Beneath Earth’s surface lies a kingdom of undiscovered microscopic life. These “intraterrestrials” survive in some of the harshest conditions on the planet — and scientists are hunting for these microbes. In this excerpt from “Intraterrestrials: Discovering the Strangest Life on Earth” (Princeton University Press, 2025), author Karen G. Lloyd, a microbial biogeochemist at the University … Read more
Earth’s oceans are in worse condition than scientists thought, with acidity levels so high that our seas may have entered a “danger zone” five years ago, according to a new study. Humans are inadvertently making the oceans more acidic by releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) through industrial activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. This … Read more
Scientists have revealed how much of the vast deep ocean floor humankind has observed, and it’s a staggeringly small amount. According to a new study published May 7 in the journal Science Advances, just 0.001% of the deep seafloor (anything below 656 feet, or 200 meters) has been explored — despite it covering about two-thirds … Read more
Nearly three fourths of Earth is covered by oceans, making the planet look like a pale blue dot from space. But Japanese researchers have made a compelling case that Earth’s oceans were once green, in a study published in Nature. The reason Earth’s oceans may have looked different in the ancient past is to do … Read more
Earth’s oceans are getting warmer at an accelerating rate, researchers find — indicating that climate change is speeding up too. The scientists found that ocean warming has more than quadrupled over the past 40 years and is likely to accelerate even faster in the future. The researchers published their findings in a new study published … Read more
There are more than 70 species of salps worldwide, with Salpa fusiformis being the most common. Salps can be found from the ocean surface down to around 2,600 feet (800 meters) deep. They are barrel shaped, ranging from 0.08 inches (0.2 centimeters) at birth to about 4 inches (10 cm) in adulthood. They can join … Read more
Engineers have assembled an autonomous underwater drone that the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) plans to use for long-range missions in the ocean, pictures show. Dubbed “Manta Ray,” the drone is modeled after filter-feeding fish of the same name with diamond-shaped bodies and wing-like fins. The prototype, designed and built by the aerospace … Read more
