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Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
Climate Hero: The Ocean’s Super-Powered Carbon Pump
Learn about the biological carbon pump—the living ocean’s role in moving carbon out of the atmosphere and into the depths.
Video
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
How are seashells made?
One of the most striking features of our beaches is seashells. Their whorls, curves, and shiny iridescent insides are the remains of animals. But where do they come from?
Virtual Series
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
Ocean Encounters: Geology Rocks!
Curious about Earth’s inner workings? Meet three geologists with unique careers studying quakes, volcanoes, and the planet beneath our feet.
Video
Multimedia | Ocean & Human Lives
How does the ocean impact hurricanes?
Hurricanes unleash powerful winds, rain, and storm surges on land—but they also stir the ocean, disrupting ecosystems and impacting marine life and currents.
Virtual Series
Multimedia | Ocean Life
Ocean Encounters: Small but Mighty
Microscopic marine life plays a huge role in our ocean—fueling food webs, shaping climate, and offering clues to life’s origins.
Virtual Series
Multimedia | Seafloor & Below
Ocean Encounters: Volcanoes
Learn about volcanoes on the seafloor, the insights they’re revealing, and how they impact our ocean planet.
Video
Multimedia | Ocean Life
Illuminating the Seafloor
Teamwork between a deep-sea robot and a human-occupied submarine led to the discovery of five new hydrothermal vents on the seafloor of the eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean.
Video
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
Investigating the world of microbes with ROV Jason
At Axial Seamount, WHOI scientists filmed vibrant life at deep-sea vents-ecosystems powered by chemosynthetic microbes in total darkness.
Video
Multimedia | Twilight Zone
Rare look at animals in the ocean twilight zone
The ocean is vast, so scientists use two ocean robots to better spot and study elusive creatures from the deep, dark twilight zone.
Video
Multimedia | RMS Titanic
Alvin visits the wreck of the Titanic
Rare, uncut footage from 1986 shows Titanic’s wreck for the first time since 1912—captured by Alvin and Jason Junior, and largely unreleased until now.
Video
Multimedia | Marine Mammals
Tangled Up in Fishing Gear
What scientists learned from a right whale named Eg 3911.
Virtual Series
Multimedia | Ocean Tech
Ocean Encounters: Titanic and Beyond
From the Titanic’s discovery in 1985 to the present day, deep-sea imaging has evolved, revealing breathtaking discoveries from the deep ocean and outer space.
Video
Multimedia | Ocean Tech
Ocean Encounters: An Ocean of Sound
The ocean echoes with sounds from animals and humans alike. Discover how scientists decode these signals to protect marine life and restore habitats.
Virtual Series
Multimedia | Ocean & Human Lives
Ocean Encounters: Cities and the Sea
Join us as we explore impacts, adaptations, and new possibilities in urban ocean regions around the world.
Virtual Series
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
Ocean Encounters: Ice!
Explore icy frontiers on Earth and beyond—discover how life survives, what ice reveals about our past, and where it might lead us next.
Video
Multimedia | Ocean Life
Can multivitamins help save coral reefs?
WHOI scientists are testing “multivitamin” tiles that release trace metals like zinc and manganese to help corals resist heat stress and boost resilience.
Illustrations
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Multimedia | Sustainable Ocean
Radioisotopes Tracking Tuna Migration
Bluefin tuna born before the Fukushima disaster did not have elevated levels of cesium-134, but those caught in August 2011 did.
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean Life
Edible Seaweed
A guide to the seaweeds that might (already) be on your plate.
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean Life
How bacteria achieve a "quorum"
How bacteria achieve a “quorum” to coordinate collective behavior (Illustration by E. Paul Oberlander and Katherine Joyce, WHOI, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean Life
Two subspecies of pilot whales identified
New research reveals that short-finned pilot whales are not one, but two distinct subspecies, changing our understanding of their diversity.
Illustration
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
OTZ Mixing Pump and Migration Pump
Each night, millions of ocean animals migrate upward to feed, then descend at dawn, actively transporting carbon from surface waters to the deep in Earth’s largest animal migration.
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean Tech
Right whale detection mooring operation
To quiet noisy recordings in rough seas, WHOI engineers created a two-tiered mooring. A bungee-like top line absorbs motion, keeping the hydrophone stable below.
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean Tech
Scope and benefits of a "Coastal Carbon Observing Network"
WHOI scientists are working with fishing communities toward a coastal carbon observing network made up of fishing vessels with the latest ocean technologies.
Illustration
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
How Earth got its water
Water likely arrived in the inner solar system early on, flung by gravity from proto-Jupiter via meteorites, according to research on asteroid Vesta.
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean Life
Microbial Life Tree
Genetic analyses trace deep-sea microbes’ diverse metabolic paths across bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes, unveiling life’s complex tree.
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean & Human Lives
Infographic depicting radioactive decay chains
All radioisotopes lose energy by emitting ionizing particles such as neutrons, protons, electrons, or photons. Each change follows a unique timetable, or half-life.
