Research Highlights
Biology Dept.
June 1, 2013
Acidifying oceans could spell trouble for squid
New study reveals more acid seas could alter early development of Atlantic longfin squid
SOURCE: News Release
May 21, 2013
Tangled Up in Fishing Gear
What scientists learned from a right whale named Eg 3911
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
May 15, 2013
Art Meets Science in a Book called Bloom
Scientist tries her hand at distilling research into poetry
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
May 7, 2013
New Robotic Instruments to Provide Real-Time Data on Gulf of Maine Red Tide
Deployment could lead transformation of toxic HAB monitoring
SOURCE: News Release
April 22, 2013
Experts Call for Network to Monitor Marine Biodiversity
Observations could warn of threats to ecosystems on which humans depend
SOURCE: News Release
April 19, 2013
Decoding the Mystery Fish
Scientists delve into the genome of the African coelacanth
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
April 10, 2013
Research Enables Fishermen to Harvest Lucrative Shellfish on Georges Bank
SOURCE: News Release
March 25, 2013
Researchers Issue Forecast for 'Moderate' New England Red Tide in 2013
SOURCE: News Release
February 22, 2013
The Synergy Project, Part II
More videos on collaborations among artists and scientists
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 15, 2013
The Synergy Project
A co-laboratory experiment among scientists and artists
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 8, 2013
Seismic Studies Capture Whale Calls
New software could reveal songs amid the sounds
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 1, 2013
Bacteria Hitchhike on Tiny Marine Life
Why do pathogens settle on animals called copepods?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 24, 2013
A Day in the Life of a Phytoplankter
A conversation with WHOI biologist Sam Laney
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
October 23, 2012
Genetic Patterns of Deep-Sea Coral Provide Insights into Evolution of Marine Life
Patterns Also Shed Light on How Environmental Disturbances Affect Aquatic Organisms
SOURCE: News Release
October 5, 2012
What Is the Sound of 130 Wind Turbines Turning?
Researchers record undersea sound at offshore wind farm site
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 19, 2012
WHOI Scientists and Engineers Partner with World-Renowned Companies to Market Revolutionary New Instruments
SOURCE: News Release
June 25, 2012
Brown Tides and Redfielders
Scientists probe the inner workings of harmful algae
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
June 7, 2012
Beneath Arctic Ice, Life Blooms Spectacularly
Pools of water atop ice act as lenses to focus sunlight
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
May 25, 2012
Ocean Explorers Probe Gulf of Mexico
Shipwrecks, cold seeps, and corals among the finds
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
April 25, 2012
Exhibit Spotlights Sea Butterflies
Scientist and sculptress share love of charismatic microfauna
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
April 17, 2012
Fats In Whales' Heads May Help Them Hear
Study shows first evidence for auditory fats in baleen whales
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
April 4, 2012
Are Jellyfish Populations Increasing?
... and other WHOI research news
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 12, 2012
Clues in Shark Vertebrae Reveal Where They've Been
Scientists take advantage of a silver lining in mushroom clouds
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 5, 2012
Whale Heads and Tales
A student probes the mysteries of whales' hearing
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
December 14, 2011
The Latest Fashion in Bowhead Whale Songs
Why do cetacean crooners change their tunes?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
November 4, 2011
Into the Dark and Ice
First winter voyage to Chukchi and Bering Seas launched
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
October 20, 2011
A Drop in the Ocean is Teeming with Life
Scientists reveal hidden relationships among marine microbes
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
September 1, 2011
Shifting Sands and Bacteria on the Beach
Does ever-moving sand transport microbes along with it?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
May 5, 2011
Life and Death in the Deep Sea
Does the Gulf oil spill threaten vital seafloor communities?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
April 8, 2011
Does Oil Affect Animals' Cellular Machinery?
Scientists investigate genes activated by contaminants
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 10, 2011
Recycling Rare, Essential Nutrients in the Sea
Key marine bacterium appears to thrive by reusing scarce iron
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
November 10, 2010
Are Whales 'Shouting' to be Heard?
