remiconnesson/oceanservice-noaa-facts huggingface dataset:
# What is a nautilus?

## The nautilus is a mollusk that uses jet propulsion to roam the ocean deep.

![the nautilus](/facts/nautilus.jpg "A nautilus")

Writers, artists, and engineers have long marveled at the nautilus’s beauty and swimming abilities.

The chambered or pearly nautilus is a cephalopod (a type of mollusk)—a distant cousin to squids, octopi, and cuttlefish. Unlike its color-changing cousins, though, the soft-bodied nautilus lives inside its hard external shell. The shell itself has many closed interior chambers or “compartments.”

The animal resides in the shell’s largest chamber, while the other chambers function like the ballast tanks of a submarine. This is the secret to how the nautilus swims.

The tissue in a canal called the siphuncle \[sigh-funk-el\] connects all of the interior chambers. As seawater pumps through the living chamber, the nautilus expels water by pulling its body into the chamber, thereby creating jet propulsion to thrust itself backwards and to make turns. While swimming up or down through the water column, the nautilus uses its siphuncle to suck fluid into, or draw it out of, the smaller sealed chambers, allowing the animal to adjust its overall buoyancy.

According to fossil records, animals similar to the chambered nautilus have existed for about 500 million years. Although no regulations currently exist to protect them, the six living species of chambered nautilus appear to be in decline. They are trapped mostly for their attractive shells and also for the shell’s inner layer, called nacre, which is used as a pearl substitute in jewelry and trinkets. In 2013, [NOAA Fisheries](http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/) funded a University of Washington researcher to conduct population studies of the nautilus in Fiji and American Samoa. The [research](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/chambered-nautilus) should provide a clearer picture of nautilus abundance in those areas.

Did you know? - 

- The ancient Greeks saw the chambered nautilus shell as a symbol of perfection. The shell can be described mathematically as a [logarithmic spiral](https://www.google.com/#q=logarithmic+spiral).
# What are Christmas tree worms?

![Christmas Tree Worms](/facts/xmas-tree-1.jpg "Christmas Tree Worms")

_Christmas tree worms come in a variety of bright colors. They aren’t very big, averaging about 1.5 inches in length._

You won’t find _Spirobranchus giganteus_, also known as the Christmas tree worm, eating your fir tree this year. The common name for these worms is derived from their appearance, not their habitat or diet.

Each worm has two brightly colored crowns that protrude from its tube-like body. These Christmas tree-like crowns are composed of radioles, or hair-like appendages radiating from the worm’s central spine. These appendages are used for respiration and to catch dinner, which typically consists of microscopic plants, or phytoplankton, floating in the water.

These worms are sedentary, meaning that once they find a place they like, they don’t move much. In fact, while the colorful crowns of these worms are visible, most of their bodies are anchored in burrows that they bore into live coral. When startled, Christmas tree worms rapidly retract into their burrows, hiding from would-be predators.

Christmas tree worms come in a variety of bright colors. They aren’t very big, averaging about [3.8 centimeters](#) in length. However, because of their distinctive shape, beauty, and color, these worms are easily spotted. They are some of the most widely recognized polychaetes, or marine burrowing, segmented worms out there.
# How big is the Atlantic Ocean?

![satellite image showing the Atlantic Ocean](/facts/globe-atlantic.jpg "satellite image showing the Atlantic Ocean")

_As the second largest ocean basin, the Atlantic Ocean borders the east coast of the U.S., while the Pacific, Earth's largest ocean basin, borders the U.S. West Coast._

Covering approximately 20 percent of the Earth’s surface, the Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean basin in the world, following only the [Pacific](/facts/biggestocean.html). However, it is only slightly larger than half the size of the Pacific Ocean.

The Atlantic Ocean lies between North and South America on the west and Europe and Africa on the east. Up north, the Atlantic connects to the Arctic Ocean and to the Southern Ocean to the south.

