because the tsunami will propagate, or spread, throughout the Pacific Ocean.

Tsunami Strike: Japan Part III: Warning Systems (high resolution video)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:12:37 -0400

These are the sounds of a tsunami warning. They alert residents that a killer wave is about to strike. These sirens, however, are just a small part of the sophisticated warning systems that played a role in Japan and in the U.S. during the Pacific Ocean tsunami in March 2011.

Most Tsunamis are generated by an undersea earthquake. Fortunately, Japan has one of the most advanced earthquake early-warning systems in the world. It detects tremors, calculates the epicenter, and sends out warnings from over a thousand seismographs scattered throughout the country.

Adelie Penguins (high resolution video)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:12:34 -0400

From the feathers on their head to the claws on their feet, Adèlie (pronounced A-dèl -ee) penguins are magnificently adapted for a life on land and in the sea.

Standing 18 inches tall and weighing up to 12 pounds Adèlie penguins are well suited to withstand the Antarctic environment. For 9 months, Adèlies explore continental shelf waters in search of shrimp-like crustaceans called Krill.

Dune Grass Planting (high resolution video)

Tue, 24 May 2011 10:18:44 -0400

Laura Bankey: "Today we are at Dam Neck Annex, part of Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, Virginia, restoring sand dune habitat along the Atlantic coast."

Heather Minick: "Right now, currently, we are planting panic grass on the dunes to help prevent erosion."

Northern Elephant Seals (high resolution video)

Wed, 11 May 2011 14:35:54 -0400

Humans aren't the only ones that are attracted to the California coastline, Northern Elephant Seals migrate thousands of miles to these beaches twice a year to breed, give birth, molt and rest.

Their bodies seem to be designed more for spending 8-10 months a year in the open ocean than on land.

Pacific Flyway (high resolution video)

Wed, 11 May 2011 11:13:09 -0400

As fall turns to winter, shorter days and cooler temperatures whisper a message to animals around the world that the time has come to move. So begins the magic of animal migration.

Every year, millions of birds migrate north and south following a route called the Pacific Flyway. The Pacific Flyway extends from Alaska in the north to Patagonia in South America. In central California, Morro Bay is an important stop along the Flyway.

Sea Otters, Kelp, and Humans (high resolution video)

Wed, 11 May 2011 10:41:14 -0400

How do you spend a typical morning? For a sea otter it may mean a breakfast of nutritious clams. Sharp teeth help rip apart the meat of the clam. Swimming on its back, a sea otter's belly serves as a perfect table.

A bath may come after breakfast. Grooming is the way otters force air bubbles next to their skin. These air bubbles act as insulation for warmth and provide buoyancy.

First Sign of Climate Change (high resolution video)

Mon, 9 May 2011 14:20:42 -0400

Dr. Martin Sommerkorn: We have lost Arctic sea ice at a drastic rate over the last couple of years, especially in 2007. 2007 has seen only 40 percent of the summer sea ice compared to the long-term average.

Here we see something like a canary in the coal mine. The Arctic is our indicator of climate change happening. And what concerns us most is that the canary is not only singing anymore it is actually almost dead.

Out of the Arctic there can come feedback mechanisms. These are processes that are triggered by the warming in the Arctic that feedback and accelerate the global warming. They so to say increase the speed or increase the magnitude at which we will experience climate change.

Wetlands Restoration (high resolution video)

Mon, 9 May 2011 14:20:57 -0400

Wetlands are among the richest and most diverse places on earth. Thousands of fish, mammals and birds call the wetlands home.

If you can believe it, wetlands, thick with plants and soggy soils, act as a sponge, soaking up pollutants to help keep our water clean. They also help protect people from floods and storms.

Sometimes, in places where communities are growing along the coast, wetlands are paying the price. In some places, these once biologically rich areas are filled in, and developed into homes. Others are turned into farmland or industrial sites.