Whale calls get louder as noise levels rise in the ocean
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
October 22, 2010
Volunteer Gets an Oceanful of Experience
Student becomes immersed in expedition to find new deep-sea species
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
October 15, 2010
Scientists Find that Squid Can Detect Sounds
We knew they taste good, but how well do they 'hear'?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
September 17, 2010
Tracking a Trail of Oil Droplets
WHOI devices create ways to see tiny things in a big ocean
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
August 13, 2010
Salps Catch the Ocean's Tiniest Organisms
Oh, what remarkably built internal mucus nets they weave
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 16, 2010
A Torrent of Crabs Running to the Sea
A student uncovers the natural history of a little-known species
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
June 5, 2010
Holography and Oceanography
An audio slideshow on a new way to use lasers to reveal tiny sea life
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 19, 2010
The Squid, the Whale, and the Grad Student
A young scientist deciphers meaning embedded in sonar signals
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
December 31, 2009
The Mysterious Movements of Deep-Sea Larvae
How do the tiny progeny of seafloor animals disperse through the ocean?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
December 11, 2009
Dye Sheds Light on Jet-Propelled Salps
A graduate student reveals locomotion in the ocean
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
November 4, 2009
Having Their Phosphorus and Eating It Too
Plankton's unusual ability may give it an ecological edge
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
October 16, 2009
Voyage to the Remote Phoenix Islands
Eight atolls in the Pacific represent the world's largest marine protected area
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
October 2, 2009
The Hunt for Microbial 'Trojan Horses'
Should we beware of protists bearing pathogens?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 27, 2009
Supreme Court Weighs in on Whales and Sonar
Research offers best way to balance needs of marine mammals and the Navy
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 14, 2009
Turtle Skulls Prove to be Shock-Resistant
Could sea turtles help us design better helmets and body armor for soldiers?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
November 25, 2008
A Most Ingenious Paradoxical Plankton
How do similar organisms co-exist in the same ecological niche?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
November 19, 2008
Shellfish's Mysterious Pathways to Adulthood
A grad student peers into the lives of larvae, before they grow up to be scallops
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
November 13, 2008
A Tag Fit for a Porpoise
Grad students surmount big hurdles to build a device for a small marine mammal
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
October 15, 2008
One Man's Swamp Is a Fish's Nursery
Grad student examines otoliths (fish ear bones) to protect critical areas for juvenile coral reef fish
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
September 17, 2008
The Spiral Secret to Mammal Hearing
... and other recent research findings by WHOI scientists
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
September 3, 2008
Testing the Waters and Closing Beaches
Researchers seek faster, better ways to detect harmful bacteria
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
August 26, 2008
Biochemical Warfare on the Reef
In a co-evolutionary struggle, invertebrate adversaries develop weapon and counter-weapon
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
August 21, 2008
Sea Life Is Accumulating Pathogens
A wide range of marine animals also contains microbes that are resistant to antibiotics
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 31, 2008
Cytobot Gives Early Red Tide Warning
Automated underwater microscope detects unexpected harmful algal bloom
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 17, 2008
DMS: The Climate Gas You've Never Heard Of
Made by tiny plants in the ocean, dimethylsulfide helps make clouds in the sky
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 17, 2008
Seabirds Use Their Sense of Smell to Find Food
The not-so-sweet smell of a good meal in the ocean is a gas called dimethylsulfide
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 15, 2008
The Sound of Sonar and the Fury about Whale Strandings
Navy and scientists join efforts to learn more about marine mammals' response to sonar
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 7, 2008
Scientists Investigate Mysterious Duck Die-offs
Droves of eider ducks have died in five mass mortalities since 2006 on Cape Cod
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 23, 2008
Melting Ice Threatens Polar Bears' Survival
Decision to put bears on federal endangered species list is imminent
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
August 9, 2007
Eavesdropping on Whales' Mealtime Conversation
A graduate student journeys to Norway to investigate how orcas orchestrate their hunt
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
August 7, 2007
Innovative Tagging Technique May Help Protect Fish Stocks
Packard Foundation Grant Allows Researchers to Assess Effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas
SOURCE: News Release
July 12, 2007
Following Whales Up a Creek
A conversation with marine mammal biologist Michael Moore
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 3, 2007
The Deepest Divers
D-tags give scientists in-depth records of whales in the depths
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
June 21, 2007
Explorers to Use New Robotic Vehicles to Hunt for Life and Hydrothermal Vents on Arctic Seafloor
Researchers will probe the Gakkel Ridge during expedition that begins on July 1
SOURCE: News Release
June 21, 2007
What Does It Take To Break a Whale?
