Author: Megan

If you asked most people in America which states depend on the ocean, Kansas would probably not top the list. No beaches. No ports. No salt air. But that is exactly why Kansas is such a powerful reminder of something oce...

I have been studying plastic pollution for more than a decade. I’ve analyzed hundreds of samples in labs, pored over data and spent years thinking hard about where plastics go once they leave our hands and enter th...

Our annual Photo Contest is officially wrapped—and wow, you delivered! More than 1,000 ocean lovers shared their incredible ocean and wildlife photos. Thank you for keeping our ocean in focus during National Ocean Month...

Far below the ocean’s surface—where sunlight disappears, pressure skyrockets and temperatures plunge—some of the strangest animals on the planet have evolved to survive. Transparent heads. Glowing bodies. Needle-like tee...

I grew up in Chile, a country that stretches like a thin line between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean, with more than 4,000 kilometers of coastline. The sea is not just scenery but life itself–artisanal fishermen, coasta...

There are more than 2,000 species of gobies (Gobiidae) known to science today, making them the largest family of fish in the ocean. But these small creatures are far more complex and essential to marine ecosystems than f...

Recently, you may have heard about something called “El Niño.” But what exactly is El Niño and its sibling “La Niña”? Why do these terms seem to emerge from the depths of the scientific community...

Have you ever seen a sleek, brown-and-white bird hover above the ocean, fold its wings and drop into the water like a cannonball, only to surface seconds later with a fish in its grip? If so, you have probably seen an os...

As the weather begins to warm across the United States, people are taking to parks and beaches once again for picnics, barbecues and other celebrations with family and friends. And while we’re out enjoying nature, we can...

Despite their dramatic name, false killer whales aren’t an orca species. These animals are dolphins—members of the same extended family as the iconic “killer whale” (Orcinus orca). Compared to their namesake counterparts...