oceans

Scientists and commentators say the current El Niño is unlike any previously observed, with ocean temperatures in the Pacific reaching record highs. The event is being linked to extreme weather worldwide, including heatwaves, flooding and droughts, and is fuelling debate about how climate change may be intensifying the natural cycle.

SpaceX's Starship completed a test flight ending with a splashdown in the ocean, with the spacecraft appearing to burn up or break apart as it hit the water in a fiery descent. The landing marks another step in the company's testing of the vehicle designed for deep-space missions.

The United States is facing significant storms on both coasts at once, a pattern being attributed to the strength of El Niño. The climate phenomenon, marked by warmer Pacific Ocean waters, is influencing weather across the country, with the East and West experiencing severe conditions simultaneously and forecasters warning of continued storm risks.

Two powerful hurricanes are currently churning in the Pacific Ocean, drawing attention as forecasters track their strength and paths. Details about potential landfalls or impacts on coastal communities remain limited, with news coverage focusing on the rare simultaneous presence of two major storms in the basin. Residents in possibly affected areas are being urged to monitor official forecasts closely.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature used the UN General Assembly and New York Climate Week to advance its agenda on nature protection, ocean conservation and climate action. The organisation highlighted the links between biodiversity loss and climate change, urging governments to keep nature and ocean issues central to international climate commitments.

A UK climate minister has warned that the global food system is vulnerable to El Niño, the periodic warming of Pacific Ocean waters that disrupts weather patterns and can hit crop harvests. The warning highlights concerns that extreme weather linked to El Niño could drive up food prices and threaten supply security at a time of already strained agricultural conditions.

The 2023-24 El Niño is described as record-shattering, with analysis of its wide-ranging effects on global temperatures, weather patterns and ecosystems. The event has driven exceptional ocean warming in the tropical Pacific, contributing to record global heat, shifts in rainfall, droughts and flooding in various regions, and stress on fisheries and agriculture. Commentators are weighing how much of the recent temperature surge should be attributed to El Niño versus longer-term climate change.

A global review reported by Mongabay finds cigarette butts account for roughly 12% of all litter in aquatic environments, making them one of the largest single sources of marine and freshwater pollution. The findings highlight the scale of plastic contamination from tobacco filters, which can persist in water for years and release toxic chemicals as they break down.

New research suggests that even if the flow of plastic into the oceans were halted by 2050, microplastic accumulation in marine environments could continue. Larger plastic already in the water would keep breaking down into microscopic fragments, meaning legacy pollution alone could sustain microplastic levels for decades. The finding raises questions about whether international efforts to curb plastic pollution would deliver the ocean benefits many expect.

UNESCO has unveiled its ONE OCEAN installation in New York during the UN General Assembly. The artwork puts the state of the world's oceans in front of world leaders gathering for high-level diplomacy, adding ocean protection to the agenda at a moment when climate and marine conservation remain contested topics globally.

A new examination challenges the frequent corporate argument that individual companies' fossil fuel emissions are insignificant compared to global totals. The piece asks what the true cost of those emissions would be if they were fully counted, pushing back on a common justification used by major polluters to downplay their share of responsibility for climate change.

A new tropical storm has formed in the Atlantic Ocean, according to reports from US news outlets. Details about the storm's name, strength, and projected path have not yet been made available. Forecasters will be monitoring the system closely as the Atlantic season continues, with coastal communities urged to follow official advisories for updates on any potential impacts.

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside say one of Saturn's moons may hold clues about whether life exists beyond Earth. The work points to conditions on the moon that scientists consider promising in the search for extraterrestrial life, adding to ongoing interest in icy moons with subsurface oceans as targets for future exploration.

Scientists report that as the Pacific Ocean warms, a strange reversal is taking place in its water circulation: younger surface water appears to be ageing while older deep water is becoming younger, a shift in how water masses mix and move. Researchers say the trend could signal wider changes in ocean circulation driven by warming, with possible implications for heat and carbon storage in the Pacific.

Tropical Storm Hanna has formed in the Atlantic Ocean, according to forecasters. The storm is not currently threatening any land areas, and no coastal warnings have been tied to it. Forecasters are monitoring its path as the Atlantic season progresses.