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean Life
Arctic ecosystem
This abundant ecosystem supports large predators like walruses, polar bears, and whales.
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean Chemistry
The Biological Pump
The biological pump converts greenhouse gas that warms Earth climate into organic carbon that is then stored in the depths of the ocean.
Illustration
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
How subterranean water seeps into the continental shelf and into the ocean
When the ice sheets melted, sea levels rose, submerging former coastlines. Aquifers once under land now lie beneath the ocean on the continental shelf.
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean Life
Isochrysis algae to biofuel and jet fuel
Researchers discovered that the algae Isochrysis can produce both biodiesel and jet fuel by utilizing its unique fats, despite its dark, sludgy oil at room temp.
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean Life
Jet Fuel from Algae?
Scientists have explored a way to make two types of fuel—biodiesel and jet fuel from different compounds in a single type of algae.
Illustration
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
The Equatorial Undercurrent
At the equator, trade winds drive a surface current west, while the cooler, nutrient-rich Equatorial Undercurrent creates upwelling near islands.
Interactives
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Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
Plate Boundaries
From earthquakes to hydrothermal vents, see how Earth’s restless plates shape the planet. Click to explore boundaries, fault zones, and seafloor features.
Interactive Science
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
Twilight Zone Basics
The ocean’s twilight zone lies 2001,000 meters deep—cold, dark, and vast. Learn about one of Earth’s largest habitats and a key frontier for ocean science in this interactive.
Interactive Science
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
Vents Around the World
Explore global hydrothermal vents—from mid-ocean ridges to arc volcanoes—and see how confirmed and inferred vents are worldwide.
Interactive Science
Multimedia |
Exploring Ocean Worlds
Ocean worlds may be common in our galaxy. Modeling and exoplanet discoveries suggest many planets could have oceans, some hidden beneath icy shells.
Interactive Science
Multimedia | Ocean Acidification
Carbon Dioxide, Shell Building, and Ocean Acidification
To build shells and skeletons, marine organisms extract calcium ions and carbonate ions from seawater to make shells.
Interactive Science
Multimedia | Fukushima Radiation
ABCs of Radioactivity
Atoms are made of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Radioactive elements, called radioisotopes or radionuclides, are unstable.
Interactive Science
Multimedia | Earthquakes
Interactive Tsunami Guide
Learn what causes tsunamis, how warning systems work, and what to do before, during, and after one strikes to stay safe and protect your loved ones.
Interactive Science
Multimedia | Ocean Life
Antarctic ecosystem
Antarctic animals make their living in the ocean, because the land is too cold, dry, and dark for plants and animals. Explore this unusual ecosystem.
Interactive Science
Multimedia | Ocean & Human Lives
Cyanobacteria Life Cycle
Freshwater cyanobacteria vary widely in morphology and cellular organization, ranging from unicellular to more complex filamentous and colonial structures.
Interactive Science
Multimedia | Ocean & Human Lives
Pseudo nitzchia Life Cycle
Click through the life cycle of Pseudo-nitzschia, a chain-forming diatom that must reproduce sexually to reset its size—and can make a dangerous toxin.
Interactive Science
Multimedia | Ocean & Human Lives
Dinoflagellate Life Cycle
Explore how dinoflagellates such as Alexandrium reproduce by asexual fission: One cell grows and then divides into two cells, then two into four, and so on.
Interactive Science
Multimedia | Ocean Tech
Underwater Vehicles: How much pressure?
Click the numbers to see how pressure increases with depth—and how much force (in pounds per square inch) underwater vehicles and people must withstand.
Interactive Science
Multimedia | Ocean Tech
Underwater Vehicles: How deep can we go?
How deep can we go? Dive into ocean depths from 1 meter to over 10,000. Learn how pressure, light, and tech shape what we can explore—and how we do it.
Infographics
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Multimedia | Sustainable Ocean
Radioisotopes Tracking Tuna Migration
Bluefin tuna born before the Fukushima disaster did not have elevated levels of cesium-134, but those caught in August 2011 did.
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean Life
Edible Seaweed
A guide to the seaweeds that might (already) be on your plate.
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean Life
How bacteria achieve a "quorum"
How bacteria achieve a “quorum” to coordinate collective behavior (Illustration by E. Paul Oberlander and Katherine Joyce, WHOI, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean Tech
Scope and benefits of a "Coastal Carbon Observing Network"
WHOI scientists are working with fishing communities toward a coastal carbon observing network made up of fishing vessels with the latest ocean technologies.
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean & Human Lives
Infographic depicting radioactive decay chains
All radioisotopes lose energy by emitting ionizing particles such as neutrons, protons, electrons, or photons. Each change follows a unique timetable, or half-life.
Illustration
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
Inuktitut Glossary of Ice
Inuit have created an entire lexicon of words for ice, here are a few examples.
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean & Human Lives
Comparison of radioactivity sources in the ocean
The background level of radiation in the ocean varies around the globe. The primary source has been nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific Ocean.
