Special report: A huge disruption to California's coastal ecosystem is under way after several years of unusually warm ocean conditions and drought.

The thick accumulation of these sea plants on the coastline is apparently causing detrimental effects on certain fish species as residents have reported dead fish along the shores.

The peer-reviewed research published this week in the Public Library of Science suggests that 99% of the orcas studied had photographic evidence of skin lesions. Researchers evaluated photos from nearly 20,000 orca sightings from 2004 to 2016, finding that lesions — often gray patches and gray targets on the orcas' skin — generally became more prevalent over time.

The largest wave was a 60-foot 4-inch beast that hit Astoria, Oregon on Sunday. It was a record for the station, which is part of Scripps’ Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP).

A beluga whale was spotted Friday off San Diego -- the farthest south the species has been documented on the West Coast, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed.

Scripps Oceanography says rapid heating was caused by fair, hot weather

One UBC scientist says his early estimation that a billion creatures died from the 2021 heat dome was too low. Today, life is returning to areas scorched by last year’s unprecedented heat wave. The die off was patchy and the plants and animals in the intertidal zone that survived the heat wave “are the parents to the next generation,” Harley said.

Increasing blanket of mucus-like substance in water threatens coral and fishing industry

Rising sea temperatures may mean prey swimming in deeper water out of reach of guillemots, razorbills, puffins and kittiwakes

Husky Energy was still working as of deadline to address a sizable offshore oil spill that occurred Friday, but rough seas on Saturday and into Sunday afternoon continued to prevent containment and recovery of approximately 250,000 liters of oil despite the arrival of a recovery team Sunday afternoon.

Researchers say their absence is a stark reminder that the orcas are slowly starving to death because there is not enough Chinook salmon to sustain them.

Major sea lice epidemics have erupted on Atlantic salmon fish farms on Vancouver Island’s west coast over the last three months, according to industry, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and independent reports.

A blob menacing Hawaii is now visible from space. A massive heatwave in the Pacific Ocean is killing off coral. Satellites are capturing the destruction so that scientists can learn how to rebuild the reefs.

Underwater camera captured ‘a wasteland, covered in brown sediment.’

Three great white sharks broke the border rules big-time on Friday. The sharks were tracking very tight to shore near South Shore communities.

A rare whale-dolphin hybrid species has been discovered off the coast of Hawaii, scientists say. The animal is the first-ever documented offspring of a rough-toothed dolphin and the rare melon-headed whale, a team from the Cascadia Research Collective concluded in a report released this week.

Scientists examining the devastating impact plastics are having on the world's oceans have identified seabirds with more than 250 man made objects lodged in their stomachs.

Look down into the waters of the Venice canals today and there is a surprising sight – not just a clear view of the sandy bed, but shoals of tiny fish, scuttling crabs and multi-coloured plant-life.

Australia has seen an unprecedented number of widespread, catastrophic transformations in response to extreme weather events.