Scientists and news outlets are raising alarms about a slow-moving, planetary-scale Kelvin wave in the Pacific Ocean that is heading toward the California coast. These massive underwater waves along the equator can redistribute warm water and influence weather patterns, and observers are watching closely for potential effects on coastal conditions and climate.

SpaceX completed the deorbit burn for Starship Flight 14, sending the ship to a controlled splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, which was shown on a live broadcast. Viewers watched the ship's descent and reentry sequence as the test flight concluded. The mission is part of SpaceX's ongoing campaign to develop and reuse the Starship launch system for future deep-space missions.

Researchers and fishermen in the United States are calling on federal agencies to maintain funding for a deep-ocean observation system that tracks conditions far below the surface. The system provides data used for fisheries management, storm forecasting and marine research, and both groups warn that losing it would leave coastal communities and scientists without critical information about changing ocean conditions.

The Atlantic reports that coastal areas at California's edge are eroding and collapsing into the Pacific Ocean. The article examines the state's crumbling coastline and the forces driving it. No further details beyond the headline are available, and reactions to the piece are not documented.

The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Hanna has formed far out in the Atlantic Ocean. The system is the latest named storm of the season, and forecasters are tracking its path and strength. Details on its expected movement and any potential threat to land were not immediately provided, but residents in possible affected areas are being urged to follow official updates as the storm develops.

Tropical Storm Hanna has formed over the Atlantic Ocean, according to AccuWeather and Yahoo News reports. Details on its projected path and strength were not immediately available. Meteorologists are tracking the system as the season progresses, with coastal residents advised to monitor official forecasts for updates on potential impacts.

A vast, slow-moving kelvin wave — an ocean phenomenon tied to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation — is reported to be heading toward the California coast, raising alarm among scientists and officials about its potential impact on weather patterns along the US West Coast. Comment is focused on what the wave could mean for extreme weather and coastal conditions in the region.

Tropical Storm Hanna has formed in the Atlantic Ocean, while Tropical Storm Fay has weakened to a depression. Hanna's formation adds another system to monitor as the Atlantic hurricane season continues, and forecasters are tracking both storms' paths and strength. Hanna is the season's earliest eighth named storm on record, a milestone that has drawn attention to an unusually active season.

A new study found that Earth microbes can survive in simulated conditions of the ocean beneath the ice of Enceladus, Saturn's moon. The finding matters for astrobiology, as Enceladus's subsurface ocean is considered one of the most promising places to look for life beyond Earth. Scientists say the result suggests similar microorganisms could endure there, informing future missions to the Saturnian system.

Ocean temperature data suggests the developing 2026 El Niño is running well ahead of the strongest El Niño events on record, with comparisons showing it in a league of its own. Observers note the pattern reflects the natural El Niño cycle叠加 on long-term ocean warming, with much of the extra heat attributed to human-driven climate change rather than the cycle alone.

The European Space Agency's JUICE mission, bound for Jupiter and its icy moons, passed at less than 10,000 km overhead around 13:45 CEST during its second Earth gravity assist, prompting a heads-up to ships in the Indian Ocean beneath its flight path. The spacecraft will return for one final Earth slingshot in 2029 before heading to the outer solar system.

SpaceX's Starship has splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after returning to Earth earlier than planned. The next-generation rocket, developed for missions to the Moon and Mars, ended its flight short of schedule, prompting discussion about what caused the early return and what the outcome means for the vehicle's testing programme.

Tropical Storm Hanna has formed in the Atlantic Ocean, with forecasters saying the system poses no threat to land at this time. News outlets across the United States are reporting the storm's development, tracking its projected path over open water. Hanna marks a new named storm in the Atlantic season, and meteorologists will continue to monitor its movement and strength in the coming days.

Scientists are explaining Kelvin waves, powerful pulses of warm water that travel eastward along the equatorial Pacific beneath the surface. When these waves reach the coast of the Americas, they can push warmer water toward California, potentially affecting ocean temperatures, marine life and weather patterns, including influences tied to El Niño conditions.

Scientists are tracking a massive Kelvin wave — a pulse of unusually warm water moving eastward along the equatorial Pacific — that is now headed toward the California coast. Such waves can raise ocean temperatures, affect marine life, and influence weather patterns, potentially strengthening El Niño conditions and altering rainfall forecasts for the western United States in the months ahead.