Dance of the Dumbo Octopus (high resolution video)

Mon, 9 May 2011 14:21:03 -0400

In September 2005, members of the VISIONS 05 expedition captured video footage of the white deep-sea octopod, Grimpoteuthis bathynectes.
A high-definition underwater video camera was carried to the seafloor on a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) tethered to the ship. The footage was taken in the northeast Pacific, 200 miles off the Oregon coast at a depth of 6600 feet.
The region is home to the hydrothermal vent fields, or hot springs, associated with the underwater volcanoes of the Juan de Fuca Ridge.

Making Every Difference: 2011 National Ocean Science Bowl Winner (high resolution video)

Mon, 9 May 2011 14:21:08 -0400

One morning a man walked along the beach covered in starfish washed up by a storm. He saw a young girl picking up the starfish and tossing them back into the sea.

As he approached he couldn't help but ask - why bother? There are too many – you won't make much of a difference. She picked up another starfish and said I'll make a difference to this one.

In the modern world, all ocean events are just a touch away from us as the media links us to the global situation.

The Turtle and the Tree (high resolution video)

Mon, 9 May 2011 14:21:21 -0400

Once upon a time, a group of Loggerhead turtles established Keewaydin Island as a home. Warm weather and sandy dunes made it a perfect place for nesting. Hatchlings could easily make their way to the ocean from these beaches.

But trouble was looming on the horizon. The turtles saw trees they had never seen before being planted on their beach. These trees were known as the Australian Pine.

Residents were putting them there to protect their homes from wind and storms. Little did they know that this pine would cause major problems in the ecosystem.

Ocean Science Robots (high resolution video)

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 07:30:28 -0400

STEVE ACKLESON: In the waters off of Martha's Vineyard, the Office of Naval Research is using unmanned and robotic systems to investigate how sediments on the ocean floor are moved around by currents and waves.

Coastal storms often stir up sediments, creating a turbid layer of bottom water that can be difficult or impossible for Navy sensors and divers to see through.

The problem is not easy to study using traditional ship-based approaches, so Navy scientists are developing and employing robotic observation systems. Some of these sampling systems are designed to monitor water column and ocean floor properties at fixed locations.

Underwater Forests (high resolution video)

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 08:11:00 -0400

Kelp forests can be seen along much of the west coast of North America. Kelp are actually large brown algae that live in cool, relatively shallow waters close to the shore. They grow in dense groupings much like a forest on land. These underwater towers of kelp provide food and shelter for thousands of fish, invertebrates, and marine mammal species.

Kelp are very simple organisms that consist of a holdfast, a stipe, and blades. At the bottom is a root-like structure called a "holdfast" that anchors kelp to rocks and other materials on the ocean floor. Young kelp must compete for space to settle and grow, as the rocky bottom is carpeted with smaller algae and invertebrates like anemones and sponges.

Adopt a Drifter (high resolution video)

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:16:10 -0400

Narrator: Covering 70% of the Earth's surface, the ocean plays a major role in our climate, weather, and living conditions for plants and animals.
Through the NOAA Adopt a Drifter Program, kids are learning about ocean currents in real time, as scientists collect and analyze ocean data.
First, drifting buoys are deployed from ships at sea. As they are carried along ocean currents, "drifters" measure and transmit sea surface temperature data and positioning coordinates via satellite for about 400 days.

Mission: Exploration (high resolution video)

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:43:39 -0400

This is the Okeanos Explorer. Its name comes from the Greek word for "ocean."
Once a surveillance ship for the Navy, it's now a ship of exploration – using the latest technology to bring us some of the most extraordinary sights from the deep sea.
This impressive vessel is 224 feet in length and weighs about 2300 metric tons, which is over 5 million pounds.
Okeanos is the first US ship to be dedicated solely to exploration and discovery missions in the ocean. It uses a hull-mounted multibeam sonar to measure depths in the ocean. This helps produce high resolution maps of the seafloor as deep as 8000 meters, creating 3-D imagery of underwater ridges, trenches, volcanoes, and even plumes.

