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Needlefish
Photograph by David Doubilet
A school of tiny fish swims past a brain coral formation in the waters around the Seychelles. More than 90 percent of all marine life inhabits the shallow waters surrounding the Earth's landmasses.
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Nudibranch on Ocean Floor
Photograph by David Doubilet
A dazzling pattern of spots and stripes decorates this nudibranch photographed in the Seychelles. Nudibranchs are soft-bodied sea slugs that often wear wildly colorful designs for camouflage and defense.
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Napoleon Wrasse
Photograph by Heather Perry
A Napoleon wrasse patrols the waters off the coast of Palau in Micronesia. This fish uses its well-padded lips to absorb the barbs of urchins and other spiny reef creatures it often feeds on.
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Cleaner Wrasse Fish
Photograph by Timothy G. Laman
Two tiny cleaner wrasses (one above; one in mouth) groom a bigeye fish in the blue waters of the Republic of Palau. Cleaner wrasses, known as the reef's vacuum cleaners, suck morsels of food, parasites, and dead skin from reef fish.
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Portuguese Man-of-War
Photograph by Raul Touzon
A Portuguese man-of-war lies on the shore of Miami, Florida. Man-of-war stings can be extremely painful, but are rarely deadly. Their sting is still potent even after death.
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Green Sea Turtle
Photograph by Timothy G. Laman
A green sea turtle floats past a reef toward open waters near Palau in the Pacific Ocean. Green sea turtles are one of the most endangered animal species on the planet.
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Bearded Seal
Photograph by Flip Nicklen
A mature bearded seal swims in sunlit Arctic waters near Norway's Svalbard Archipelago. Bearded seals get their name from the whiskers they use to feel for food on the sea floor.
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Brittlestar
Photograph by Wolcott Henry
A bright red brittlestar clings to a coral head in the Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico. Sea stars get their name from the five-armed varieties, but species exist that have 10, 20, and even 40 arms.
More Ocean Galleries
Ocean Topics
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Acidification
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Ballard, Robert
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Bowermaster, Jon
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Cook-Wise
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De Rothschild, David
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Doubilet, David
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Earle, Sylvia
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Frozen Seafood Benefits
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Goodman, Beverly
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Habitat Destruction
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Invasive Species
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Kristof, Emory
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Marine Food Chain
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Marine Pollution
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Nicklen, Paul
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Norman, Brad
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Ocean Overview
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Overfishing
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Plastiki
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Pristine Seas Expeditions
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Sala, Enric
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Seafood Decision Guide
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Seafood Substitutions
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Sea Level Rise
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Sea Temperature Rise
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Seaver, Barton
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Sustainable Seafood
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Thys, Tierney
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Tips to Save the Ocean
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"Rebuilding Titanic"
Meet the Ship's Masterminds and More
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Birth of Titanic
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Titanic: The Final Secret
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Ocean: An Illustrated Atlas
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