WHOI technician Jefferson Grau inspects a new Alvin viewport (window) to make sure it doesn’t contain bubbles or inclusions such as bits of dirt, which could cause the viewport to crack under the extreme pressure of the deep sea. As part of a major upgrade, the research submersible is being outfitted with more and bigger windows to give the pilots, researchers, and observers a better look at the watery world they will visit. (Photo by Matthew Barton, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
New research helps explain the mechanisms at work behind historical patterns of aridity in eastern Africa, and the findings may help improve future predictions in the region.
A group of MIT-WHOI Joint Program students connected scientists and artists in an experiment in science communication. The resulting exhibit opens at Boston's Museum of Science on February 16.
Private philanthropy has transformed WHOI since its founding in 1930. Our annual Report of Unrestricted Giving (pdf) offers a brief glimpse into how generosity fuels advances in science.