Scientists often divide the Atlantic into two basins: the North Atlantic and the South Atlantic. The North Atlantic, where waters sink after being chilled by arctic temperatures, is the start of the “[global ocean conveyor](/facts/conveyor.html),” a circulation pattern that helps regulate Earth’s climate.

The Atlantic Ocean derives its name from the Greek god, Atlas.
# What is a turkeyfish?

_Lionfish (also known as turkeyfish) have venomous spines that can be very painful._

Viewed from the right angle, the ornate fins of the lionfish resemble turkey plumage. That's why 'turkeyfish' is one of the many imaginative names people use when referring to the lionfish. Depending on where you live, you may also hear the lionfish called a devil fish, red lionfish, scorpion-cod, zebrafish, ornate butterfly-cod, featherfins, butterfly cod, Indian turkeyfish, soldier lionfish, or poisson scorpion!

Lionfish are native to the Indo-Pacific, but are now established along the southeast coast of the U.S., the Caribbean, and in parts of the Gulf of America.

Since lionfish are not native to Atlantic waters, they have very few predators. They are carnivores that feed on small crustaceans and fish, including the young of important commercial fish species such as snapper and grouper.

How lionfish will affect native fish populations and commercial fishing industries has yet to be determined. What is known is that non-native species can dramatically affect native ecosystems and local fishing economies. [Experts are carefully studying these invaders](https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/research/project-explorer/?tx_category=invasives) to better understand their role in, and threat to, Atlantic Ocean ecosystems.
# What makes the green turtle...green?

## The name of the green sea turtle is derived from the reptile's greenish-colored fat.

![green turtle swimming underwater](/facts/green-turtle.jpg "green turtle swimming underwater")

Green turtle swimming underwater.

Adult green turtles are herbivores, which means they eat only plants such as seagrasses and algae. This diet is thought to give them their greenish-colored fat, hence the name, the green turtle.

Green turtles primarily use three types of habitat – beaches for nesting, open ocean convergence zones as juveniles, and coastal areas for benthic feeding as adults. In the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of America waters, green turtles are found in inshore and nearshore waters from Texas to Massachusetts, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. In the eastern North Pacific, green turtles have been sighted from Baja California to southern Alaska, but most commonly are seen south of San Diego. Also, in the central Pacific, green turtles are found around most tropical islands, including the Hawaiian Islands.

Green turtles face a host of threats in the marine environment. Incidental capture in fishing gear is an ongoing threat to green turtles, which also affects many other marine species. Green turtles also suffer from a disease known as fibropapillomatosis in some areas of the world. The main cause of the historical, worldwide decline of the green turtle was the long-term harvest of eggs, juveniles, and adults from their nesting beaches and feeding grounds. These harvests still continue in some areas of the world, compromising efforts to recover this species.
# Are sea cucumbers vegetables?

![Chocolate chip sea cucumber](/facts/seacuke.jpg)

_Chocolate chip sea cucumber found at Johnston Atoll. Most sea cucumbers are scavengers, moving along the seafloor and feeding on tiny particles of algae or microscopic marine animals collected with tube feet that surround their mouths._

Found only in salt water, more than a thousand species of sea cucumbers exist around the world. These squishy invertebrates are echinoderms, making them distant relatives to starfish and urchins. Unlike starfish or sea urchins, the bodies of sea cucumbers are covered with soft, leathery skin instead of hard spines.

If you ever encounter a sea cuke and it feels threatened, you could be in for a surprise. Some sea cucumbers shoot sticky threads at their enemies, entangling and confusing predators. Others can violently contract their muscles and shoot some of their internal organs out of their rear ends. The missing body parts are quickly regenerated.

Most sea cucumbers are scavengers, moving along the seafloor and feeding on tiny particles of algae or microscopic marine animals collected with tube feet that surround their mouths. The particles they grind down to smaller pieces are further broken down by bacteria and become part of the ocean's nutrient cycle. This is a similar role to that which earthworms perform on land.

