Marine

The blue whale has long been considered the largest animal to have ever existed, even dwarfing the biggest known dinosaurs. But now a new species threatens to steal the crown, and upends what we thought we knew about whale evolution.

Scientists have used fossilized megalodon teeth to estimate the ancient shark’s body temperature, and found it wasn’t exactly a cold-blooded killer. Strangely enough, that might have contributed to its downfall.

Taking a plot point from the 1990 Sean Connery movie thriller The Hunt for Red October, DARPA is working on a super-silent submarine drive that has no moving parts and provides propulsion through the water using magnets and electricity.

An adventurous professor from the University of South Florida has broken the world record for living in an underwater habitat. Joseph Dituri has called the submurged Jules’ Undersea Lodge home since March 1, and intends to remain there until June 9.

Paleontologists have discovered fossils from a gigantic marine predator that stalked the Jurassic seas. The creature could have grown to twice the size of an orca, and fed on pretty much anything else unlucky enough to be in the ocean at that time.

In a surprising first, researchers found that scalloped hammerhead sharks act like air-breathing marine mammals, holding their breath to stay warm when they deep-dive into cold water for food and making them vulnerable to humanity's deep-sea exploits.

Belfast-based Artemis Technologies has introduced its latest hydrofoil – an upmarket luxury water taxi called the Artemis EF-12 Escape that promises a comfortable, energy efficient, environmentally friendly way to go island hopping.

The US Navy recently completed tank tests of a new deep-diving suit called the Deep Sea Expeditionary with No Decompression (DSEND) system that is light and flexible, yet maintains sea-level pressure around the wearer when hundreds of feet underwater.

These strangely-shaped twisted-toroid propellers look like a revolutionary (sorry) advance for the aviation and marine sectors. Radically quieter than traditional propellers in both air and water, they're also showing some huge efficiency gains.

Snøhetta recently completed an attractive timber maritime center in Denmark. Inspired by wooden boat construction, it's designed to withstand punishing local conditions and lights up pleasantly at night, resulting in its name: the Lantern.

The new Navier 30 adds a little length over the concept that preceded it while offering the same robust range and high-tech design. It has an autopilot system meant to evolve into full autonomy and an active foil system to breeze over 4-foot waves.

Scientists from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology studying tiger sharks have leveraged their far-roaming tendencies to map out the largest seagrass system in the world, by using cameras attached to their backs.