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WHOI Scientists Test Prototype Water-Level Sensor

Water-Level Sensor

Did you know 43% of Massachusetts’ population lives in a coastal community? WHOI researchers are working to help them protect their futures with the creation of a low-cost water-level sensor. Two prototypes are currently being tested alongside NOAA tidal gauges. Once they confirm they’re working properly, data will be publicly available to help cities and towns plan with resiliency planning.

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Do all plastics degrade the same?

A straw in the ocean

Plastic pollution is widely recognized as a huge problem for marine ecosystems and human health, but the lack of alternatives makes it hard to minimize its impacts. That’s why #WHOI scientists, in partnership with Eastman Chemical, have created a prototype for a new type of plastic straw derived from wood. A new study published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering shows these cellulose diacetate straws break down even faster than paper. One of the study’s authors WHOI scientist Collin Ward says this research emphasizes the importance of partnerships between industry and academia when it comes to keeping pollutants out of the ocean.

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The Arctic Ocean Ecosystem

arctic ecosystem

Despite the harsh weather and the ice cover, the Arctic Ocean is teeming with life. It has a complex but abundance ecosystem that supports large predators such as walruses, polar […]

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Fast-Spreading Mid-Ocean Ridge

fast spreading ridges

Faster spreading ridges like the northern and southern East Pacific Rise are “hotter,” meaning more magma is present beneath the ridge axis and more volcanic eruptions occur. Because the plate […]

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Slow-Spreading Mid-Ocean Ridge

slow spreading ridges

Slow spreading ridges like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge generally have large, wide rift valleys, sometimes as big as 10-20 km wide and very rugged terrain at the ridge crest that can […]

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Vents Around the World

vents around the world

Sources:

InterRidge Vents Database Version 2.0, credit: S.E. Beaulieu, 2010, InterRidge Global Database of Active Submarine Hydrothermal Vent Fields: prepared for InterRidge, Version 2.0. World Wide Web electronic publication; Beaulieu, Stace […]

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