Dolphins at the Doctor (high resolution video)

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 10:42:35 -0500

Dolphins have a lot in common with humans. They breathe air, give birth to live young, and they also live in social groups. And some dolphins share a rather unique experience with humans; they go to the doctor.

Well, actually, the doctors make a house call to them. When marine scientists come across a group of sick or dead dolphins, they need to find out why, so they can better protect them.

But giving a dolphin a checkup in the wild isn't easy. It requires a large team of trained vets and scientists. They use specially designed nets and equipment in order to safely capture and gently restrain these large animals. And believe it or not, their checkups are a lot like ours.

Marine Animal Rescue (high resolution video)

Fri, 4 Mar 2011 11:55:19 -0500

The Marine Animal Rescue Program was started in 1993 at the National Aquarium, and is responsible for responding to marine mammal and sea turtle strandings in Maryland.
Jennifer Dittmar: "The program relies very heavily on volunteer assistance. At this time, we have about 45 active volunteers. They are responsible for taking care of animals that we may have in house. Anything from feeding the animals to giving them their medications.”"

Kristina Cammen: "The marine mammals and the sea turtles that we work with, many of them are endangered. If we don't do anything about it, these animals may go extinct or may disappear forever. So I felt this was a way that I could really help out with this issue."

The Acid Test (high resolution video)

Fri, 4 Mar 2011 11:55:30 -0500

Sigourney Weaver: Scientists refer to ocean acidification as the other carbon problem. The first, of course, is global warming.

Lisa Suatoni: People have heard about global warming for decades, but it's only over the past five years that experts really understood that the carbon dioxide is causing a problem for the oceans as well.

Ken Caldeira: When we burn coal, oil, and gas, we introduce carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but the atmosphere touches the ocean over 70 percent of Earth's surface, so this carbon dioxide we're putting into the atmosphere we are also putting into the ocean.

Sea Otter Anatomy (high resolution video)

Fri, 4 Mar 2011 08:55:24 -0500

An endangered species, the adult sea otter is the smallest of the marine mammals. It's a member of the weasel family, and the only marine mammal that doesn't have blubber to keep it warm. Instead the sea otter relies on its thick fur to keep its body temperature around 100 degrees.

Sea otters have two layers of incredibly dense fur, more than a million fibers per square inch. Outer guard hairs are around 1 1/3 inches long and when properly groomed lay flat against the body.

Sea Otter 101 (high resolution video)

Fri, 4 Mar 2011 08:53:56 -0500

In a quiet cove of Monterey Bay in Northern California, a female raft of sea otters is hanging out in a kelp bed.

Time to Eat!! A two-year-old sea otter is starving! She disappears below the surface. Deeper and deeper she goes, looking for her favorite dish. At last! A bed of sea urchins!

Sea otters are known to eat 33 different types of prey – but each otter has its favorite 2 or 3, and usually sticks to these preferences its entire life. These favorites are in turn passed on to their young.

Students Saving the Ocean (high resolution video)

Fri, 4 Mar 2011 08:51:09 -0500

You're watching Students Saving the Ocean

COASTAL CLEANUP DAY

Student: This is Hermit's Cove and we are here at Coastal Cleanup Day, which is once a year. Volunteers come to places like this and pick up all the trash that are along the shoreline. Learn how to dispose of things properly. I think that is really important.

Gray Whale 101 (high resolution video)

Fri, 4 Mar 2011 08:45:33 -0500

The Gray whale in Baja Holiday!

It's June! Time to plan the winter holiday… How about two – three months in Baja Mexico! Gray whales have been making this annual trip for centuries!!

Not wanting to leave home on empty stomachs, Gray whales first spend about four to five months eating – building up their strength and their blubber!!! And while they are some of the largest animals on our planet, they eat the tiniest little creatures!

