Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

This June, we’re turning our attention to the ocean in honor of World Ocean Day on June 8. Covering more than 70% of our planet, the ocean is full of discovery, wonder, and life. Join us as we explore the science behind marine ecosystems and the important role oceans play in shaping our world.

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 4-Jun-2026 13:16 ET (4-Jun-2026 17:16 GMT/UTC)

22-Apr-2026

 

Earth Day Spotlight: Florida International University showcases world-leading ocean science — from unique undersea lab to global shark conservation

Florida International University

Florida International University has built a long-running, multi-faculty commitment to ocean science, spanning research, policy impact, conservation technology, public engagement and unique infrastructure like its underwater lab in the Florida Keys.

20-Apr-2026

 

Simple ocean-based model forecasts El Niño skillfully, points to a strong event ahead

University of Hawaii at Manoa
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa recently published a study showing that they can skillfully predict El Niño and La Niña 15 months ahead of time using only observations of the ocean surface temperature and height–no complex climate model needed.

Journal

Geophysical Research Letters

Funder

NOAA Climate Program Office’s Climate Variability & Predictability (CVP) and Modelling, Analysis, Predictions, and Projections (MAPP)

20-Apr-2026

 

Massive Atlantic sargassum blooms traced to west Africa

University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Massive blooms of Sargassum seaweed that have inundated coastlines across the Atlantic since 2011 likely originate off the coast of West Africa—forming years before they are visible and overturning long-standing assumptions about where these events begin.

Journal

PNAS Nexus

20-Apr-2026

Nordic Seas Overturning Circulation strengthens as Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation weakens, new study

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

20/04/2026 –A new modelling study identifies a feedback mechanism suggesting that a strengthening of the Nordic Seas Overturning Circulation (NOC) could be a direct consequence of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) weakening from global warming, not a separate anomaly. The study was led by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in collaboration with the University of Bergen.

Journal

Ocean Science

20-Apr-2026

 

New publication about the influence of Southern Hemisphere waters on the Indonesian Throughflow

MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team with scientists from MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen studies the hemispheric origin of Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) and find a high Southern Hemispheric contribution over the past 800,000 years. The results, now published in the journal Nature Communications, highlight an important and direct pathway from high southern latitudes to the tropical oceans.

Journal

Nature Communications

17-Apr-2026

 

‘Tis the season: Sharing resources sustains ocean microbial biodiversity

University of Hawaii at Manoa
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Oceanographers from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa discovered that microbial communities–from the sunlit surface to extreme depths–in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre exhibit robust seasonal cycles. The study provides new insight into how high levels of biodiversity are maintained in the open ocean.

Journal

The ISME Journal

Funder

Simons Foundation

17-Apr-2026

 

Andes volcanoes – the missing link between algae blooms, whales and climate millions of years ago

University of Arizona
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Record volcanic eruptions in the Andes could explain the mysterious death of dozens of whales about 5 to 8 million years ago, according to a study led by University of Arizona researchers. Volcanic ash fertilizing the Southern Ocean provides a missing puzzle piece in the Earth's climate system that could help scientists better understand its buffering capacity in the context of a warming world.

Journal

Nature Communications

Funder

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Natural Environment Research Council

17-Apr-2026

 

Helping corals survive future heatwaves requires strong and strategic trait selection

Newcastle University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Assisted evolution could help corals survive future heatwaves, but careful trait choice and strong repeated selection will be needed for it to be effective.

Journal

Current Biology