Ocean Topics
Ocean and human lives collage. Illustration by Natalie Renier, ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The oceans are critical to human flourishing: they feed and sustain billions of people, and make life as we know it possible.
Study the entwined life of humanity and the sea—the impacts of natural disasters, pollution, and harmful algal blooms. Learn how scientists locate shipwrecks, lost planes, and other human artifacts to unearth a historical record and study how ocean life colonizes these materials.
All Topics on Ocean & Human Lives
Harmful Algae & Red Tides
Tiny plants pose a potent threat to those who live in and eat from the sea.
Natural Disasters
Our ocean planet is dynamic and constantly changing, sometimes resulting in dramatic threats to humans.
Ocean Culture & History
The role of the ocean in human culture is profound, as people experience the sea in many ways, and respond with literature, art, and scientific investigation.
Pollution
Substances used or spread by humans, such as oil, radiation, plastics, and agricultural and residential waste enter the ocean and cause harmful effects.
Underwater Archaeology
Wreckage of ships and airplanes underwater are difficult to find, survey, and study.
Harmful Algae & Red Tides 
Natural Disasters 
Ocean Culture & History 
Pollution 
Underwater Archaeology