Manatee Anatomy (high resolution video)

Fri, 4 Mar 2011 08:41:26 -0500

Every aquatic animal is adapted to its own particular lifestyle and habitat. Take the slow-swimming graceful manatee, for example. The manatee may look like a cousin to the walrus, but its closest living relative is actually the elephant. And like the elephant, it has a large prehensile upper lip that it uses to pull food into its mouth. Each side of the lip can move independently of the other. Behind the lips, horn-liked ridged pads break food down to smaller pieces.

Manatees are one of the only animals that keep replacing their teeth their entire lives. They have four sets of six to eight marching molars. As the front molars wear down, they fall out. The molars behind them move into place, or, march.

Gray Whale Anatomy (high resolution video)

Fri, 4 Mar 2011 08:25:13 -0500

The Gray whale is one of the oldest mammal species on the planet. It has been evolving and adapting for 30 million years. This marine mammal is a baleen whale, and all baleen whales have two blowholes. The blowholes are connected directly to the lungs, so the whale can take a mouthful of water and breathe at the same time.

The rostrum is dimpled and bumpy. Each bump has a hair sticking out of it called a vibrissa. These vibrissae are also found around the mouth. They function as tactile sensors, giving the whale a well-developed sense of touch.

Travel the Seas (high resolution video)

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 11:22:39 -0500

Anyone who's taken a road trip has probably had to use a map at some point. Navigating from point A to point B isn't always as easy as it seems. Imagine what's its like then to travel the ocean. How do you know where you are and what's around you? Well, there are maps for the ocean too. These are called nautical charts.

At first glance, a nautical chart may look overwhelming. But once you learn what the various lines, numbers, and symbols mean, reading these charts becomes a lot easier. Let's go over some basics...

Students at Sea (high resolution video)

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:01:50 -0500

Scientific research doesn’t always take place in a laboratory, so neither should your science class.

At Florida A&M University’s Environmental Sciences Institute, students now have the opportunity to join a program that gives them access to the biggest science lab in the world … the ocean.

Students at Sea is a three day research cruise that takes place off the Florida panhandle in the Gulf of Mexico

Taking the Ocean's Temperature (high resolution video)

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 09:43:46 -0400

You've heard of climate change, but what exactly is climate? Climate is the average weather -- like the temperature, wind, and rain -- across seasons and decades. Like weather, climate changes but over long periods of time.

To figure out these changes, you need to collect a lot of data from the air as well as the ocean.

In order to collect data from the ocean scientists have deployed a fleet of underwater floats - called Argo - at more than 3,000 spots around the world.

Restoring Coral Reefs (high resolution video)

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 10:04:10 -0400

These beautiful coral reefs are in serious trouble. They are being damaged or destroyed by pollution, disease, climate change, and a large number of ship groundings.

Staghorn and elkhorn coral have become threatened species. These corals are the building blocks of reefs in the Caribbean and Florida Keys.

To address these issues, NOAA and its partners started a coral restoration effort. Using innovative techniques, like underwater coral farming and reattaching broken coral pieces, these projects transplant and restore thousands of coral colonies on damaged reef sites.

Saving Sea Turtles (high resolution video)

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 09:44:09 -0400

When fishers put out their trawl nets in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic, sea turtles often end up trapped in the nets unintentionally. If the turtles cannot escape, they will drown. This is a major threat to marine turtles and it is known as bycatch.

In the 1980s and 1990s, NOAA and the shrimp industry developed turtle excluder devices. These devices direct turtles toward an opening in the shrimp net, so they can escape. Each year NOAA tests new and improved turtle excluder device designs in Panama City, Florida, using loggerhead turtles raised in its Galveston, Texas, lab.

The required use of turtle excluder devices has resulted in an almost 100 percent reduction in turtle deaths due to shrimp nets. NOAA continues to work with fishing industries all around the world to develop new techniques for preventing turtle bycatch and promoting sustainable fishing operations.

The Wandering Seal (high resolution video)

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 09:39:16 -0400

Deep into the foggy abyss of the central Bering Sea, the Pribilof Islands were found, not by sight, but by sound.

