oceanography

The Untapped Potential of Citizen Science Onboard Expedition Cruise Vessels

Holly Stainton July 11, 2025

Guests participating in the FjordPhyto citizen science project. Antarctic Peninsula, January 2025.

Scientific work can be done not only by professional scientists but also by the general public, often in collaboration with scientific institutions. At HX Expeditions, citizens have the opportunity to contribute to scientific projects on expedition cruises. Join us as we hear from Holly Stainton, the Science & Education Coordinator at MS Roald Amundsen and HX Expeditions, about her experiences ...[Read More]

Monitoring the Ocean’s Green Pulse: A New Global Dataset for Phytoplankton Phenology

Sandy Thomalla June 10, 2025

Summer phytoplankton bloom in the Baltic Sea (Credit: NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens and Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey and MODIS data from LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response).

Phytoplankton are tiny, single-celled organisms mainly found in the ocean’s sunlit surface, where they grow through photosynthesis, forming the marine food web’s base and regulating Earth’s climate by absorbing carbon dioxide. Their seasonal growth cycles—known as “blooms”—drive marine productivity and influence everything from carbon uptake to food security. But how can we track ...[Read More]

Book Review: Below the Edge of Darkness by Edith Widder

Jacqueline Behncke May 15, 2025

Welcome to our new blog series, where we explore the fascinating world of oceanography through the lens of literature. Each post will feature book recommendations that involve the wonders of the ocean, from the imaginative realms of maritime science fiction to the educational pages of science nonfiction. Like Captain Ahab chasing Moby Dick, we’ll hunt down the best ocean literature for you. ...[Read More]

Jens Terhaar Receives the Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award – About His Career and Work

Jacqueline Behncke April 27, 2025

Jens Terhaar received the 2025 Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award for his research on the ocean carbon cycle and its effects on climate. We spoke with him about his career path and the work that led to this award. Since completing his PhD in 2019, Jens has made a name for himself with many publications and outreach efforts. His work is about the ocean carbon sink, ocean biogeochemic ...[Read More]