U.S. flag An official website of the United States government.
				
				Here's how you know we're official. **Official websites use .gov** A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure websites use HTTPS** A small lock or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to a .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


National Ocean Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
 Search
				Search National Ocean Service




Home
							Ocean Facts
							TOPICS
								Explore All Topics
									Careers
									Economy
									Ecosystems
									Geodesy
									Hazards
									Navigation
									Observations
									Ocean
									Recreation
                                    Sea Level Rise
									Story Maps
									Tools
							
														Education

							
							
							
						
							News
							Podcasts
							Video
							Images
							About Us


Home  Ocean Facts
 Archive Browse through all of our Ocean Facts.  What are nature-based solutions? 31 Jul 2023

		    				

						
							What is the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)? 17 Nov 2022

		    				

						
							What is latitude? 14 Oct 2021

		    				

						
							What is longitude? 14 Oct 2021

		    				

						
							What is a barrier island? 5 Mar 2021

		    				

						
							How long do Greenland sharks live? 1 Mar 2021

		    				

						
							How much oxygen comes from the ocean? 12 Jun 2020

		    				

						
							What are plankton? 30 Mar 2020

		    				

						
							Can we clean up, stop, or end harmful algal blooms? 30 Oct 2019

		    				

						
							What are coquina and tabby? 11 Jul 2019

		    				

						
							What is the carbon cycle? 4 Apr 2019

		    				

						
							What is a sponge? 14 Mar 2019

		    				

						
							What is a tide pool? 22 Feb 2019

		    				

						
							What is the most common form of ocean litter? 29 Nov 2018

		    				

						
							What is an archipelago? 29 Nov 2018

		    				

						
							What is the intertidal zone? 8 Nov 2018

		    				

						
							What causes seasickness? 19 Oct 2018

		    				

						
							What is a heat dome? 16 Aug 2018

		    				

						
							Do we still need lighthouses? 3 Aug 2018

		    				

						
							What is a canal? 19 Jul 2018

		    				

						
							What do windward and leeward mean? 13 Jul 2018

		    				

						
							How many high tides are there per day? 11 Jul 2018

		    				

						
							What is a SOFAR? 21 Jun 2018

		    				

						
							What is a lagoon? 15 Jun 2018

		    				

						
							How do hurricanes affect sea life? 17 May 2018

		    				

						
							What is a glass sponge? 10 May 2018

		    				

						
							What is the Bloop? 7 May 2018

		    				

						
							How do hurricanes form? 25 Apr 2018

		    				

						
							What is a hydrophone? 16 Apr 2018

		    				

						
							What is ecoforecasting? 6 Apr 2018

		    				

						
							What is a gyre? 9 Mar 2018

		    				

						
							How Many Species Live in the Ocean? 1 Mar 2018

		    				

						
							Are tides higher when the moon is directly overhead? 26 Feb 2018

		    				

						
							What is a meteotsunami? 14 Feb 2018

		    				

						
							What is a watershed? 8 Feb 2018

		    				

						
							What is a current survey? 8 Nov 2017

		    				

						
							What is a backscatter? 2 Nov 2017

		    				

						
							What is a ghost forest? 26 Oct 2017

		    				

						
							Where is Earth’s Largest Waterfall? 19 Oct 2017

		    				

						
							What is eutrophication? 6 Oct 2017

		    				

						
							What is high tide flooding? 4 Oct 2017

		    				

						
							How does sand form? 16 Aug 2017

		    				

						
							What does the ocean have to do with human health? 31 May 2017

		    				

						
							What is a Rossby wave? 31 May 2017

		    				

						
							Why should we care about the ocean? 24 May 2017

		    				

						
							What are the Totten Beacons? 24 May 2017

		    				

						
							What is a tide gauge? 24 May 2017

		    				

						
							What are brain corals? 22 May 2017

		    				

						
							What is a catcher beach? 11 May 2017

		    				

						
							What is a King Tide? 11 May 2017

		    				

						
							Where do I get real-time and forecast coastal conditions? 11 May 2017

		    				

						
							What is the fastest fish in the ocean? 11 May 2017

		    				

