Oceans

The Russian nuclear- powered icebreaker Artika escorting a vessel on the Northern Sea Route. Much has been said about new, shorter trade routes in the Arctic Ocean, made possible by the retreat of Arctic sea ice, but serious constraints remain.

Russia’s National Arctic Waterway: Challenging Future

The future of Russia’s Arctic marine transportation system is fundamentally linked to the export of natural resources and destinational shipping.

Captain Lawson W. Brigham, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired)

May 2025

AI-powered tool SurfPerch has processed thousands of hours of acoustic data from coral reefs, producing a bioacoustic data library that helps assess the health of reefs, such as the Great Barrier Reef (shown here).

Sea Change: The Rise of AI in Ocean Observing and Forecasting

Artificial intelligence is enabling oceanographers and meteorologists to analyze large, complex datasets and make predictions with unprecedented accuracy.

Captain Emil Petruncio, U.S. Navy (Retired)

March 2025

Southern Ocean: Hub of the Global Ecosystem

The Southern Ocean is the most influential and consequential of the Earth’s five oceans.

Captain Lawson W. Brigham, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired)

January 2025

The USNS Marie Tharp (T-AGS-66) is one of the 23 research and survey vessels operated by the Naval Oceanographic Office and U.S. universities and research institutions. China has 64 active research vessels.

Ocean Intelligence: A Decisive Factor for Defending Taiwan

Since the United States has pledged to defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion by China, it's worth comparing the oceanographic capabilities of the U.S. Navy and the PLA.

Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, U.S. Navy (Retired)

November 2024

Revolution: Global Shipping Decarbonization

The global shipping enterprise is undergoing a profound transition to reduce carbon emissions and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Captain Lawson W. Brigham, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired)

September 2024

Purple-striped jellyfish (Chrysaora colorata)

New Insights into the Twilight Zone

Conditions for life at these depths are harsh, but there is a tremendous amount of life in the twilight zone.

Captain Emil Petruncio, U.S. Navy (Retired)

July 2024

At 44 nautical miles wide, the Bering Strait is the only maritime corridor and chokepoint between North America and Asia with access to the Arctic Ocean.

New Challenges for the Bering Strait

The Bering Strait is a narrow, international strait that separates Chukotka in Russia’s Far East from Alaska, the only chokepoint between North America and the Arctic Ocean.

Captain Lawson Brigham, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired)

May 2024