Ocean = Life
The ocean is life, and it belongs to everyone. It gives us oxygen and food and millions of jobs. It brings joy and shapes our climate and weather. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is the world’s independent leader in ocean discovery, exploration, and education, working to understand and sustain one of humanity’s most precious common resources. Join us today for our ocean, our planet, and our future.
What happens to marine life when oxygen is scarce?
A new study co-led by WHOI postdoctoral scholar Maggie Johnson looks closely at the changes occurring in both coral reef and microbial communities near Bocas del Toro during sudden hypoxic events, which occur when there is little to no oxygen in a given area of water.
Read
Read 
NEWS
Review Evaluates the Evidence for an Intensifying Indian Ocean Water Cycle
Sharks and the ocean’s twilight zone: Some female great white sharks can deep dive for hours
Rare, ghostly glass octopus photographed on recent Pacific Ocean expedition
Slurry Of Clay Used To Fight Against Florida's Deathly "Red Tide"
Large vessels failing to obey speed limits to protect endangered whales, report finds
Shop WHOI
All proceeds go to ocean science.
Featured Projects
We invest in bold people with transformative ideas to make an impact. Explore our projects.
Ocean Twilight Zone
Exploring the globe-spanning region beneath the sunlit upper ocean where life thrives
Ocean Worlds
Discovering the links between life in our ocean and the search for life beyond Earth
Marine Microplastics Initiative
Investigating the fate of microplastics and their impacts on marine life and human health
Super Reefs
Searching for corals around the world to help ensure a future for reefs in a warming ocean
Ocean Observatories Initiative
The NSF-funded program measures physical, chemical, geological and biological properties from the seafloor to the air-sea interface.
HADEX
Research and exploration of the deepest parts of the ocean, Earth’s final frontier
“We need to respect the oceans and take care of them as if our lives depended on it. Because they do.”