						
							How does sea ice affect global climate? 4 May 2017

		    				

						
							What causes a sea turtle to be born male or female? 21 Apr 2017

		    				

						
							What are the oldest living animals in the world? 24 Feb 2017

		    				

						
							What are the Roaring Forties? 8 Feb 2017

		    				

						
							What is the Pineapple Express? 26 Jan 2017

		    				

						
							Are all fish cold-blooded? 26 Jan 2017

		    				

						
							Where do fish go when it freezes outside? 21 Dec 2016

		    				

						
							What is ocean noise? 21 Dec 2016

		    				

						
							What are the trade winds? 17 Nov 2016

		    				

						
							How are satellites used to observe the ocean? 7 Nov 2016

		    				

						
							What is a sea lamprey? 27 Oct 2016

		    				

						
							What is an oil seep? 27 Oct 2016

		    				

						
							What is coral spawning? 15 Sep 2016

		    				

						
							Why do scientists measure sea surface temperature? 15 Sep 2016

		    				

						
							What is marine telemetry? 28 Jul 2016

		    				

						
							What are the doldrums? 15 Jul 2016

		    				

						
							What are beach advisories and beach closures? 1 Jul 2016

		    				

						
							What are microplastics? 27 Jun 2016

		    				

						
							How does land-based pollution threaten coral reefs? 24 Jun 2016

		    				

						
							Can a coral reef recover from bleaching and other stressful events? 24 Jun 2016

		    				

						
							How does overfishing affect coral reefs? 21 Jun 2016

		    				

						
							How does climate change affect coral reefs? 20 Jun 2016

		    				

						
							How do sea turtles hatch? 15 Jun 2016

		    				

						
							What is ocean etiquette? 13 Jun 2016

		    				

						
							What is the highest point on Earth as measured from Earth's center? 25 May 2016

		    				

						
							What is the difference between local sea level and global sea level? 11 May 2016

		    				

						
							What is a living shoreline? 11 May 2016

		    				

						
							What is an oil spill trajectory? 10 May 2016

		    				

						
							What is a pocosin? 25 Apr 2016

		    				

						
							What are barnacles? 14 Apr 2016

		    				

						
							What is GPS? 23 Mar 2016

		    				

						
							What is the Great Loop? 21 Mar 2016

		    				

						
							What color is an iceberg? 3 Mar 2016

		    				

						
							What is marine biogeography? 25 Feb 2016

		    				

						
							What is the Forchhammer's Principle? 9 Feb 2016

		    				

						
							What is seaspeak? 20 Jan 2016

		    				

						
							What is GRAV-D? 12 Jan 2016

		    				

						
							What is a NOAA tide table? 4 Nov 2015

		    				

						
							What are the vampire squid and the vampire fish? 30 Oct 2015

		    				

						
							How does NOAA help clean up oil and chemical spills? 22 Oct 2015

		    				

						
							What is a maritime forest? 16 Oct 2015

		    				

						
							What is a High Seas Forecast? 8 Oct 2015

		    				

						
							What is a bight? 9 Sep 2015

		    				

						
							What is a thermocline? 28 Jul 2015

		    				

						
							What is a Portuguese Man o’ War? 22 Jul 2015

		    				

						
							What is subsidence? 2 Jul 2015

		    				

						
							What is a wetland? 6 May 2015

		    				

						
							What is HAZMAT? 23 Apr 2015

		    				

						
							What is an ocean glider? 3 Apr 2015

		    				

						
							What is glacial isostatic adjustment? 23 Mar 2015

		    				

						
							How does NOAA monitor water levels around the nation? 18 Mar 2015

		    				

						
							How do natural disasters contribute to marine debris? 11 Mar 2015

		    				

						
							What is a marsh organ? 11 Feb 2015

		    				

						
							What is a nautilus? 6 Feb 2015

		    				

						
							What is a platypus? 4 Feb 2015

		    				

						
							What is spat? 22 Jan 2015

		    				

						
							What is a turbidity current? 12 Jan 2015

		    				

						
							What is geocaching? 20 Nov 2014

		    				

