Skip to content

OUR OCEAN. OUR PLANET. OUR FUTURE.®

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is the world's premier independent organization dedicated exclusively to ocean research, technology, and education. We combine state-of-the-art science, engineering, and ship operations to unravel the mysteries of the deep and devise science-based solutions to planet-wide problems.

🌡️🌏🌊 Global warming is ocean warming. That's not only bad for animals like coral and fish: it has the potential to change how ocean currents distribute heat and nutrients around the globe. ⁠
⁠
So, just how much additional heat from the atmosphere has been taken up by the ocean since the 1850s? Share your best guess in the comments and we'll enter you in a raffle to become a #WHOI member –and get our latest Psychedelic Jellyfish T-shirt! ⁠
⁠
Already a member, or just want to support our ocean research? Sign up at the 🔗 in our profile!
Over the past few decades, #WHOI oceanographers have noticed that the #GulfStream is changing: warming more quickly than the global ocean and gradually shifting closer to shore. Scientists are actively studying how this trend could affect coastal fisheries and fuel tropical storms. ⁠
⁠
But could this crucial #current– which is responsible for the moderate climate in New England and Western Europe– actually shut down? ⁠
⁠
Get the facts from our Ocean Fact-Checker! You can read or listen at the link in bio!⁠
⁠
📹 from @nasa's Scientific Visualization Studio⁠
⁠
🦠🌍️ 🦐 Each spring in the Northern Hemisphere, #phytoplankton proliferate so feverishly that the green and brown blooms can be seen from outer space. Like leaves unfurling across a forest canopy, springtime bloom signals the end of winter dormancy and unleashes a feeding frenzy across the marine #foodweb. ⁠
⁠
It all starts with the #currents and #eddies that send nutrients up to the surface from the seafloor. Triggered by the sudden abundance of elements like iron and nitrogen, the phytoplankton bloom attracts zooplankton, followed by larger and larger fish, squid, and marine mammals. ⁠
⁠
🐟️ How much do commercial fisheries depend on this nutrient #upwelling along the coasts? 📲 Share your best guess in the comments and we'll enter you in a raffle to become a #WHOI member– and get our latest Psychedelic Jellyfish T-shirt! ⁠
⁠
(Already a member, or just want to support our ocean research? You can become a member or gift a membership at the 🔗 in our profile!)
Feels gooey, does a lot of good. #Salps are critical transporters of carbon to the deep sea– and a spectacle to behold in large blooms. ⁠
⁠
🏊🏼‍♀️Join Oceanus writer Hannah Piecuch as she swims through an “underwater starfield” of these jelly-like creatures.⁠
⁠
📲 Listen to (or read) the rest of the story at the 🔗 in our profile!⁠
⁠
📸 by Heather Hamilton @cornwallunderwater⁠
⁠
The #GulfStream is a major current that runs from the Florida Strait and along the US East Coast. Around Cape Cod, MA (where we’re located), it veers east and across the Atlantic toward Europe. Some of the flow continues northward to subpolar latitudes, where it cools and sinks as part of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (aka #AMOC ). ⁠
⁠
⛵️Sailors have long used the Gulf Stream’s average 4-knot flow to aid their northerly course. How much of a boost could that give them? 🤔⁠
⁠
📲 Share your best guess in the comments and we'll enter you in a raffle to become a #WHOI member– and get an awesome Psychedelic Jellyfish T-shirt! 🌀👕🪼⁠
⁠
(Already a member, or just want to support our ocean research? You can become a member or gift a membership at the 🔗 in our bio!)

OUR WORK

WHOI is at the forefront of groundbreaking science and technology development, unlocking the mysteries of our ocean, its connections to life on Earth, and solutions it may hold to some of our most pressing environmental challenges.

Our scientists and engineers lead more than 800 concurrent projects, tackling some of the most challenging and important problems of our time, from climate change and ocean pollution to sustainable food and energy production.

We operate a fleet of research vessels and vehicles, including two large ships (R/V Neil Armstrong and R/V Atlantis), a smaller coastal research vessel, the iconic human-occupied submersible Alvin, and dozens of other underwater robots.

Through our higher education programs, including the prestigious MIT-WHOI Joint Program, we train new generations of ocean scientists, engineers, and leaders-providing access to cutting edge facilities and unparalleled access to the sea.

WHOI plays a leading role in ocean communications, sharing our insights and knowledge about the ocean to the general public, policymakers, educators, and more, so we can make wise decisions about our ocean, our planet, and our future.

KNOW YOUR OCEAN

The ocean covers more than 2/3 of Earth's surface and is a fundamental reason why life exists on Earth-but yet many know so little about it. Dive in to learn more about our ocean planet.

EXPLORE WITH US

For nearly a century, WHOI has been one of the best known and most trusted names in ocean science and exploration. Become a part of the research that shapes our understanding of the ocean, our planet, and life on Earth.