Sea cucumbers are enjoyed as meals for other critters such as fish and crabs. In some places, especially Asia, sea cucumbers are considered a delicacy and are enjoyed by humans.

Sea cukes are certainly a little odd, and definitely not something you'd ever find in your garden.
# How do I get NOAA nautical charts?

##### **Did you know?**

Tides are really big waves that move through the ocean in response to the forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun. Tides involve water moving _up and down_. Currents involve the movement of water _back and forth_, driven by factors such as tides, wind, the shape of the land, and even water temperature. [Learn more](/navigation/tidesandcurrents/)

##### [Get **Social**](/socialmedia.html)

Did you know? - Tides are really big waves that move through the ocean in response to the forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun. Tides involve water moving *up and down*. Currents involve the movement of water *back and forth*, driven by factors such as tides, wind, the shape of the land, and even water temperature.  [Learn more](https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/navigation/tidesandcurrents/)

-
# What is the law of the sea?

![A NOAA Nautical Chart](/facts/lawofsea.jpg)

_NOAA's nautical charts provide the baseline that marks the inner limit of the territorial sea and the outer limit of internal waters. This determines where U.S. territorial waters begin for purposes of international law._

Notable in the development of the law of the sea are a number of international conventions signed in the latter half of the 20th century. The United Nations (UN) held its first Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS I) in 1956, which resulted in a 1958 Convention. The final conference, held in Montego Bay, Jamaica, in 1982, resulted in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC). The LOSC came into force in 1994 upon receiving the necessary number of UN signatories.

While the United States ratified the 1958 Convention, as of late 2013, it had not become a party to the 1982 Convention. The United States recognizes that the 1982 Convention reflects customary international law and complies with its provisions.

### NOAA's Rule

NOAA is responsible for depicting on its nautical charts the limits of the 12 nautical mile Territorial Sea, 24 nautical mile Contiguous Zone, and 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Each of these maritime zones is projected from what is called a “normal baseline,” which is derived from NOAA nautical charts. A “normal baseline” is defined under the Law of the Sea as the low-water line along the coast as marked on officially recognized, large-scale charts or the lowest charted datum, which is mean lower low water (MLLW) in the United States. The method of arriving at this baseline is described in the 1958 Convention and in the 1982 Convention. The U.S. normal baselines are ambulatory and subject to changes such as accretion (addition of land) and erosion. Unless the seaward boundary or zone is fixed, it will be subject to corresponding change.

The location of maritime zones and boundaries can have potentially far-reaching effects. As a result, NOAA works with other federal agencies, particularly the U.S. Department of State, to periodically update U.S. maritime zones and boundaries as depicted on NOAA navigational charts.
# What is the difference between weather and climate?

## Weather reflects short-term conditions of the atmosphere while climate is the average daily weather for an extended period of time at a certain location.

![the mouth of the Russian River](/facts/weather-climate.jpg "A storm darkens the sky at the mouth of the Russian River")

A storm darkens the sky at the mouth of the Russian River, north of Bodega Bay, Calif. Weather can change from minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour, day-to-day, and season-to-season. Climate, is the average of weather over time and space.

We hear about weather and climate all of the time. Most of us check the local weather forecast to plan our days. And climate change is certainly a “hot” topic in the news. There is, however, still a lot of confusion over the difference between the two.

Think about it this way: Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get.

Weather is what you see outside on any particular day. So, for example, it may be 75° degrees and sunny or it could be 20° degrees with heavy snow. That’s the weather.

Climate is the average of that weather. For example, you can expect snow in the Northeast in January or for it to be hot and humid in the Southeast in July. This is climate. The climate record also includes extreme values such as record high temperatures or record amounts of rainfall. If you’ve ever heard your local weather person say “today we hit a record high for this day,” she is talking about climate records.

