Marine chemistry is the scientific study of the chemical composition, speciation, reactions, and biogeochemical cycles of substances in the marine environment, including seawater, sediments, and marine aerosols. It addresses the distributions and transformations of major, minor, and trace elements, dissolved gases, nutrients, and organic compounds, and how these are controlled by physical processes (mixing, circulation), biological activity (production, remineralization), and interactions with the atmosphere and lithosphere. Research in marine chemistry underpins understanding of ocean acidification, carbon cycling, redox dynamics, contaminant fate, and the chemical controls on marine ecosystems and climate-relevant processes.
In 2020, haunting images of corroded metal barrels in the deep ocean off Los Angeles leapt into the public consciousness. Initially linked to the toxic pesticide DDT, some barrels were encircled by ghostly halos in the sediment.
Environment
Sep 9, 2025
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Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere enters the ocean at the surface and has been increasing the acidity of Pacific waters since the beginning of the industrial revolution over 200 years ago. A new study, led by University of ...
Earth Sciences
Aug 19, 2025
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As human activity across the world's oceans expands, scientists are zeroing in on shifts in atmospheric composition—particularly ozone, a key player in marine atmospheric chemistry. In a new study, researchers have completed ...
Earth Sciences
Aug 13, 2025
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A new study published in Nature Geoscience has revealed that the global ocean's chemical makeup is undergoing a transformation, with key nutrient ratios critical to marine life shifting away from the long-accepted Redfield ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 21, 2025
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This past winter, researchers from the Center for Earth Observation Science (CEOS) at the University of Manitoba (UM) completed the first-ever controlled oil spill experiment at the Churchill Marine Observatory (CMO). This ...
Environment
Jun 24, 2025
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Trace metals such as iron or zinc that are stored in deep-sea sediments are lost forever to phytoplankton on the ocean surface. This is what geochemists believed for a long time about the cycle of micronutrients in seawater. ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 11, 2025
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The Chesapeake Bay is the continental United States' largest estuary, spanning approximately 320 kilometers (200 miles) between northeastern Maryland and Virginia Beach. Like many coastal ecosystems, its water chemistry is ...
Earth Sciences
May 21, 2025
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Glitter is festive and fun—a favorite for decorations, makeup and art projects. But while it may look harmless, beautiful even, glitter's sparkle hides a darker side. Those shimmering specks often end up far from party tables ...
Environment
May 5, 2025
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Volcanoes erupting underwater have a distinctive effect on the climate that is larger and more widespread than previously thought, according to an international group led by University of Auckland and Tongan scientists. Research ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 30, 2025
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As climate change increases, so does the pressure on humanity to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere—possibly with the help of the oceans. But which of the proposed marine CO2 removal and storage options should ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 11, 2025
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