Climate Oceans Environment Environment Hawaii is turning ocean plastic into roads to fight pollution The ocean plastic that washes up on Hawaii’s beaches is recycled into asphalt to pave roads.
The ocean covers more than 70% of Earth’s surface and contains 97% of the planet’s water. This vast, critical reservoir supports a abundance of life and helps regulate Earth’s climate.
Explore how the ocean shapes life on Earth. It sustains us, surprises us, and holds mysteries we're only beginning to understand. Dive into key topics here.
The ocean is a vast and critical reservoir that supports a diversity of life, helps regulate climate, provides a large amount of the planet’s oxygen, and stores an abundance of carbon dioxide. NASA satellite, airborne, and in-situ missions and projects are constantly collecting data about the global ocean.
Discover the Ocean Learning Hub—your gateway to trusted ocean science content. Easily explore by topic, media type, grade level, and educational standards.
Ocean warming enhances hurricane activity, bleaches coral reefs and melts Antarctic sea ice. That warming has been off the charts for the past year.
Ocean acidification is a reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended period of time, caused primarily by an increase of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Understanding how the ocean works is foundational to understanding life on this planet and to the discipline of oceanography. Get to know the big systems of the ocean: its cycles, circulation, zones, and connection to the atmosphere. Learn about ocean chemistry, life and landscapes on the seafloor, plate movements, shorelines, and icy regions.
Discover why the ocean is essential for life on Earth, from oxygen production to biodiversity and climate regulation. Dive into its vital role today.