In the 1800s, fur traders tracked the northern fur seal to these islands. They discovered that the seals are only there in the summer and fall.

Today, researchers from NOAA's National Marine Mammal Lab track the migrating fur seals to understand where they feed in winter months and what marine resources they depend on for survival.

Marine Sanctuaries (high resolution video)

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 09:37:35 -0400

What are we doing to save the whales?

How are we protecting dolphins?

Can we keep the ocean safe to swim in?

How much do you appreciate what the ocean has to offer? What will you do to see that it endures for your children?

On behalf of the American people, NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary System is working to preserve underwater treasures in 14 special places. From American Samoa in the Pacific Ocean to the coast of Massachusetts off the Atlantic seaboard, including marine sanctuaries in the Gulf of Mexico, and along the West Coast.

Whale Call (high resolution video)

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 06:49:25 -0400

The North Atlantic right whale got its name from whalers. Because these whales travel slowly and spend a lot of time at the surface, they were easy targets.

For whalers they were the "right" whales to hunt.

With fewer than 400 left, they are now the "right" whales to save.

Hurricane Storm Surge (high resolution video)

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:41:47 -0400

Powerful winds aren't the only deadly force during a hurricane. The greatest threat to life actually comes from the water – in the form of storm surge.

Storm surge is water from the ocean that is pushed toward the shore by the force of the winds swirling around the hurricane. This advancing surge combines with the normal tides and can increase the water level by 30 feet or more.

Storm Tide Stations (high resolution video)

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:40:59 -0400

Our coastlines face numerous threats. Hurricanes, tsunamis, and sea level rise are a few of the dangers that keep coastal communities on edge.

With over half of the U.S. population living near the coast, it’s critical to collect and share accurate information on the environment during extreme weather events.

In four open coast areas along the Gulf, NOAA has deployed structures crucial to this effort. These are known as Sentinels.

Seafood Does a Body Good (high resolution video)

Wed, 26 May 2010 07:44:38 -0400

When we head to beach we think of sun, sand and fun.

At the end of the day many of us like to enjoy fresh, local seafood. Even if you are not on the coast, seafood is becoming a number one treat for going out to eat. The good news is safe seafood does a body good.

Seafood supplies protein, nutrients, and essential omega-3 fatty acids; protects against cardio-vascular disease; and benefits brain development. And seafood is good for the economy. U.S. commercial and recreational fisheries generate about 80 billion dollars a year.

Waterspouts (high resolution video)

Mon, 24 May 2010 12:55:59 -0400

They are sometimes seen as threatening funnel clouds descending from stormy skies. Others can be nearly invisible, like a ghostly spiral of wind skimming the sea surface.

These eerie columns of rotating air are known as waterspouts – commonly defined as tornadoes over water.

Hurricane Hunters (high resolution video)

Mon, 24 May 2010 12:56:08 -0400

The job of a hurricane hunter is not for the faint at heart. These brave men and women must fly straight into one of the most destructive forces in nature.

Hurricanes are born over the open ocean, and while satellites can track their movement, meteorologists and researchers need to sample the storms directly to get the most accurate information about them.

Deep Ocean Volcanoes (high resolution video)

Mon, 24 May 2010 09:54:34 -0400

Scientists believe that 80 percent of the volcanic eruptions on Earth take place in the ocean. Most of these volcanoes are thousands of feet deep, and difficult to find. But in May of 2009, scientists captured the deepest ocean eruption ever found.

Nearly 4000 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean – in an area between Samoa, Fiji and Tonga - the West Mata volcano was discovered.

When Lightning Strikes (high resolution video)

Mon, 24 May 2010 09:53:29 -0400

Lightning is a rapid discharge of electrical energy in the atmosphere.

Each spark can span over five miles in length, reach temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun and contain 100 million volts of electricity.

Lightning strikes are not only dangerous, they can be deadly.

