Underwater exploration encompasses some of the most exciting endeavors in the world. Whether charting unknown geological formations, discovering strange life forms in areas we used to think were uninhabitable, or bringing to light the rotted ships and encrusted artifacts of previous eras, this adventure yields more surprises and new discoveries than perhaps any other field.
Underwater Exploration
More About Underwater Exploration
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Diver From 1972 NG Photo Tells His Story
Villamar Godfrey is still diving, and still speaking out in protection of Belize's spectacular coral reefs.
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Deepest Diver Receives NG's Highest Honor
National Geographic's prestigious Hubbard Medal has just been awarded to Don Walsh, who traveled 50 years ago with the late Jacques Piccard to the deepest point of the ocean—a place no one else has reached since.
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Undersea Mountains Surveyed
Swarms of orange fish and other deep-sea creatures have been spotted during a five-year survey of the world's underwater mountain ranges.
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Back to the Dawn of Diving
Rediscover the first-ever underwater mapping and excavation of an ancient shipwreck in its entirety on the seafloor.
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Prehistoric Human in Undersea Cave
Divers have retrieved one of the oldest skeletons in the Americas from a deep cave in Mexico—a 10,000-year-old young man.
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Mud Volcano Forms New Island
The "gooey" dot of land off the coast of Pakistan appeared in November but will likely wash away within a few months, experts say.
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Viking Shipwrecks Face Ruin as Odd "Worms" Invade
Viking ships, sunken prehistoric settlements, and tens of thousands of other well-preserved wrecks face ruin as wood-eating shipworms invade a warming Baltic Sea.
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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National Geographic Magazine
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Tide Pools Pictures
A cast of thousands clings to rocky real estate in a narrow strip of shore called the intertidal zone.
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Great Barrier Reef Photo Gallery
From tiny coral polyps grew a marvel: Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Could it all come crumbling down?
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The Acid Sea
Carbon dioxide we pump into the air is seeping into the ocean and slowly acidifying it.
Your Ocean
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For Kids
Learn about the ocean with activities, photos, and games.
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Ocean Education
Bring engaging and important ocean learning to your classroom.
Support the Ocean
Help protect the last healthy, undisturbed places in the ocean so we can learn how to help healthy reefs thrive, help unhealthy reefs recover, and better preserve the ocean.
Explore the Ocean
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Ocean Life
Order ocean books, DVDs, maps, and more from the National Geographic online store.
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Ocean Special Issue
Explore the world's oceans, from their prehistoric beginnings to modern-day efforts to preserve their natural wonder.
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Citizens of the Sea
Dive into astonishing diversity of ocean life from marine scientist Nancy Knowlton and the Census of Marine Life.