Atlantic Ocean Coverage

Melting sea ice slows Atlantic Ocean currents; warmer water stays offshore to raise storm risk for the Carolinas

A new study led by a University of Maryland researcher has found that the Atlantic Ocean currents are slowing down.

Mike Maze, WRAL meteorologist

Melting ice in the arctic = weather and storm changes here

Melting arctic ice is changing our rain and storm chances here at home! Join WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze in WRAL's augmented reality studio to see and learn - for yourself!

2023 Atlantic Hurricane season ending: Above-average season fueled by strong El Niño, record-warm ocean temps

The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season officially ends Thursday. The season was above average, with 19 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

Mark Bergin, WRAL senior multiplatform producer

2023 Atlantic hurricane season ends Thursday

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. There were 20 storms overall and 19 named storms in 2023, which is the fourth-highest total since 1950.

Connecticut man dies after getting pulled into the Atlantic in Nags Head

A 36-year-old man from Connecticut died after being pulled from the Atlantic Ocean in Nags Head.

WRAL Staff

Scientists aim to make it easier for people and sharks to coexist

A great white shark weighing over 1,400 pounds was one of six great whites tracked off the coast this week. On WRAL, we spoke with a scientist who's aiming to make it possible for people and the apex predator to coexist.

Great White Shark Breton, one of six great whites, tracked off the coast of North Carolina

Breton is a mature male shark that is 13 feet, 3 inches long and weighs 1,437 pounds. It is one of six that have been tracked Wednesday.

Jordan Gartner, WITN News

More fecal bacteria in oceans after storms

North Carolina's beaches could be brimming with bacteria due to aging infrastructure. Researchers at the Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City said they are seeing more fecal matter indicator bacteria in ocean water.

Beachgoers beware: Climate change may be increasing fecal bacteria at North Carolina beaches

Aging storm drains along the east coast are further deteriorating due to rising sea levels and higher high tides that push saltwater into the pipes, corroding them and mixing sewage with stormwater runoff.

Liz McLaughlin, WRAL climate change reporter

300,000 tires found in Wrightsville Beach delays renourishment

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers found about 300,000 tires of an old reef. In the 1970s, the Division of Marine Fisheries placed more than 600,000 tires in the waters off the Carolina coast.

Trio of great white sharks pinged off NC coast

Three great white sharks were pinged off the coast of North Carolina by the data-collecting organization OCEARCH, one of which was the largest male shark to be tagged by OCEARCH in Canadian waters, according to the ocean research agency that tags and tracks sharks around the world.

How to prep for hurricane season

Today is the first day of hurricane season, and a good time to make sure you're prepared for an emergency. Power outages are all too common during storms but there are deadly mistakes you'll want to avoid.

Hurricane season is officially underway

June first marks the official start to the Atlantic hurricane season. This year, we are expected to have another above-normal season.

Aimee Wilmoth, WRAL meteorologist

Florida braces for rain from Hurricane Eta, Theta moves away from US

Eta strengthened back into a hurricane on Wednesday but is unlikely to bring rain to North Carolina, according to WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner.

WRAL Severe Weather Center

Hurricane Epsilon makes a 'wobbly' northwest turn in the Atlantic

Hurricane Epsilon continued to churn toward Bermuda on Thursday afternoon after making what the National Hurricane Center called a "wobbly" turn toward the northwest.

Derrick Bryson Taylor and Johnny Diaz, New York Times

Tropical Storm Gamma weakens as it moves over Yucatan Peninsula

After a small break from tracking the tropics, there are two disturbances heating up near the Yucatan Peninsula.

WRAL Severe Weather Center

Tropical Storm Josephine forms in the Atlantic, isn't expected to impact land

Tropical Storm Josephine formed in the Atlantic on Thursday morning. This system is the earliest forming "J-storm" on record. The previous record held by a J-storm was one that formed on August 22 in 2005.

Elizabeth Gardner, WRAL meteorologist

Warmer ocean temperatures making for an active hurricane season

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season started fast and continues to progress at record pace.

Zach Maloch, WRAL meteorologist

Man sails from Portugal to Argentina to be reunited with parents

A man in Portugal sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to be with his elderly parents during the coronavirus lockdown.

Trackers show sharks in NC sounds

Ironbound, a 12-foot white shark, was swimming off Bald Head Island Monday afternoon after having pinged Sunday night in Pamlico Sound.

12 feet, 1,000 pounds: Great white shark tracked along Carolina coast

Ironbound, a 12-foot white shark, was swimming off Bald Head Island Monday afternoon after having pinged Sunday night in Pamlico Sound.

Anniversary of first radio transmission across Atlantic that happened at Outer Banks

Dec. 12, 1901 marks the date of the first radio transmission across the Atlantic by Reginald Fessenden. Scott Mason, our Tar Heel Traveler, tells us more about Fessenden and his accomplishment.

Dorian's winds tear at flag on Frying Pan Tower

Explore.org provides a livestream of the Frying Pan Tower flag, which is 39 miles southeast of Southport, NC, along the state's southern coast.

Microplastics discovered in 'extreme' concentrations in the North Atlantic

Within the Atlantic Ocean is the world's only sea without shores, its borders defined by the currents of the North Atlantic gyre. The Sargasso Sea takes its name from sargassum, a free-floating golden brown seaweed that is a haven for hatchling sea turtles and hundreds of other marine species who use it to feed, grow and hide from predators. But the sargassum is now home to objects wholly unnatural too.

By Arwa Damon and Brice Laine, CNN

Studies demystify sharks off NC coast

Scientists aboard the MV Ocearch track, trap, test and release sharks along the eastern seaboard.