Tag: Physical Oceanography

Sailing for science: Collaborative research aboard a NOAA ship

NOAA and partner researchers successfully completed their eighteenth PIRATA Northeast Extension cruise in support of a key tropical Atlantic observing system. Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces, a new ship for this science mission, scientists spent nearly a month at sea traveling from the Canary Islands to Barbados conducting various research efforts along the way. Their journey was leg 2 of the broader PIRATA Northeast Extension cruise which took place in two separate legs over the span of two months. 

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Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

Satellite data reveals Gulf Stream intensification

The Gulf Stream plays a key role in shaping weather and climate patterns in regions surrounding the North Atlantic. A new NOAA study reveals the Gulf Stream underwent a rapid intensification from 2014 to 2023. Fast current speed can lead to enhanced heat transport to higher latitudes, warming the upper ocean and increasing heat released to the atmosphere.

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Group photo of the 2026 NOAA AOML Interns in front of a staircase

AOML’s 2026 intern cohort gains first-hand research experience

In celebration of National Intern Day, NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) is proud to recognize its FY-2026 class of interns. Ranging from high school to graduate students, these talented individuals are gaining hands-on experience across a wide array of research areas—including coral reefs, microbial ecology, hurricanes, ocean acidification, physical oceanography, science communication, and […]

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New study directly quantifies air-sea momentum exchange in hurricane force winds for the first time

In recent years, uncrewed surface vehicles (USV) have become vital tools used to collect observations to improve hurricane forecasts. To fully understand how storms intensify, scientists need data at the air-sea interface where energy is transferred from the ocean to tropical cyclones. This data is most effectively collected by USVs because of their unique ability to operate in dangerous environments and extreme conditions. In a new study, scientists are able to directly quantify the air-sea momentum exchange (termed ‘wind stress’) and related frictional drag effect that acts to slow a hurricane’s rotating winds. These direct measurements of this process are the first to be collected over the ocean in hurricane-force winds.  

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Satellite image of Hurricane Erin in the Atlantic during the 2025 hurricane season.

How does El Niño Impact Atlantic Hurricane Season

NOAA has released their seasonal outlook for the 2026 hurricane season –  spanning from June 1st to November 30th – reporting a 55% probability of a below average season. This prediction is primarily driven by several factors including a strong El Niño event expected to emerge in the Pacific basin. This phenomenon will disrupt typical […]

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A satellite image of Florida surrounded by dark ocean waters with bright green ribbons that denote phytoplankton blooms.

Alongshore winds drive variability of key biogeochemical processes

There’s a unique interplay between surface winds, the Gulf Stream current, and the continental shelf in the South Atlantic Bight (SAB), that has long been overlooked. Researchers have often speculated that the strength of the Gulf Stream and proximity to the coast impacts primary production and other processes driving essential ecosystems. However, to what degree […]

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Decorative-Satellite Image of Mature Hurricane Idalia 2023

In the wake of hurricanes: satellites and robots reveal an altered biogeochemical landscape

On August 30, 2023, Hurricane Idalia made landfall as a major Hurricane in Florida’s Big Bend after meandering through the northwestern Caribbean and intensifying over the warm waters of the Gulf of America. In its aftermath, damage on land was immediately visible, but observations from satellites and ocean-going robots revealed that the ocean was also […]

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Oshen C-Star sits in ocean with dark skies in the background.

World first: Mini ocean robot collects data in a Category 5 hurricane

NOAA and Oshen robots bring back key wind and pressure data from Hurricane Humberto A small, wind–powered ocean robot became the first uncrewed surface vehicle to capture and transmit data from inside a Category 5 hurricane on Sunday, September 28, as part of research by NOAA, the United Kingdom-based robotics company, Oshen, and the University […]

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Jen McWhorter next to Ocean Biogeochemical Argo float in Key West on a white boat

Scientist at AOML selected as member of NOAA in the Caribbean Executive Team

Jen McWhorter, Ph.D., a Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Science (CIMAS) Assistant Scientist with AOML’s Ocean Biogeochemistry and Physical Oceanography teams, has been selected to serve a one year term as a member of the NOAA in the Caribbean Executive Team. As a member of the Executive Team, McWhorter will help provide strategic direction […]

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