Critical Atlantic Ocean currents remained active during the last ice age
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Published: 22 January 2026
A study in Nature reveals deep North Atlantic water was only about 2 degrees C colder during the Last Glacial Maximum than today, suggesting ocean circulation remained resilient even under extreme glacial conditions.
Keywords: ocean circulation, Atlantic currents, ice age, paleoceanography, deep water formation, AMOC, glacial climate
New study quantifies sargassum multi-million dollar impact to U.S. coastal economies
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Published: 14 January 2026
The most comprehensive economic assessment of sargassum blooms reveals potentially billion-dollar annual losses affecting Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Florida across tourism, recreation, and fisheries.
Keywords: sargassum, harmful algal blooms, coastal economics, marine pollution, Caribbean, satellite monitoring, ocean ecology
Positive interactions dominate among marine microbes, six-year study reveals
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Published: 21 January 2026
A six-year study of coastal California microbes found roughly 78% have net positive effects on neighbors, with cooperative interactions far outweighing competition. Elevated ocean temperatures increased positive interactions.
Keywords: marine microbes, microbial ecology, coastal ocean, plankton interactions, ocean warming, marine biodiversity, California coast
