Climbing High

WHOI physical oceanographer Anthony Kirincich climbs a ladder up the Air-Sea Interaction Tower at the Martha’s Vineyard Coastal Observatory (MCVO). WHOI operates the MCVO, which collects and provides real-time coastal oceanographic and meteorological information for researchers, students, and the general public. Kirincich was scaling the tower to service its laser-based (LiDAR) remote wind measurement system. WHOI is partnering with the State of Massachusetts to collect observations of wind far above the sea surface—critical information to assess the potential of offshore wind energy as a source of electricity for the state. (Photo by Sean Patrick Whelan, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)