Ice Center (high resolution video)

Tue, 18 May 2010 09:18:33 -0400

Some of the most dramatic evidence of global climate change can be found in the Arctic. Over the last several decades, significant changes have been observed and measured there. This includes the disappearance of large areas of the normally persistent, thick, hard, multi-year ice, and a dramatic reduction of the summer ice extent.

In 2007, the summer minimum ice extent was 40 percent below the minima of the 1980s. An ice-diminished Arctic opens up the possibility of shorter routes for commercial shipping, greater access to potentially significant gas, oil, and mineral resources in the seabed, and expanded opportunities in commercial fishing.

Lessons from Valdez (high resolution video)

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 09:34:19 -0400

On March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez grounded on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, rupturing the hull and spilling oil into the pristine waters of Alaska. In all, nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil devastated this remote and biologically productive body of water. Hundreds of thousands of birds, mammals, and other marine organisms were killed or injured.

In response to the spill, Congress enacted the Oil Pollution Act in 1990. Now, tankers passing through the Sound are monitored by the US Coast Guard via satellite and escorted by two vessels. All tankers must have double hulls by the year 2015. And, contingency plans must include a scenario for spills of 12.6 million gallons, training drills, and rapid notification of incidents.

Oil in the Ocean (high resolution video)

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:15:35 -0400

Last summer, in the heart of New Orleans, a 600-foot tanker collided with a 200-foot fuel barge, tearing the barge in half. Several hundred thousand gallons of oil leaked out of the barge and into the fast-flowing Mississippi River, heading quickly towards the ocean.
The oil spread down the river in minutes --immediately threatening drinking water intakes and wildlife.

Responders sprang into action within hours of the accident. Using computer models and weather forecasts, they determined the path of the spill. With helicopter surveys, they assessed the damage and dispatched cleanup crews.

Arctic Exploration (high resolution video)

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:52:54 -0400

The Arctic region includes a vast, ice-covered ocean. This pristine yet rugged environment is one of the least explored and understood places on Earth.

Due to climate changes, summer Arctic ice cover is diminishing, and scientists therefore believe it is vitally important to get a better understanding of this environment and what impact future changes might bring to our world.

Operating from the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Healy, NOAA scientists have been involved in studying the sea ice, the water column, and the sea floor. Their missions have used the latest cutting-edge technology.

Grip of the Rip (high resolution video)

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:58:30 -0400

The water looks ready for a swim, but there may be a danger awaiting those who enter.

This potentially deadly force is the #1 safety threat at beaches – it's called a rip current.

Rip currents are fast, powerful channels of water flowing away from the beach and out past the breaking waves. And before you realize it, you can get dragged out far from the shore.

Healthy Beaches (high resolution video)

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:22:07 -0500

Have you ever gone to the beach only to find it closed? Across the U.S., many swimming seasons are cut short due to the presence of waterborne pathogens in the ocean.

Beaches are monitored to protect public health and prevent illnesses, such as infections, stomachaches, and diarrhea. What are the most common types of pathogens?

Bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.

Underwater Vents and Volcanos (high resolution video)

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:15:06 -0500

Not too long ago, scientists studying the ocean made a fascinating discovery that has helped us better understand our planet Earth. Down in the deep and dark waters, they found hot springs on the ocean floor releasing warm and mineral-rich fluids - these are called hydrothermal vents. Hydrothermal vents are often associated with undersea volcanoes. This is because the vents are created and sustained by the heat of volcanic activity at tectonic plate boundaries, found throughout the globe.

Nets to Energy (high resolution video)

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:15:15 -0500

Turning trash into electricity. What was once an idea of the future has become a reality today. And it's happening in Hawaii. Currents in the Pacific have brought derelict fishing nets and gear to the waters around the islands. These nets are a safety hazard to ships, and cause extensive damage to the ecosystem by snagging on coral reefs, entangling wildlife, and polluting shorelines.