						
							What is a geographic information system? 19 Nov 2014

		    				

						
							What is the Census of Marine Life? 12 Nov 2014

		    				

						
							What is aquaculture? 7 Nov 2014

		    				

						
							What are Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems? 31 Oct 2014

		    				

						
							What is an Operational Forecast System? 23 Oct 2014

		    				

						
							Why does the ocean have waves? 23 Oct 2014

		    				

						
							How far does sound travel in the ocean? 29 Sep 2014

		    				

						
							Do fish sleep? 16 Sep 2014

		    				

						
							What is blue carbon? 4 Sep 2014

		    				

						
							What is PORTS®? 11 Aug 2014

		    				

						
							What is nuisance flooding? 30 Jul 2014

		    				

						
							What is tectonic shift? 18 Jul 2014

		    				

						
							What is a whale fall? 13 Jun 2014

		    				

						
							What are the horse latitudes? 5 Jun 2014

		    				

						
							Are horseshoe crabs really crabs? 14 May 2014

		    				

						
							What are PBDEs? 21 Apr 2014

		    				

						
							When Was the First Earth Day? 19 Apr 2014

		    				

						
							What is a pelagic fish? 26 Mar 2014

		    				

						
							What is bombogenesis? 25 Mar 2014

		    				

						
							What do geodesists do? 19 Mar 2014

		    				

						
							What is the International Date Line? 10 Mar 2014

		    				

						
							What is the longest-lived marine mammal? 5 Mar 2014

		    				

						
							What is an anchialine pool? 31 Jan 2014

		    				

						
							What is an artificial reef? 3 Dec 2013

		    				

						
							Are there oceans on other planets? 19 Nov 2013

		    				

						
							What is dredging? 4 Nov 2013

		    				

						
							What is a slough? 23 Sep 2013

		    				

						
							Is the Earth round? 18 Sep 2013

		    				

						
							What is a hurricane? 19 Aug 2013

		    				

						
							Was Moby Dick a real whale? 31 Jul 2013

		    				

						
							Why do we name tropical storms? 16 Jul 2013

		    				

						
							What is a seiche? 26 Jun 2013

		    				

						
							Why do mariners use port and starboard instead of left and right? 24 Jun 2013

		    				

						
							What is a fish ladder? 16 May 2013

		    				

						
							What is a bivalve mollusk? 22 Apr 2013

		    				

						
							What is ocean acidification? 1 Apr 2013

		    				

						
							What is a Plimsoll line? 26 Feb 2013

		    				

						
							What is lidar? 23 Jan 2013

		    				

						
							What is the most venomous marine animal? 15 Jan 2013

		    				

						
							Why do we have spring tides in the fall? 28 Nov 2012

		    				

						
							What is the difference between storm surge and storm tide? 26 Nov 2012

		    				

						
							What is the mariner's 1-2-3 rule? 20 Nov 2012

		    				

						
							What is the difference between a hurricane watch and a warning? 27 Sep 2012

		    				

						
							What is the difference between an AUV and a ROV? 17 Sep 2012

		    				

						
							What is shoreline armoring? 24 Aug 2012

		    				

						
							What is the difference between a nautical mile and a knot? 6 Aug 2012

		    				

						
							What is 'Old Sow'? 16 Jul 2012

		    				

						
							Are mermaids real? 27 Jun 2012

		    				

						
							Where is Point Nemo? 15 Jun 2012

		    				

						
							What's the difference between a threatened and endangered species? 18 May 2012

		    				

						
							Why are scientists concerned about Asian tiger shrimp? 27 Apr 2012

		    				

						
							What is a perigean spring tide? 3 Apr 2012

		    				

						
							What is sea foam? 8 Mar 2012

		    				

						
							How big is the Atlantic Ocean? 21 Feb 2012

		    				

						
							What is a datum? 1 Feb 2012

		    				

						
							What is the Sargasso Sea? 25 Jan 2012

		    				

						
							How do we forecast harmful algal blooms? 6 Jan 2012

		    				

						
							What are Christmas tree worms? 22 Dec 2011

		    				

						
							Does coral jewelry make a good gift? 15 Dec 2011

		    				

