Another Day in Paradise

Scientists and crew enjoyed the sunset near Woleai Atoll in Micronesia, several hundred miles south of Guam, during the last week of October. Researchers from WHOI, the University of Hawai’i, and the University of Maryland were in the midst of a month-long expedition to gain a better understanding of little-known coral reefs in the region. They planned to drill core samples of large corals, analyze the geochemistry of the seawater, study the microbes living in or on the corals, and assess the health of the corals. At Woleai Atoll they met with villagers, who are skilled fishermen with detailed knowledge of the reefs.(Photo by Konrad Hughen, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)