Uncharted island soon to appear on nautical charts
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 9 April 2026
Antarctic expedition aboard icebreaker Polarstern discovered a 130-metre-long island in the Weddell Sea, previously marked only as a danger zone on nautical charts, now fully surveyed for charting.
Keywords: Antarctica, Weddell Sea, Polarstern, uncharted island, polar exploration, seafloor mapping, nautical charts
New study reveals wind-driven upwelling controls ocean productivity in the South Atlantic Bight
NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML)
Published: 8 April 2026
Research ties changes in Gulf Stream speed to interannual upwelling variability along the US Southeast coast, with local winds driving shifts in nutrient supply and phytoplankton blooms.
Keywords: Gulf Stream, upwelling, South Atlantic Bight, ocean acidification, wind forcing, phytoplankton, biogeochemistry
Hidden ocean feedback loop could accelerate climate change
University of Rochester
Published: 9 April 2026
Scientists discovered that bacteria produce methane in ocean surface waters when phosphate is scarce, creating a feedback loop where ocean warming reduces nutrient mixing and boosts methane emissions.
Keywords: ocean methane, climate feedback, phosphate, greenhouse gas, ocean warming, biogeochemistry, marine bacteria