						
							What is an iceberg? 30 Nov 2011

		    				

						
							What is the cryosphere? 30 Nov 2011

		    				

						
							Where do I get NOAA tides and currents data? 29 Nov 2011

		    				

						
							What is a turkeyfish? 23 Nov 2011

		    				

						
							What is the geoid? 17 Nov 2011

		    				

						
							What is Digital Coast? 14 Nov 2011

		    				

						
							What is the law of the sea? 14 Nov 2011

		    				

						
							How do I get NOAA nautical charts? 7 Nov 2011

		    				

						
							What makes the green turtle...green? 18 Oct 2011

		    				

						
							What is a historical map or chart? 7 Oct 2011

		    				

						
							What is ghostfishing? 27 Sep 2011

		    				

						
							Are sea cucumbers vegetables? 13 Sep 2011

		    				

						
							What is the Storm QuickLook? 7 Sep 2011

		    				

						
							What is the difference between weather and climate? 10 Aug 2011

		    				

						
							How did the Pacific Ocean get its name? 13 Jun 2011

		    				

						
							Is there gold in the ocean? 8 Jun 2011

		    				

						
							Are starfish really fish? 1 Jun 2011

		    				

						
							Why are aquatic plants so important? 26 May 2011

		    				

						
							What are jellyfish made of? 26 May 2011

		    				

						
							What is seaweed? 5 May 2011

		    				

						
							How can you tell the difference between an oil slick and an algal bloom? 26 Apr 2011

		    				

						
							How did the Hawaiian Islands form? 13 Apr 2011

		    				

						
							Do the Great Lakes have tides? 4 Apr 2011

		    				

						
							How much of the ocean have we explored? 1 Apr 2011

		    				

						
							What is lightering? 21 Mar 2011

		    				

						
							What is air gap? 28 Feb 2011

		    				

						
							What is a marine national monument? 12 Feb 2011

		    				

						
							What is VDatum? 3 Feb 2011

		    				

						
							What is a salt marsh? 27 Dec 2010

		    				

						
							What is Natural Resource Damage Assessment? 8 Dec 2010

		    				

						
							What threats do seabirds face? 17 Nov 2010

		    				

						
							What's the difference between a seal and a sea lion? 25 Oct 2010

		    				

						
							How does pressure change with ocean depth? 20 Oct 2010

		    				

						
							What is NERRS? 13 Oct 2010

		    				

						
							What ocean basin has the most corals? 7 Oct 2010

		    				

						
							Are coral animals or plants? 6 Oct 2010

		    				

						
							What is the EEZ? 1 Oct 2010

		    				

						
							How do we monitor tides? 15 Sep 2010

		    				

						
							What is a navigation response team? 30 Aug 2010

		    				

						
							Why is the ocean salty, but rivers flowing into it are not? 23 Aug 2010

		    				

						
							What is the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise? 18 Aug 2010

		    				

						
							What is marine forensic science? 10 Aug 2010

		    				

						
							What is an invasive species? 6 Aug 2010

		    				

						
							Why does the ocean get colder at depth? 28 Jul 2010

		    				

						
							What makes the right whale "right"? 21 Jul 2010

		    				

						
							How long is the U.S. shoreline? 14 Jul 2010

		    				

						
							Where is the largest estuary in the United States? 7 Jul 2010

		    				

						
							What is an eddy? 28 Jun 2010

		    				

						
							What is the difference between a hurricane, a cyclone, and a typhoon? 22 Jun 2010

		    				

						
							What is the largest sea turtle? 15 Jun 2010

		    				

						
							Why is data on currents important? 9 Jun 2010

		    				

						
							What is a waterspout? 4 Jun 2010

		    				

						
							What is the significance of the NOAA logo? 26 May 2010

		    				

						
							What is the Loop Current? 21 May 2010

		    				

						
							What is a seamount? 14 May 2010

		    				

						
							Can penguins fly? 11 May 2010

		    				

						
							How does oil impact marine life? 4 May 2010

		    				

						
							What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? 22 Apr 2010

		    				

						
							How is bathymetric data used? 2 Apr 2010

		    				

