Ocean Sciences

Looks can be deceiving: Why high coral cover does not always mean high reef productivity

Alex S.J. Wyatt and Timothy B. King September 17, 2026

When most people imagine a coral reef, they picture clear, warm, sunny tropical waters. However, the coral communities of Hong Kong live in a vastly different setting. In the shadows of one of the most densely populated coastlines in the world, these corals persist under highly turbid conditions, receiving relatively little light over the year. Water conditions are also highly seasonal, with large ...[Read More]

Book Review: Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez

Jacqueline Behncke August 31, 2026

Our previous book recommendations were the nonfiction books Blue Machine – How the Ocean Shapes our World by Helen Czerski and Below the Edge of Darkness by Edith Widder as well as the thriller The Swarm by Frank Schätzing. This time, we are stepping away from the ocean. Our next book recommendation is “Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed by Men” by Caroline Criado ...[Read More]

When the atmosphere moves the sea: Meteotsunami waves

Clare Lewis August 10, 2026

Figure 1: The generation and evolution of a meteotsunami, adapted from Monserrat 2006. A wave is generated by a pressure jump or wind stress and is amplified by processes such as Proudman resonance; shelf amplification; and harbour resonance as shown (NOAA, 2014).

Meteotsunamis or meteorological tsunamis are globally occurring progressive shallow water waves with a period of between 2 to 120 minutes which results from an air-sea interaction. They tend to be initiated by sudden pressure changes and wind stress from moving atmospheric systems with sources ranging from convective clouds, cyclones, squalls, thunderstorms, atmospheric gravity waves and strong mi ...[Read More]

More Than a Rain Gauge: When Salt Starts Steering the Sea

Lisan Yu July 30, 2026

Simplified representation; see Figure 1.

Posted in: Ocean Sciences | Reviews & Perspectives | Ocean Science Jubilee Special Issue We usually think of ocean salinity as the ocean’s rain gauge. Rain, rivers, and melting ice freshen the surface; evaporation leaves it saltier. Seen from space, these changing patterns reveal how Earth’s water cycle is evolving, with wet regions generally becoming fresher and dry regions saltier as the cli ...[Read More]