Battle of the Atlantic (high resolution video)

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:15:22 -0500

North Carolina . . . twenty miles offshore . . . over a hundred feet deep -- An underwater graveyard of WWII. The notorious German submarine, the U701, rests on the ocean floor. This Nazi vessel was sunk by Army aircraft during a fierce campaign known as the Battle of the Atlantic. In August 2009, a NOAA-led research expedition in nearby waters discovered another victim of the deadly battle. This time, it's a US yard patrol boat - the YP 389. This fishing trawler was one of many drafted by the Navy and converted into a coastal patrol boat. And like many others, it was sunk by the overpowering U701.

Sea Levels on the Move (high resolution video)

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:15:28 -0500

The earth's climate is changing – and it's causing sea levels to change too. Even small changes in sea levels can dramatically alter coastal landscapes all across the world. So continuously measuring sea level changes over the long term is the best way for scientists to understand and project how and when this will affect our communities. High-tech instruments are used to take height measurements of the ocean and land.

Don't Feed Wild Dolphins (high resolution video)

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:15:34 -0500

For me it started with sardines. Oooh...Sardines. That's when I learned to beg. It was easy to score free fish. I mean eh, with this dolphin smile... [clicks]. Yeah, it's illegal but no one cares. I was hanging out under boats, dodging props and hooks, doing dangerous stuff ... just for people food. Look...I know that I can kick this, if people would just stop feeding me. Don't Feed Wild Animals. Keep Them Wild.

Tsunami Awareness (high resolution video)

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:15:40 -0500

It can be many miles long, from 1 to 100 feet high, traveling at 400 miles per hour. This ocean monster is known as a tsunami and it can wreak havoc on coastal populations and landscapes. A tsunami is a series of ocean waves caused by any large and sudden disturbance of the sea surface.

Around the Americas (high resolution video)

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:15:44 -0500

Throughout history, explorers have sailed the ocean to discover new things about the world in which we live. Today, a new group of explorers is embarking on a journey of scientific discovery that has never before been completed in a continuous fashion. The Around the Americas voyage is a 25,000-mile circumnavigation of the North and South American continents. The mission is simple: to raise awareness about the health of the ocean and to show how changes are impacting various ecosystems and human life.

Fish on a Farm (high resolution video)

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:15:48 -0500

Every weekend small farmers around the country head to their local farmer's markets to sell their fruits and veggies. Well guess what? There's a new farmer in town. Fish farmers. In the U.S., we import over 80% of the seafood we eat, and half of that is farmed. This growing demand for safe, healthy seafood has prompted a revival of the fish farming industry here at home.

Medicines from the sea (high resolution video)

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 08:35:03 -0500

High resolution video on medicines from the sea. When you've got a bacterial infection like pink eye or strep throat, your doctor will usually write a prescription for antibiotics to make you feel better. But have you ever wondered where these medicines come from?

Most drugs come from flowers and plants on land, but finding new sources is difficult. And some bacteria have become resistant to a few of these drugs - so much in fact that these drugs don't work any more. The ocean- with its amazing biodiversity - offers many more organisms for scientists to discover and develop new medicines.

Sea lion sickness (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:48:46 -0500

High resolution video on sea lion sickness. Humans have a lot more in common with sea lions than meets the eye. We're both mammals, we give birth to live young, we're highly social, and we also eat some of the same kinds of fish.

That's important to many scientists, because when sea lions get sick from their diet it may have the same effect on humans.

Wreak site of the RMS Titanic (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:47:19 -0500

High resolution video of the wreck site of the Royal Mail Ship Titanic. thought to be unsinkable. But on April 14, 1912, during her maiden voyage, Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic. On that fateful day, the world lost the largest and most advanced passenger steamship of her time.

Ocean discoveries (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:44:54 -0500

High resolution video of ocean discoveries.

Tracking tsunamis (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:44:10 -0500

High resolution video showing the technology used to track tsunamis. Tsunami - a killer wave - speeding across the ocean at 400 miles an hour.

