Top Marine Stories and Posts You Loved in 2025

Fan art of the viral crab by X user @junbuug.

This year proved, once again, that the ocean is truly a fascinating place. In 2025, our features ran the gamut from creatures of the deep and newly discovered species to killer whales and restoring American seafood competitiveness. Check out the list below and see if your favorite made the list!

Top Features

Stories on how ocean health is affecting marine life, how we're working to enforce laws to protect marine mammals, and how our scientists discover brand new species were among the most widely read.

Early Bloom of Toxic Algae off Southern California Sickens Hundreds of Sea Lions and Dolphins

Rescue teams face hard decisions over which animals to save.

A sea lion with domoic acid poisoning experiencing involuntary muscle spasms. Credit: Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute

Responders received more than 100 calls a day reporting sick sea lions and dolphins

New Kids on the Block: Species Discovered by Our Scientists

Over the years, NOAA Fisheries scientists have discovered dozens of species. Learn more about these species and what we've learned about them.

A Type D killer whale, a new species in the Southern Ocean. Credit: Paul Tixier

We've discovered fish, marine mammals, and invertebrates

Diving into Creatures of the Deep

Dive in and learn about creatures of the deep. These mysterious species live way below the surface of the ocean.

Gelatinous sea creature photographed using the ROV Deep Discoverer in 2015. Credit: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

Creatures that live in the deep ocean-from corals, to jellyfish, to octopus, and more

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Recommendations for Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness

We asked for public input on how to make sure more American seafood gets on American plates.

Commercial fishing boats lined up in Sitka, Alaska. Credit: Shutterstock.

We asked for input on how to improve fisheries management and science

Florida Fisherman Convicted for Killing Dolphins

Panama City Fisherman sentenced to 1 month in jail and $51,000 for illegally shooting and poisoning dolphins.

Barfield's fishing vessel, based out of Panama City, Florida. Credit: pcbfishingcharter.com

Read about the investigation that led to this conviction

Top Videos

Our top videos this year ranged from new technology, to whales caught on smartphones, to habitat restoration after a hurricane.

Gliders: Collecting Data on Ocean Health

NOAA Fisheries traditionally uses ships to collect data on ocean health. Now, we're using gliders to expand our research. They can be deployed for longer times, collecting data in inaccessible areas-like Antarctica-at a lower cost than ships.

Entangled Gray Whale Freed

A 1-minute video from a helmet cam including the moment when a response team cuts the net and ropes entangling a gray whale off Southern California and the whale swims free.

First Documented Sighting of a Bowhead Whale in Southeast Alaska

This is the first documented sighting of a bowhead whale in Southeast Alaska. It's not the furthest south they have been seen, but it's very notable because of how far it is from its typical range.

Rebuilding Puerto Rico's Mangroves: How BoriCorps Creates Jobs for Young Professionals

This NOAA-funded program helps Puerto Rican young professionals get training and job experience to enter the workforce, while restoring mangroves that were destroyed by Hurricane Maria.

Bonus: Creatures of the Deep-Cookiecutter Sharks

Our top YouTube short was this video about cookiecutter sharks. While they may sound cute and cuddly, don't let the name fool you. These sharks live in deep waters, around 3,000 meters, and swim toward the surface to hunt at night. Cookiecutter sharks get their name from the cookie-shaped bite marks they leave on their prey.

A cookie cutter shark specimen. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

Watch the YouTube short about cookiecutter sharks

Top Podcast

Listen up! In our most popular podcast of 2025, we heard from NOAA research scientist Dr. Gary Longo, who discovered Japanese sardines off the coast of California for the first time. In this episode, we noodled with the mystery of Japanese sardines appearing in U.S. waters. How did they get here? What does it mean for the native Pacific sardine? Are they staying?

A school of Pacific sardines. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Dale Sweetman

Japanese sardines in California? A shocking discovery in the Pacific

Top Social Media Posts

Follow us for more engaging and educational content @NOAAFisheries!

Instagram and X

It's baby crab! What else can we say? This little guy is the cutest, spikiest, and tiniest crab who went viral. We kicked off the first week of 2025 in style when we shared this adorable creature, who was found during an operation in the Gulf of America in summer 2024. With more than 10.5 million views (and counting!) it's safe to say this was our top post of all time.

Facebook

The top Facebook post of 2025features one of the most widespread animals and recognizable species on Earth-the killer whale. These animals have long been considered one worldwide species, with different regional "ecotypes." But scientists from NOAA Fisheries and universities assembled evidence that two ecotypes in the North Pacific Ocean-Bigg's and resident-are actually separate species.

Aerial images comparing the sizes of adult male Bigg's and Resident killer whales, both taken in the Salish Sea off southern Vancouver Island. Images are scaled to lengths calculated during health research by SR3 SeaLife Response, Rehabilitation and Research. Images were collected by John Durban and Holly Fearnbach using a non-invasive drone authorized by research permit 19091 issued by the US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

New research reveals full diversity of killer whales as two species come into view on Pacific Coast

LinkedIn

Ever wondered what NOAA Fisheries does? We explained it on LinkedIn: We're responsible for the stewardship of our ocean resources and their habitat. We ensure U.S. fisheries are productive and sustainable, we restore healthy habitats, and we protect the marine life you care about. Watch the video to see it all in action!