So when we are talking about climate change, we are talking about changes in _long-term_ averages of daily weather. In most places, weather can change from minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour, day-to-day, and season-to-season. Climate, however, is the average of weather over time and space.
# What is an sponge?

![sea star](/facts/starfish-960.jpg)

_There are approximately 2,000 species of sea star, all of which live in marine waters._

Sea stars live underwater, but that is where their resemblance to fish ends. They do not have gills, scales, or fins. Sea stars live only in saltwater. Sea water, instead of blood, is actually used to pump nutrients through their bodies via a 'water vascular system.'

Also, sea stars move by using tiny tube feet located on the underside of their bodies. Adult sunflower sea stars can move at the astonishing speed of one meter per minute using 15,000 tube feet. Tube feet also help sea stars hold their prey.

Sea stars are related to sand dollars, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers, all of which are echinoderms, meaning that they have five-point radial symmetry. However, this does not mean that all sea stars have five arms and species with 10, 20, or even 40 arms exist! If one of these arms is lost, a sea star has the amazingly ability to regenerate it.
# How did the Pacific Ocean get its name?

![event horizon shot of the Pacific Ocean](/facts/pacific.jpg)

_Covering approximately 155 million square kilometers (59 million square miles) and containing more than half of the free water on Earth, the Pacific is by far the largest of the world's ocean basins._

In 1519, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, in the employ of Spain, began a journey across the Atlantic Ocean to seek a western route to the Spice Islands via South America.

After braving perilous seas and navigating through what are now known as the Straits of Magellan, his small fleet entered an unfamiliar ocean in November 1520. He called this body of water _pacific_, due to the calmness of the water at the time ('_pacific_' means peaceful).

When Magellan and his crew entered the Pacific Ocean after their long journey, they thought that the Spice Islands were close at hand. Little did they know that their destination remained thousands of miles away. The explorers had ventured into the largest ocean on Earth.

Covering approximately 155 million square kilometers (59 million square miles) and containing more than half of the free water on Earth, the Pacific is by far the largest of the world's ocean basins. All of the world's continents could fit into the Pacific basin!
# Why are aquatic plants so important?

## Underwater plants provide oxygen, food, and shelter.

![description of image](underwaterplants.jpg "short caption")

Eel grass, a type of submerged aquatic vegetation, supports the life cycle of many fish and shellfish.

The health of submerged aquatic vegetation is an important environmental indicator of overall ocean and estuary health.

Seagrasses in bays and lagoons, for instance, are vital to the success of small invertebrates and fish. These small creatures are a food source for commercial and recreational fish.

Seagrasses also stabilize sediments, generate organic material needed by small invertebrates, and add oxygen to the surrounding water.

Underwater vegetation in shallow coastal waters also supports a wide diversity of marine creatures by providing spawning, nursery, refuge, and foraging grounds for many species.
# What is seaweed?

## "Seaweed" is the common name for countless species of marine plants and algae that grow in the ocean as well as in rivers, lakes, and other water bodies.

![Kelp forest](/facts/kelp.jpg "Kelp forest")

Kelp forest in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and National Park.

Some seaweeds are microscopic, such as the phytoplankton that live suspended in the water column and provide the base for most marine food chains. Some are enormous, like the giant kelp that grow in abundant “forests” and tower like underwater redwoods from their roots at the bottom of the sea. Most are medium-sized, come in colors of red, green, brown, and black, and randomly wash up on beaches and shorelines just about everywhere.

The vernacular “seaweed” is a bona-fide misnomer, because a weed is a plant that spreads so profusely it can harm the habitat where it takes hold. (Consider kudzu, the infamous “mile-a-minute vine” that chokes waterways throughout the U.S. Southeast). Not only are the fixed and free-floating “weeds” of the sea utterly essential to innumerable marine creatures, both as food and as habitat, they also provide many benefits to land-dwellers, notably those of the human variety.