						
							How do sanctuaries protect marine life? 25 Mar 2010

		    				

						
							What are brain corals? 15 Mar 2010

		    				

						
							Are dolphins fish? 10 Mar 2010

		    				

						
							What is bathymetry? 2 Mar 2010

		    				

						
							What is bioluminescence? 12 Feb 2010

		    				

						
							What is a tidal wave? 8 Feb 2010

		    				

						
							Do alligators live in the ocean? 1 Feb 2010

		    				

						
							Is sea level the same all across the ocean? 21 Jan 2010

		    				

						
							How is ocean observing data used? 19 Jan 2010

		    				

						
							What is the Bermuda Triangle? 8 Jan 2010

		    				

						
							What is the National Spatial Reference System? 4 Jan 2010

		    				

						
							Where is all of the Earth's water? 15 Dec 2009

		    				

						
							What is federal consistency? 11 Dec 2009

		    				

						
							What is the smallest ocean? 30 Nov 2009

		    				

						
							Do whales make noise? 23 Nov 2009

		    				

						
							What are the three main types of coral reefs? 20 Nov 2009

		    				

						
							Where is the largest protected area in the National Marine Sanctuary system? 19 Nov 2009

		    				

						
							What lives in a kelp forest? 10 Nov 2009

		    				

						
							What is maritime heritage? 5 Nov 2009

		    				

						
							How do we measure currents? 28 Oct 2009

		    				

						
							What was the first national marine sanctuary to be designated? 20 Oct 2009

		    				

						
							What threats do coastal communities face? 15 Oct 2009

		    				

						
							Are all algal blooms harmful? 8 Oct 2009

		    				

						
							Did I find a lost underwater civilization? 2 Oct 2009

		    				

						
							Why do we study tides? 1 Oct 2009

		    				

						
							What is geodesy? 22 Sep 2009

		    				

						
							What are PCBs? 18 Sep 2009

		    				

						
							What is the difference between land cover and land use? 10 Sep 2009

		    				

						
							What is nutrient pollution? 1 Sep 2009

		    				

						
							What is resilience? 27 Aug 2009

		    				

						
							What is an environmental sensitivity index map? 24 Aug 2009

		    				

						
							What is a dead zone? 21 Aug 2009

		    				

						
							What is a national marine sanctuary? 18 Aug 2009

		    				

						
							What can I do to protect coral reefs? 10 Aug 2009

		    				

						
							What is remote sensing? 10 Aug 2009

		    				

						
							What is ecosystem science? 4 Aug 2009

		    				

						
							How frequent are tides? 27 Jul 2009

		    				

						
							What are phytoplankton? 27 Jul 2009

		    				

						
							What is a guyot? 21 Jul 2009

		    				

						
							Who first charted the Gulf Stream? 21 Jul 2009

		    				

						
							How do people use kelp? 13 Jul 2009

		    				

						
							What is the biggest fish in the ocean? 13 Jul 2009

		    				

						
							What is "smart growth"? 7 Jul 2009

		    				

						
							Do sharks eat people? 7 Jul 2009

		    				

						
							What is the largest ocean basin on Earth? 30 Jun 2009

		    				

						
							Can humans drink seawater? 29 Jun 2009

		    				

						
							Where are marine protected areas located? 23 Jun 2009

		    				

						
							What is IOOS? 23 Jun 2009

		    				

						
							What are El Nino and La Nina? 17 Jun 2009

		    				

						
							What is a kelp forest? 17 Jun 2009

		    				

						
							What is the global ocean conveyor belt? 12 Jun 2009

		    				

						
							What is a coral reef made of? 12 Jun 2009

		    				

						
							How is sea level rise related to climate change? 4 Jun 2009

		    				

						
							What is a mangrove forest? 4 Jun 2009

		    				

						
							Is change important to estuaries? 26 May 2009

		    				

						
							What types of plants and animals live in an estuary? 26 May 2009

		    				

						
							What does an oceanographer do? 18 May 2009

		    				

						
							What is a rip current? 14 May 2009

		    				

						
							Are lionfish a threat to Atlantic Ocean fish? 24 Apr 2009

		    				

