Ocean

As useful as renewable energy sources are, they need to be backed up by storage systems. Ocean Battery is a new design for an energy storage system that functions a bit like a hydroelectric dam at the bottom of the sea.

Scientists have discovered fossils of a new species of aquatic reptile that may be the first giant animal that ever lived on Earth. Cymbospondylus youngorum is a new type of ichthyosaur dating back to the early stages of the Age of Dinosaurs.

A new type of storm has been discovered in the skies over the Indian Ocean. Named “atmospheric lakes,” these events are slow-moving pools of concentrated water vapor that can last for days and bring large amounts of rain to the surface below them.

After sending a fleet of self-sailing drones into the path of Hurricane Sam to help improve forecast models, Saildrone has now launched three uncrewed surface vehicles into the Gulf Stream winter to gather data on carbon uptake in the ocean.

You've no doubt heard about the horrors of lost commercial fishing nets, which drift through the ocean killing a multitude of sea creatures. Well, the Farallon Buoy is designed to help, by allowing fishers to track the whereabouts of those nets.

Although the deep ocean floor may seem isolated from life on the rest of the planet, it actually plays a vital role in the carbon cycle. Scientists are now gaining a better understanding of that role, thanks to a tracked robotic underwater rover.

Earlier this year, Saildrone joined forces with NOAA to launch sensor-packed unmanned surface vehicles into paths of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean to gather data. Now one of those drones has captured footage from inside a Category 4 hurricane.

In its 17th year the Through Your Lens underwater photography contest continues to deliver an extraordinary assortment of undersea images. This year's highlights include a stunning shot of a shrimp helping clean the teeth of a moray eel.

Scientists investigating the massive untapped potential of wave energy have come up with a novel design for a convertor they say operates with far greater efficiency than comparable solutions, and could open the door to widespread use of the technology.

Lately we're seeing how sophisticated, ocean-going robots might help us map the seafloor, and one particularly interesting example has just successfully proved its mapping capabilities during its maiden voyage between San Francisco and Hawaii.

This new buoyancy energy storage system harnesses a powerful force familiar to anyone who's tried to hold a beach ball underwater, and it could offer grid-scale energy storage cheaper than batteries – as well as super-cheap hydrogen compression.

There are still plenty of utterly alien creatures left to find on Earth. Now a brand new horror has emerged from the depths of the ocean – meet Ophiojura, a “totally unique” type of animal with arms covered in hooks and eight sets of toothy jaws.