It smashes into land destroying everything in its path. Tsunamis do not have a season. But they can strike any coast at any time.

Ship under a bridge (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:42:07 -0500

High resolution video showing the technology that allows large ships to safely pass under bridges and other obstructions. When navigating into ports, ship captains monitor real-time data on water conditions like tides, currents, and winds. During high tide, there is less room to fit under the bridge. During low tides, a ship could run aground.

To solve this problem, NOAA created the Air Gap system.

Marine forensics (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:40:02 -0500

High resolution video on marine forensics. The U.S. Government has charged NOAA with enforcing the laws and treaties related to the conservation and protection of marine resources. The Office of Law Enforcement investigates crimes, and the Marine Forensic Lab provides scientific evidence to support their cases. Together they bring Marine Criminals to justice.

Predicting harmful algal blooms (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:39:01 -0500

High resolution video on red tides and harmful algal blooms. Red tides are a natural phenomena, but not all are created equal. This is an example of a harmful algal bloom and it is wreaking havoc throughout the marine ecosystem. The blooms release toxins into the water where they enter the food chain through fish and shellfish. Eventually, the toxins can kill larger marine animals like manatees, turtles, and dolphins. It also makes shellfish unsafe for human consumption.

Reducing bycatch (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:37:03 -0500

High resolution video explaining bycatch, the name given to fish and other ocean animals that are unintentionally caught by fishing gear. Scientists and gear specialists from the University of New Hampshire are working with fishermen to test a new "selective" fishing net. This fishing net, called a trawl, is compatible with ground fish regulations and would reduce the amount of bycatch while fishing for haddock.

Building good mussels (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:35:51 -0500

High resolution video showing how farmers specializing in aquaculture grow healthy mussels.

Ocean science and technology (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:34:38 -0500

High resolution video of ocean science and technology.

Whale rescue (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:33:39 -0500

In the last 25 years, 92 large whales have been freed from life threatening entanglements in fishing gear. Such entanglements are threatening the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale. When these whales are spotted who comes to the rescue? A team from the Atlantic Large Whale Disentanglement Network, as shown in this high resolution video

The ocean shows us the way (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:32:18 -0500

High resolution video showing an ancient method of navigation for crossing vast expanses of the Western Pacific, developed by Pacific Islanders.

Lionfish on the loose (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:30:20 -0500

High resolution video of the lionfish menace. Lurking in the waters of the western Atlantic is an unwelcome predator. A predator that is beautiful yet deadly. A stealthy, ambush predator with poisonous spines, potential prey fall easy victim to the Red Lionfish.

Ocean life (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:27:49 -0500

High resolution video of ocean life.

Ocean news (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:26:54 -0500

A selection of high resolution video of ocean events.

Marine protected areas (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:25:34 -0500

High resolution video of Marine Protected Areas. Chances are you've visited a Marine Protected Area and didn't even know it. If you've gone fishing in central California, diving in the Florida Keys, swimming in Cape Cod, or hiking along the Olympic Coast, you've probably been one of millions of visitors to a Marine Protected Area

Marine debris (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:24:23 -0500

High resolution video of marine debris. Marine debris has become one of the most pervasive pollution problems facing the world's ocean and waterways. Just what exactly is marine debris?

Hurricane survival (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:22:23 -0500

High-resolution video showing how to survive a hurricane.

What is Ocean Today (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:22:32 -0500

High-resolution video clips of ocean news, ocean life, ocean science and technology, and ocean discoveries.

Aquarius undersea laboratory (high resolutionvideo)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:45:46 -0500

High resolution video of Aquarius Reef Base underwater laboratory

Coral forests of the deep (high resolution video)

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:28:30 -0500

High resolution video of coral forest of the ocean deep. Most corals were once thought to live in tropical water, close enough to the surface to receive sunlight. But with the help of submersibles and remotely operated vehicles, scientists have discovered vast forests of corals living 200 to 10,000 feet deep in dark, cold waters.