						
							What is upwelling? 24 Apr 2009

		    				

						
							What is marine snow? 24 Apr 2009

		    				

						
							How long does it take to produce a nautical chart? 6 Apr 2009

		    				

						
							What do the numbers mean on a nautical chart? 6 Apr 2009

		    				

						
							Can the ocean freeze? 30 Mar 2009

		    				

						
							What is a tsunami? 30 Mar 2009

		    				

						
							What is marine debris? 30 Mar 2009

		    				

						
							What is a current? 30 Mar 2009

		    				

						
							Can marine debris degrade on its own in the environment? 25 Mar 2009

		    				

						
							What does peanut butter have to do with the ocean? 18 Mar 2009

		    				

						
							In what types of water do corals live? 16 Mar 2009

		    				

						
							How fast is the Gulf Stream? 12 Mar 2009

		    				

						
							What is the largest living structure on Earth? 10 Mar 2009

		    				

						
							What's the difference between an ocean and a sea? 25 Feb 2009

		    				

						
							What are the seven seas? 25 Feb 2009

		    				

						
							What percentage of marine areas are protected? 18 Feb 2009

		    				

						
							Where can I get tide predictions? 18 Feb 2009

		    				

						
							What is a hydrothermal vent? 13 Feb 2009

		    				

						
							What is an extremophile? 13 Feb 2009

		    				

						
							What is coastal zone management? 30 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							Do volcanoes occur in the ocean? 30 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							What is a rogue wave? 28 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							What can the ocean teach us about life on other planets? 27 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							Where is the highest tide? 23 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							What are tides? 22 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							Why do we have oceans? 22 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							How many oceans are there? 21 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							How does sound travel in the ocean? 21 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							Why is the ocean blue? 16 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							How much water is in the ocean? 15 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							What is a nautical chart? 14 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							What do coral reefs have to do with medicine? 14 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							Why is the ocean salty? 13 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							What is a marine protected area? 7 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							What's the difference between a tide and a current? 6 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							Why do Harmful Algal Blooms occur? 6 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							What is a red tide? 5 Jan 2009

		    				

						
							What is the biggest source of ocean pollution? 4 Dec 2008

		    				

						
							How far does light travel in the ocean? 3 Dec 2008

		    				

						
							What percentage of the American population lives near the coast? 3 Dec 2008

		    				

						
							How much of the ocean have we explored? 2 Dec 2008

		    				

						
							What's the difference between a nautical chart and a map? 1 Dec 2008

		    				

						
							What is a sonar? 27 Nov 2008

		    				

						
							What species live in and around coral reefs? 26 Nov 2008

		    				

						
							What is hydrography? 25 Nov 2008

		    				

						
							How important is the ocean to our economy? 19 Nov 2008

		    				

						
							What role does the Ocean Service play with our nation's aircraft and airports? 19 Nov 2008

		    				

						
							What role does the ocean play in the weather? 18 Nov 2008

		    				

						
							Is sea level rising? 10 Nov 2008

		    				

						
							How do coral reefs protect life and property? 10 Nov 2008

		    				

						
							What is the longest mountain range on earth? 7 Nov 2008

		    				

						
							What is a benthic habitat map? 5 Nov 2008

		    				

						
							What is an estuary? 3 Nov 2008

		    				

						
							How do coral reefs benefit the economy? 15 Oct 2008

		    				

						
							How deep is the ocean? 3 Oct 2008
  **Search** Our Facts 
  Get **Social**   **More** Places to Visit!  Posts
			Podcasts
				Image Gallery
    			People of NOS   **Last updated:**   **Author:** NOAAHow to cite this article  Contact Us


Provide Feedback
                        Contact Us
                        Report an error


Science. Service.Stewardship.
 About NOS About Us
						NOS Program Offices
						Media Inquiries
						Website Acknowledgements
 Resources Site Index
						Disclaimer
						Freedom of Information Act
						Accessibility
 More Resources Information Quality
						Privacy Policy
						NOS For Employees
						USA.gov
 National Ocean Service
								National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
								Department of Commerce
 Social