The continental shelf is a gently sloping and relatively flat extension of a continent that is covered by the oceans. Seaward, the shelf ends abruptly at the shelf break, the boundary that separates the shelf from the continental slope. The shelf...

The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain, which is covered during interglacial periods such as the current epoch by relatively shallow seas (known as shelf seas) and...

It has been a while since anyone could say the sun never sets on the British Empire. But Britain is again trying to extend its reach — this time to potentially lucrative seabeds in the Antarctic and the Atlantic Ocean.The land grab is part of...

A U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker is headed to the Arctic to map the sea floor off Alaska, as Russia, Denmark and Canada assert their claims in the polar region, which has potential oil and gas reserves.The lead scientist on the expedition scoffs at the political...

Scientists taking a new look at old videotapes of the muddy seafloors off southern Oregon found that places showing tracks from the nets of fishing trawlers had fewer numbers and kinds of fish than areas that were undisturbed.Other studies worldwide have documented the damage bottom...

The Reagan-era "Law of the Sea" treaty was primed for its first-ever Senate vote, boosted by strong support from the Bush administration and an emphatic vote of approval Wednesday by the Foreign Relations Committee.With Senate ratification, the United States would join 155 nations that are...