Stress tests on whale bones aim to help endangered species
SOURCE: null
June 20, 2007
What Does It Take To Break a Whale?
Stress tests on whale bones aim to help endangered species
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 16, 2007
Would a Hagfish By Any Other Name Smell as Sweet?
A new species, Epatretus strickrotti, is named for the Alvin pilot who captured it
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 12, 2007
Deep-sea Tubeworms Get Versatile 'Inside' Help
Scientists find first known organism that makes organic carbon by two different means
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
November 13, 2006
Sea Urchin Genome Yields New Understanding of "Chemical Defensome"
SOURCE: News Release
October 27, 2006
What Other Tales Can Coral Skeletons Tell?
Scientists strive to get into the genes of fossil corals to extract their evolutionary history
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
September 7, 2006
Legions of Legionella Bacteria
Scientists find a surprising number of microbes in the sea
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
August 30, 2006
New 'Eyes' Size Up Scallop Populations
The HabCam undersea camera system can help assess seafloor fish stocks
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
August 29, 2006
Island Ferries Take on Role of Research Vessels Collecting Data about Nantucket Sound
SOURCE: News Release
August 23, 2006
Lullaby for Larvae
A WHOI biologist becomes a midwife for Antarctic deep-sea corals
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 25, 2006
Ocean Microscope Reveals Surprising Abundance of Life
Widespread bacterial colonies may play crucial role in ocean ecosystem
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 14, 2006
Voyage Takes a Census of Life in the Sea
Scientists net a wealth of tiny marine animals, including species never seen before
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
June 30, 2006
Transparent Animal May Play Overlooked Role in the Ocean
Swarming by the billions, gelatinous salps transport tons of carbon to the depths
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
June 14, 2006
The Chicken and the Tern
Why is one bird species much more sensitive to dioxin poisoning?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
June 5, 2006
Abandoned Walrus Calves Reported in the Arctic
Melting sea ice may be forcing mothers to strand their pups in deep water
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
May 11, 2006
Mass Strandings Keep New Marine Mammal Facility Busy
In its first season, WHOI lab becomes a hub for cetacean research
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 29, 2006
Caught in the Middle of the Marine Mammal Protection Act
A law designed to protect animals sometimes hinders research that could help them
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 22, 2006
What Brings the Food that Brings the Whales?
Scientists investigate delicately balanced ecosystem off Alaska
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 10, 2006
Graduate Student Discovers an Unusual New Species
Unlike other magnetotactic bacteria, the "barbell" bacterium heads in its own direction
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 20, 2006
To Find Whales, Follow Their Food
WHOI biologist employs an array of tools to reveal right whale feeding habits and habitats
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 19, 2006
Diving into the Right Whale Gene Pool
What is compromising the endangered species' ability to reproduce?
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 17, 2006
Doing the Right Thing for the Right Whale
WHOI Right Whale Initiative accelerates research to help conserve an endangered species
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
October 24, 2005
Scientific (and Surfing) Safari
On and off the job, a MIT/WHOI graduate student displays his passion for the ocean
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
October 17, 2005
A Mysterious Disease Is Infecting Northeast Clam Beds
...But a new technique is revealing the secrets of QPX ('Quahog Parasite Unknown')
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
October 11, 2005
Finding Nemo...and Other Endangered Fish
A new method to tag and track fish will help protect threatened species
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
October 7, 2005
Cold Comfort for Barnacles
Researchers are surprised to find that frozen barnacle larvae can revive
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
September 19, 2005
Big Whale, Big Sharks, Big Stink
R/V Tioga sent into action to perform whale necropsy at sea
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 28, 2005
A Whale Expert is Called in to Decipher Odd Elephant Calls
WHOI biologist's expertise in marine mammal communication proves useful in studies of other large (albeit terrestrial) mammals
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 15, 2005
Red Tide—Gone for Now, But Back Next Year?