-   Seaweed is chock-full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and can be tasty. For at least 1,500 years, the Japanese have enrobed a mixture of raw fish, sticky rice, and other ingredients in a seaweed called nori. The delectable result is a sushi roll.
-   Many seaweeds contain anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agents. Their known medicinal effects have been legion for thousands of years; the ancient Romans _used them to t_reat wounds, burns, and rashes. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that the ancient Egyptians may have used them as a treatment for breast cancer.
-   Certain seaweeds do, in fact, possess powerful cancer-fighting agents that researchers hope will eventually prove effective in the treatment of malignant tumors and leukemia in people. While dietary soy was long credited for the low rate of cancer in Japan, this indicator of robust health is now attributed to dietary seaweed.
-   These versatile marine plants and algae have also contributed to economic growth. Among their many uses in manufacturing, they are effective binding agents (emulsifiers) in such commercial goods as toothpaste and fruit jelly, and popular softeners (emollients) in organic cosmetics and skin-care products.
# What are jellyfish made of?

## Only about five percent of the body of a jellyfish is solid matter; the rest is water.

![A jellyfish](/facts/diverandjelly.jpg "jellyfish are about 95 percent water")

Fascinating, elegant, and mysterious to watch in the water, take a jellyfish out of the water, and it becomes a much less fascinating blob. This is because jellyfish are about 95 percent water.

Fascinating, elegant, and mysterious to watch in the water, take a jellyfish out of the water, and it becomes a much less fascinating blob. This is because jellyfish are about 95 percent water.

Lacking brains, blood, or even hearts, jellyfish are pretty simple critters. They are composed of three layers: an outer layer, called the epidermis; a middle layer made of a thick, elastic, jelly-like substance called mesoglea; and an inner layer, called the gastrodermis. An elementary nervous system, or nerve net, allows jellyfish to smell, detect light, and respond to other stimuli. The simple digestive cavity of a jellyfish acts as both its stomach and intestine, with one opening for both the mouth and the anus.

These simple invertebrates are members of the phylum Cnidaria, which includes creatures such as sea anemones, sea whips, and corals. Like all members of the phylum, the body parts of a jellyfish radiate from a central axis. This “radial symmetry” allows jellyfish to detect and respond to food or danger from any direction.

Jellyfish have the ability to sting with their tentacles. While the severity of stings varies, in humans, most jellyfish stings result only in minor discomfort.
# What is a salt marsh?

![Salt marshes are coastal wetlands which are flooded and drained by tides.](saltmarsh.jpg "Salt marshes are coastal wetlands which are flooded and drained by tides.")

_Salt marsh within Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Salt marshes are coastal wetlands which are flooded and drained by tides._

Salt marshes are coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides. They are marshy because the soil may be composed of deep mud and peat. Peat is made of decomposing plant matter that is often several feet thick. Peat is waterlogged, root-filled, and very spongy. Because salt marshes are frequently submerged by the tides and contain a lot of decomposing plant material, oxygen levels in the peat can be extremely low—a condition called [hypoxia](/facts/deadzone.html). Hypoxia is caused by the growth of bacteria which produce the sulfurous rotten-egg smell that is often associated with marshes and mud flats.

Salt marshes occur worldwide, particularly in middle to high latitudes. Thriving along protected shorelines, they are a common habitat in [estuaries](/facts/estuary.html). In the U.S., salt marshes can be found on every coast. Approximately half of the nation's salt marshes are located along the Gulf Coast.

These intertidal habitats are essential for healthy fisheries, coastlines, and communities—and they are an integral part of our economy and culture. They also provide essential food, refuge, or nursery habitat for more than 75 percent of fisheries species, including shrimp, blue crab, and many finfish.

Salt marshes also protect shorelines from [erosion](/facts/coastalthreat.html) by buffering wave action and trapping sediments. They reduce flooding by slowing and absorbing rainwater and protect water quality by filtering runoff, and by metabolizing excess nutrients.