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.
RECENT NEWS
30 by 30: How do we get there?
Researchers contribute to a bold initiative to conserve 30% of the global ocean by 2030
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🌡️🌏🌊 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!
Sep 28
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
Sep 28
⛵️🏊🏽🛟 Sailors and swimmers know how important it is to "stay current" on the tides and wind in order to use the water`s flow to their advantage. But how do sea creatures use these super-highways of the sea?
👉🏾Swipe for the sea turtle-eye view of the food, fashion, travel, and family connections provided by fabulous ocean #currents!
🎨 by @n.renier, 🖊️ by @hannahesea © #WHOI Creative
Sep 27
🦠🌍️ 🦐 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!)
Sep 27
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
Sep 26
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!)
Sep 26
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.
FEATURED PROJECTS
We have over 1,000 scientists, engineers, technicians, and support staff working around the globe and cutting edge laboratories to push the boundaries of knowledge about the ocean.
Ocean and Climate Innovation Accelerator
Bringing together industry, academia, and philanthropy to develop and accelerate new climate change solutions.
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
Reef Solutions
Working to protect corals and reverse the global decline of reef ecosystems