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Get the facts that bust 5 common myths about the ocean

September 2, 2020

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A wave cresting in the open ocean.

Ocean Fact: How much oxygen comes from the ocean?

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A fish-eye view of the wake of a ship out at sea. Here's an ocean fact: The surface layer of the ocean is teeming with photosynthetic plankton. Though they're invisible to the naked eye, they produce more oxygen than the largest redwood trees.

A healthy and biodiverse ocean starts with all of us

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World Ocean Day

A woman standing on a flat rock ledge of a beach looks out at the blue ocean off the coast of Norway. Tall mountains lay in the distance. Undated 2019 image.

Oceanic drifters: All about plankton

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Phytoplankton blooms in the Barents Sea, visible as green and white swirls, captured in space by NASA's Aqua satellite on July 10, 2014.

Does it snow in the ocean? See for yourself

December 4, 2019

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Biological debris that falls from higher in the water column is also known as marine snow. Some flakes fall for weeks before finally reaching the ocean floor.

Listening to the ocean

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A hydrophone in Gray's Reef National Sanctuary.

How sound wave 'backscatter' helps us understand the seafloor

November 3, 2017

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A NOAA survey tech collects backscatter data on NOAA Ship Rainier in California's Channel Islands to support safe navigation and habitat mapping.

BOO? You won't find any trick-or-treaters in a ghost forest

October 30, 2017

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A "ghost forest" on Capers Island, South Carolina.

What are the Roaring Forties?

February 13, 2017

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A research vessel braves the strong westerly winds of the Roaring Forties during an expedition to measure levels of dissolved carbon dioxide in the surface of the ocean.

‘Every Full Moon’ video series debuts with sea creatures that light up the night

October 17, 2016

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ocean exploration

Here just a few of the sea creatures you'll learn about in NOAA Ocean Today's "Every Full Moon" video series.

Video: What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

November 24, 2015

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What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Video: What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

November 24, 2015

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What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch