While Elkhorn and Staghorn corals have undergone a drastic decline in the Caribbean, their hybrid, "Fused Staghorn," is increasing in numbers in parts of the region. One scientist is studying the animals in Belize to see if the hybrid might be better equipped to deal with environmental stressors than its parents.

In the Florida Keys, divers from around the country learn how to map shipwrecks and apply their skills on a mysterious 19th Century slave ship. When diving isn't possible, professional explorers use high-tech tools to scan objects buried beneath the seafloor.

In the cold, deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, little-known animals spend their entire lives in near darkness, far removed from our human world. Until now, little research has been conducted on these creatures of the deep, keeping much of their lives a mystery. Then, in April of 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, setting off the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. Roughly 4.9 million barrels of crude oil gushed out of the well at a depth of 5-thousand feet. In the disaster's aftermath, many questions arose about what lives in the deep waters of the Gulf, and how these animals may have been impacted by the oil. To answer these questions, scientists from the Deep-C Consortium's ecology team conduct regular research trips in the area.

Scientists with the Global Reef Expedition are on a six year mission to study remote coral reefs around the world. While in French Polynesia, the experts conduct extensive habitat mapping to create one of a kind seafloor atlases. Scientists also assess the health of the reefs to compare and contrast the resilience of reef systems over a large geographical area.

Crinoids have been around in various forms since before the age of dinosaurs. Now experts descend into the deep to study the animals from a submersible.

Each summer, the world's largest known aggregation of whale sharks occurs just off the coast of Cancun, Mexico, giving experts the opportunity to learn more about the largest fish in the sea.

The unique oceanic conditions of the Galápagos Islands serve as a perfect natural laboratory to study how climate change may impact corals in the future.

Strange and prehistoric-looking, Smalltooth Sawfish were once coveted by anglers as popular trophy fish. But habitat loss and overfishing have greatly reduced the animals' range and landed them on the endangered species list in 2003.

After sea turtle hatchlings emerge from their nests, they vanish into the sea. Until recently, their journey was largely shrouded in mystery. Now, as technology advances, researchers are beginning to understand where turtles go during their so-called “lost years.”

Each year, thousands of tourists interact with the tame southern stingrays that congregate in the shallow waters of Grand Cayman’s North Sound. Famous marine artist and scientist Dr. Guy Harvey has assembled a research team to study what impact the ecotourism might have on the wild fish.

The unique oceanographic conditions of the eastern tropical Pacific make the area one of the best spots in the world for big game anglers to hook billfish. But intense pressures from commercial fishing operations have taken their toll on the numbers of sailfish and marlin in the region. Researchers are studying the animals to provide the data necessary to protect the fish populations from further decline.

Most people are familiar with the pretty tropical fish found in aquariums, but few realize that some of these animals are capable of changing sex. Discover the unique ways of how some fish species do this and why they likely evolved this way.

Until recently there was scientific consensus that sponges were the first animals to branch off the “Animal Tree of Life,” a kind of family tree for all living and extinct animals on earth. But recent DNA research has cast doubt on that theory, with some scientists suggesting that ctenophores, also known as comb jellies, are an older lineage.

Every winter, hundreds of manatees aggregate at Crystal River, Florida, attracted by the warmer, spring-fed clear waters. This sanctuary is also a treasure for scientists, who take advantage of these manatee gatherings to study them. From decades of visual ID studies to the most cutting-edge DNA research, experts hope that science will help conserve this beloved marine mammal.

In the remote Pacific, the islands of Maug rise out of the sea. Formed by an ancient volcano, shallow hydrothermal vents are found close to coral reefs inside the submerged caldera. These vents emit levels of CO2 that can be expected in the world’s oceans by the end of the century, making these waters a natural laboratory for scientists studying the impacts of ocean acidification on coral reefs. Co-produced with Open Boat Films.

The Blue Heron Bridge in Riviera Beach, Florida, is known as one of the best shore dives in the United States. What appears as an unlikely dive site at first is home to a rich variety of marine life, ranging from tiny nudibranchs to manta rays. Underwater photographers are documenting what lives beneath the bridge, and a scientist is studying how two species of octopus co-exist there.

Scientists work with the private sector to develop sustainable offshore aquaculture.

Putrid mats of blue green algae are wreaking havoc on Florida’s shorelines. Scientists think water pollution is to blame, and if something isn’t done about it there could be irreparable damage to the environment, the local economy and people’s health.

For millennia, the exchange of CO2 between the oceans and atmosphere has been in balance. Now, with more anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the oceans are taking up more CO2 as well. This additional CO2 is negatively impacting sensitive ecosystems, making scientists worry how these changes will affect the way carbon is cycled through the seas.

Mexico’s remote Revillagigedo Archipelago is a hotspot for oceanic mantas. Scientists use photo ID techniques and acoustic tags to study these mysterious fish. They are also researching if the filter-feeding rays are impacted negatively by microplastics – tiny pieces of toxic trash that float in the ocean.