AI analysis of 20 years of satellite data shows floating macroalgae blooms expanding worldwide, with rapid growth beginning around 2008–2010. While floating algae can support marine life offshore, large blooms threaten coastal ecosystems, tourism and local economies when they reach shore.

New research reveals why understanding these social networks is critical for predicting and managing disease outbreaks in oceans already under siege with pressures from climate change, pollution and human activities. 

In a new global study, marine mammal experts from Flinders University and the US warn of the potential of pandemics in marine environments, with some species more vulnerable than others.

A team from Lanzhou University of Technology have developed a novel NiTi shape memory allow (SMA) with harmonic microstructures fabricated via selective laser melting (SLM). This work explores the relationship between microstructural evolution at various deformation stages and corrosion behaviour in seawater environments. The study reveals that in its initial states, the alloy exhibits superior corrosion resistance, primarily owing to dense and stable passivation films composed mainly of TiO₂ and NiO. Post-fracture, the formation of fragmented amorphous phases and nanocrystalline grains accelerates corrosion processes. Leveraging first-principles calculations and electrochemical analysis, the team provides insights into microgalvanic reactions and phase interactions that influence corrosion resistance, paving the way for advanced smart materials in marine applications.

A team of shark researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has solved a long-standing mystery, identifying the first-ever documented mating hub for tiger sharks, Olowalu, Maui. This challenges the conventional understanding of tiger sharks as purely solitary animals, revealing a predictable seasonal convergence of mature males and females that coincides with the humpback whale calving season in Hawaiʻi.

The Oceanography Society (TOS) has selected Dr. Elva Escobar Briones of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, as the recipient of the TOS Mentoring Award, recognizing her outstanding and sustained excellence in mentoring the next generation of ocean scientists, as well as her leadership in advancing inclusion, equity, and capacity building in oceanography. Her achievements will be celebrated during the TOS Honors Breakfast on February 24, 2026, during the Ocean Sciences Meeting in Glasgow, Scotland.

The Oceanography Society (TOS) has awarded the Ocean Observing Team Award to the Global Ocean Ship-Based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP), recognizing the program’s groundbreaking and sustained contributions to ocean observing that have transformed scientific understanding of the global ocean and delivered profound societal benefits. Team members will be recognized during The Oceanography Society’s Awards Breakfast taking place on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, during the Ocean Sciences Meeting in Glasgow, Scotland.

A new study led by researchers at the University of Oxford has shown that the shape and orientation of coastlines significantly influenced extinction patterns for animals living in the shallow oceans during the last 540 million years. In particular, animals living on convoluted or east-west orientated coastlines (such as those found in the Mediterranean and Gulf of Mexico today) were more likely to go extinct than those living on north-south orientated coastlines.

The findings, published today in Science, provide new insight towards understanding patterns of biodiversity distribution throughout Earth history to the present day, and highlight which modern species may be more at risk of extinction due to climate change.