ocean biology
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World Oceans Day Reimagines Our Relationship With the Water Around Us
In honor of this annual U.N. event, we are highlighting our coverage of ocean research and education initiatives at the Columbia Climate School and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.
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Harnessing AI, Scientists Discover a Rise in Floating Algae Across the Global Ocean
A recent study demonstrates the power of artificial intelligence as a tool for processing large amounts of ocean data.
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Yes, These Flesh-Eating Algae Are Real. And They Like Their Prey Alive.
New research suggests that photosynthetic green algae also eat bacteria on a previously unsuspected scale.
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The Surprising Way a Volcanic Eruption Fueled a Bloom of Ocean Algae
A new study reveals a surprising way in which lava influences marine ecology.
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On the Surface, Feeling Further Away from the Ocean than Ever
My German colleague and I could conceptualize five kilometers horizontally—the same as her bike ride to work, the same as the first ever race I ran. Neither of us could quite grasp what flipping 5 kilometers 90 degrees might mean, as our pump continued on its 3-hour vertical journey to that depth.
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In Isolation, Community
Being aboard a ship is isolating—but for a scientist, it’s not lonely.
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All I Wanted for Christmas Was for These Pumps to Work
We’ve just completed our first full station and are remarkably pleased with the results. We collected 8 seawater samples to measure helium isotopes; 20 to measure thorium and protactinium isotopes; 7 in-situ pump filters; 1 box core of the ocean floor; and more.
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Doing Science When There’s No Science to Be Done
With an abundance of time and a dearth of work, we have begun to devise ways of doing science before we can actually do science at sea. Among other things, we set up an imaging system to take pictures of particle filters we bring back from the deep sea.
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Day 2: What Am I Doing Here, Anyway?
The South Pacific Gyre is the most nutrient-poor region in the ocean, and the waters are the clearest in the ocean. The sediments accumulate below the water at rates as low as 0.1 millimeter per thousand years. So, 10 centimeters of seafloor are equivalent to one million years of material deposition in the South Pacific.
COP31, the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, aims to advance dialogue, strengthen consensus, and accelerate climate action on a global scale. From November 9–20, 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, heads of state, ministers, scientists, business leaders, and civil society will gather to advance efforts in emission targets, climate finance, and adaptation and resilience. Once again, our experts, students, and global thought leaders from Columbia Climate School and across Columbia University are contributing to key events, sharing insights, and helping shape the dialogue toward ambitious, science-based solutions. Learn More
