NOAA Spooky Science

Still thinking about a design for your jack-o-lantern this year? Look no further!

Carving pumpkins isn’t for you? NOAA SciJinks tells you how to paint your own pumpkins!

These new pumpkin carving templates highlight some of the critters NOAA Ocean Exploration has encountered during their deep-ocean dives. 

These new pumpkin carving templates highlight some of the ways NOAA measures the ocean and how ocean observations are used.

Wow your neighbors with our eerie-sistibly fa-boo-lous ocean-inspired jack-o’-lantern stencils from NOAA Fisheries. 

Are satellites and space more your thing? NOAA Satellites has you covered with NASA and NOAA stencils from JPSS.

Deep dive into depths unknown with a video sure to make you ponder the ocean and its fascinating marine life and unusual habitats.

A garden of ghouls and ghastly creatures lurk in the deep. One creature has eight suckered arms, three beating hearts, and eats with a beak that can deliver a venomous bite.

Sea spiders, anglerfish, and ghost sharks, oh my! Discover the creatures of one of the harshest realms in the ocean: the deep sea.

Does Bigfoot give lessons on avoiding detection? This giant squid might need to enroll!

See what happens when a whale dies and sinks to the seafloor. Hey, the little guys gotta eat, too!

Unique DIY Halloween costume ideas of strange and spectacular animals from across the National Marine Sanctuary System.

What insidious poison can reduce a once verdant woodland to a ghost forest haunted by dead and dying timber?

Mummies at a museum in Chile are turning to black ooze … but, why?

A “dead zone” may sound like an area where zombies congregate, but it’s actually an area that has reduced levels of oxygen in the water, turning habitats once teeming with life into, essentially, biological deserts.

Should we fear the graveyard orbit of un-dead satellites?

A paleoclimate dataset — derived from bat guano — provides insight into climate conditions from way back in 950 AD.

If brain-eating zombies give you a scare, then, dear reader, you better prepare! Believe me and learn about marine debris, for there are undead fishing nets that roam the sea.

Find out how GOES-R satellites use the moon to their advantage (and ‘just happen’ to catch breathtaking glimpses of the moon).

Atmospheric phenomena like geomagnetic storms can scare the casual observer, resembling a gathering of ghastly green ghouls or make it appear as if the sky is on fire.

Flying into the eye of a hurricane sounds nightmarish for some, but for others it’s a thrill that helps collect life-saving data about hurricanes and storm patterns.

Red sprites, blue jets, and elves, oh my! Did you know that these mysterious cousins of lightning can appear high in the atmosphere during a large thunderstorm?

On October 27, 1991, the conditions were "perfect" for a monstrous storm... 

NOAA’s Norman, Oklahoma facility lies within Tornado Alley, one of the world’s most tornado-prone areas. In the glass-walled corridors of this state-of-the-art building, all eyes are on the sky. 

In 1997, a mysterious underwater sound was captured by researchers in the southern Pacific ocean. Was the “Bloop” caused by secret underwater nymphs, giant squids, or a sea creature unknown to science? Or, something else entirely?

There’s a sea of memories waiting to be explored at shipwreck sites around the country.

Parts of the ocean seafloor are marked by mysterious formations of grid-like artifacts. But, what are they and where did they come from?

The ocean is a noisy place. From short bursts to loud bangs, do you know what's making the sounds that creep under the waves and go bump in the sea?

A special instrument called a hydrophone recorded spine-chilling sounds in the ocean's deepest location. Any ideas on what noises were caught in the deep, lying in wait?

From disembodied whispers to shadows and reflections, these weird and scary stories from scientists conducting research do not disappoint! Enjoy reading their stories—if you dare!