WHOI researchers extend investigations of the Alexandrium bloom of 2005 and look for signs of future trouble
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
July 8, 2005
Settling on the Seafloor
Deep in the ocean, larvae search for 'home, sweet home'
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
June 28, 2005
On the Seafloor, a Parade of Roses
A third generation of scientists finds the third generation of hydrothermal vent sites
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
June 1, 2005
Seeing Red in New England Waters
WHOI researchers detect a massive bloom of algae before it hits the coast
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
June 1, 2005
Sensors to Make Sense of the Sea
An expanding variety of sensors is changing they way we monitor dynamic ocean systems
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
May 26, 2005
Risks and Remedies from the Sea
Scientists team up to study the ocean's effect on health
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
May 25, 2005
Down to the Sea on (Gene) Chips
The genomics revolution is transforming the way scientists can study life in the oceans
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
April 25, 2005
Voyages into the Antarctic Winter
Pioneering cruises into the pack ice of the Southern Ocean reveal secrets of its fertile ecosystem
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
April 19, 2005
How to See What Whales Hear
Biomedical imaging reveals new insights into marine mammal ears
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
April 7, 2005
Big Trouble from Little Squirts
WHOI scientist investigates a troublesome invasive species
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 16, 2005
Run Deep, But Not Silent
A new tagging device lets scientists 'go along for the ride' into the underwater world of whales
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 16, 2005
Playing Tag with Whales
Engineers overcome nightmarish specifications to create a dream instrument
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 11, 2005
Little Things Matter A Lot
Overlooked in the ocean until the 1970s, cyanobacteria are among Earth's most important organisms
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 15, 2005
Tracking Fish to Save Them
The Reef Fish Connectivity and Conservation Initiative
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
February 7, 2005
Coral Gardens in the Dark Depths
Scientists seek to learn more about these abundant, fragile, and now-threatened communities
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 27, 2005
New Instrument Sheds Light on Bioluminescence
A WHOI engineer invents a device to measure a critical but elusive ocean phenomenon
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 19, 2005
Can We Catch More Fish and Still Preserve the Stock?
Mathematical analyses offer new insights into age-old controversies on fishing restriction
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 14, 2005
A Fatal Attraction for Harmful Algae
Clay sticks to algae and sinks, offering a potential solution to an expensive and deadly problem
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
January 11, 2005
Rites of Passage for Juvenile Marine Life
Learning from the life-or-death journeys of barnacle, lobster, and clam larvae
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
November 12, 2004
The Growing Problem of Harmful Algae
Tiny plants pose potent threat to those who live in and eat from the sea
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
November 4, 2004
Scientists Muster to Help Right Whales
With time running out, an ambitious research plan is launched for an endangered species
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
November 3, 2004
Whither the North Atlantic Right Whale?
Scientists explore many facets of whales' lives to help species on the edge of extinction
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
October 25, 2004
Revealing the Ocean's Invisible Abundance
Scientists develop new instruments to study microbes at the center of the ocean food web
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
October 15, 2004
Shedding Light on Light in the Ocean
New research is illuminating an optically complex environment
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
September 15, 2004
Life in the Arctic Ocean
A unique, complex food web is fashioned by distinctive species and environmental factors
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
August 27, 2004
The Secret Lives of Fish
Scientists learn to read the 'diary' recorded in the ear bones of fish
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
June 23, 2004
Mixing Oil and Water
Tracking the sources and impacts of oil pollution in the marine environment
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
April 12, 2004
Is Life Thriving Deep Beneath the Seafloor?
Recent discoveries hint at a potentially huge and diverse subsurface biosphere
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
March 22, 2004
The Evolutionary Puzzle of Seafloor Life
Scientists are assembling critical pieces to reconstruct the history of life on the ocean floor
SOURCE: Oceanus magazine
December 1, 1998
Deep-Sea Diaspora
The LARVE Project Explores How Species Migrate from Vent to Vent