Skip to Content Skip to Navigation

Ocean Portal by The Smithsonian Institution

Poles

FEATURES


BLOG POST Arctic Sea Ice: A New Low? At a recent staff meeting a Smithsonian colleague mentioned that one of his pastimes this summer has been keeping tabs on the Arctic sea ice. The question that's on many Arctic-watchers' min...MORE STORIES


	AUDIO MORE AUDIO Greenland Shark: One Species at a Time Scientists know the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) moves slowly in th...
	ARTICLE MORE STORIES Arctic Ocean Diversity The ArcOD project brought together existing information about the diversity of A...
	PHOTO MORE PHOTOS Deep-Water Larvacean Found in Arctic waters, this rare deep-water species of larvacean, Oikopleu...

EDUCATOR RESOURCES

LATEST TODAY'S CATCH


					Humpback Whale in Antarctic Waters Apr 4, 2013 - 9:22AMHumpback whales (Megaptera novaengliae) can be found in Antarctic waters during the spring and summer in the Southern hemisphere, where they gorge on their main food source: tiny krill. How do they locate the small prey and...

A Pair of Sea Butterflies

Feb 15, 2013 - 10:56AM

This pair of sea butterflies (Limacina helicina) flutter not far from the...

Deep-Water Larvacean, or “Sea-Tadpole”

Dec 10, 2012 - 10:20AM

In the icy waters of the Arctic, a deep-water larvacean (aka “sea tadpole”...

SPOTLIGHT


The Sant Ocean Hall: Life at the Poles Exhibit At the Poles, Life Thrives Located beside the Shores and Shallows gallery (which highlights different kinds of coastal...

Arctic Cod Under Ice Jan 6 2011 - 3:09pm Arctic cod have a special protein that keeps their blood from freezing in ice-cold Arctic waters.	Arctic Sea Ice: A New Low? Sep 8 2011 - 4:04pm At a recent staff meeting a Smithsonian colleague mentioned that one of his pastimes this summer has been keeping tabs on the Arctic sea ice. The question that's on many Arctic-watchers' minds is whether or not the 2011 sea ice coverage will reach a new record low.
ROV Video of Stunning Creatures Jan 7 2011 - 3:53pm Using an ROV (Remotely-Operated Vehicle) equipped with a high-definition video camera, scientists can observe the life that flourishes beneath the Arctic ice. On this expedition, they discovered creatures, like this Narcomedusa jelly, that were previously unknown.	Deep-Water Larvacean, or “Sea-Tadpole” Dec 10 2012 - 10:20am In the icy waters of the Arctic, a deep-water larvacean (aka “sea tadpole” because it looks like a tadpole) drifts through the water in its 'house.' This house is made of protein and creates almost a shell around the larvacean and helps to filter particles out of the water for the larvacean to eat...
Arctic Exploration Jan 14 2011 - 2:45pm New technology is making it possible for scientists to go where they’ve never gone before, the depths of the icy Arctic Ocean. By collecting organisms and mapping the seafloor, researchers can discover the effects of climate change on this region and understand the relationship between the ice,...	National Ice Center Monitors the Arctic and Antarctic Jan 14 2011 - 2:57pm The National Ice Center’s work is focused on ensuring safe and efficient navigation, but it also supports scientific research and provides crucial information used by scientists to better monitor and understand climate change. Researchers working in the Arctic and Antarctic depend on the support of...
Climate Change at the Poles Sep 20 2011 - 12:33pm At the ends of the Earth, life thrives despite extreme conditions. In the Arctic and Southern Oceans, organisms have evolved adaptations to cope with year-round cold and six months of darkness. But the tough critters living in these harsh climates belie the delicate balance that holds the ecosystem...	Ice Divers Prepare to Plunge Jan 5 2011 - 4:43pm It takes special equipment and many warm layers of clothing to dive safely beneath Arctic sea ice. Ice divers look for holes in a melt pond in order to enter the frigid waters.
Humpback Whale in Antarctic Waters Apr 4 2013 - 9:22am Humpback whales (Megaptera novaengliae) can be found in Antarctic waters during the spring and summer in the Southern hemisphere, where they gorge on their main food source: tiny krill. How do they locate the small prey and maneuver their large bodies to eat? Scientists are looking at those...	Photographing Captured Animals Jan 6 2011 - 12:21pm To document fragile organisms found in the Arctic, scientist Kevin Raskoff builds special aquaria on the ship to photograph of live critters that have been captured.
Emperors of Antarctica Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am Scripps scientist Gerald Kooyman's expeditions have documented climate-induced changes to emperor penguin habitat in Antarctica. Learn more about life at the poles or check out this emperor penguin chick with mother.	Cold Water Diving with WHOI Jul 15 2011 - 5:00pm "Cold-Water Diving: Going to Extremes for Research" is a video produced by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) that shows the focus needed to do scientific work in cold water. The gear is bulkier and heavier, cold affects dexterity and capacity, and dives must be shorter yet still get the...
Bowhead Whales Jan 6 2011 - 3:24pm The bowhead whale has a massive, bow-shaped skull to break through thick Arctic ice, and more blubber than any other whale.	Arctic Lesson Plans from NOAA Aug 17 2011 - 3:25pm Chapter 3: Fragile Fauna Jelly Critters Grade Level: 5-6 Focus: Life Science- Gelatinous zooplankton in the Canada Basin Description: In this activity, students will be able to compare and contrast at least three different groups of organisms that are includ
A Pair of Sea Butterflies Feb 15 2013 - 10:56am This pair of sea butterflies (Limacina helicina) flutter not far from the ocean's surface in the Arctic. Sea butterflies are a type of sea snail, but instead of dragging themselves around the seafloor with a muscular foot, they flap their adapted feet like butterfly wings! They are very small—...	Greenland Shark: One Species at a Time Dec 7 2011 - 4:12pm Scientists know the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) moves slowly in the Arctic's cold water. They also know that parasites attack the shark's eyes. But much about this animal remains a mystery. Marine biologist Greg Skomal says that's because the Greenland shark spends most of the year...