Illustration
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
How subterranean water seeps into the continental shelf and into the ocean
When the ice sheets melted, sea levels rose, submerging former coastlines. Aquifers once under land now lie beneath the ocean on the continental shelf.
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean Life
Jet Fuel from Algae?
Scientists have explored a way to make two types of fuel—biodiesel and jet fuel from different compounds in a single type of algae.
Illustration
Multimedia | Seafloor & Below
How subterranean water seeps into the continental slope
Water from rain, rivers, and the melting bottoms of glaciers percolated into the ground, forming aquifers that flow towards the ocean.
Illustration
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
Two Chemical Roads Diverge in an Open Ocean illustration
An exploration of how and why manganese oxide deposits form in the environment
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean Tech
The Ocean of Things
The digital ocean ecosystem of the future will rely on a network of underwater vehicles, sensors, and communications systems that will be always on and always connected.
Illustration
Multimedia | Ocean Life
Photosynthesis process featuring its light and dark stages
To cope with fluctuating light levels, many phytoplankton have accessory pigments that can change structure and to send more or less energy to choloroplasts.
Images
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Multimedia | Underwater Archaeology
A tale of two schooners
Following a 1902 collision off the Massachusetts coast, the coal schooners Frank A. Palmer and the Louise B. Crary now exist as one intertwined wreck, captured by here side-scan sonar in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.
Image
Multimedia | Marine Mammals
Spitsbergen Walruses
While observing walrus from the shore of Amsterdam Island in Spitsbergen, Norway, several males kept coming closer to the photographer, Aurora Lampson.
Image
Multimedia | Glaciers & Ice Sheets
A transient iceberg kingdom meanders through the Southern Ocean
Icebergs drift by the Rothera Station in Antarctica during the final cruise of of the Diapycnal and Isopycnal Mixing Experiment in the Southern Ocean (DIMES) project aboard the British icebreaker RRS James Clark Ross
Image
Multimedia | Hydrothermal Vents
Holiday Dive
Happily working through the holidays: Alvin, shown here at the vent site more than 2000 meters (1.25 miles) below the surface being piloted by Alvin program manager Bruce Strickrott.
Image
Multimedia | Twilight Zone
A pop of red in the twilight zone
This bejeweled beauty is a strawberry squid (Histioteuthis reversa), sampled from the ocean twilight zone, a mysterious stratum of the ocean between the sunlit surface layer and extending down to about 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) deep.
Image
Multimedia | Benthic Life
Brisingids sea stars are the velcro of the deep sea
This festive collection of bright orange filter-feeding brisingid sea stars and scavenging sea urchins were…
Image
Multimedia |
Teeming with Life
A close-up view of an Acropora coral reveals small individual coral polyps (the small, button-like…
Image
Multimedia | Ocean Tech
Good Omen
“I think it was a good omen, as everything has gone smoothly so far,” said…
Image
Multimedia |
Playing Tag with Sharks
Whale sharks and other large fish such as rays, tuna, and swordfish roam our oceans,…
Image
Multimedia |
Albert Szent-Györgyi
Albert Szent-Györgyi was a Hungarian-born scientist who spent much of his career at the Marine…
Image
Multimedia | Moorings & Buoys
Sphere implosion
A crushed subsurface flotation sphere is pulled from the Southern Atlantic Ocean in 2018. As…
Image
Multimedia | Corals
Coral Landscape
It’s not a mountain landscape viewed from above. It’s actually Pavona varians, or “corrugated coral,”…
Image
Multimedia |
R/V Atlantis recognized by US Coast Guard
In the early morning hours of October 28, 2022, the WHOI research vessel Atlantis responded…
Image
Multimedia | Alvin
WHOI President and Director Peter de Menocal dives in Alvin
WHOI President and Director Peter de Menocal took his first dive in the research submersible…
Image
Multimedia | Hydrothermal Vents
ROV Jason explores Axial Seamount
During the PROTATAX23 cruise to Axial Seamount off the coast of Oregon, ROV Jason dove…
Maps
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Multimedia | Climate & Weather
One connected global ocean
Watercolored map of the global ocean in the Spilhaus projection with regional labels
Map
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)
Illustrated map of the AMOC, part of global thermohaline circulation, showing warm surface flow, deepwater currents, and key sinking and spreading sites.
Map
Multimedia | Climate & Weather
Radium rising signals arctic change
Arctic map showing vessel track and coastal transport sources for increased Radium levels measured offshore indicating changing climate conditions.
Map
Multimedia | Ocean Tech
Titanic debris-field
First map of Titanic shipwreck debris field, provides a detailed layout of the scattered remains, seafloor/ocean characteristics and existing photographs.
Map
Multimedia | Ocean & Human Lives
Transport of microplastics in the North Atlantic
Global maps illustrating how microplastics may travel through the North Atlantic and Arctic, based on global transport simulations.
Map
Multimedia | Climate & Weather
Cities and sea level impact
2013 map highlighting 20 cities projected to be at risk due to sea level rise.
Map
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
Arctic Ocean currents
Detailed map illustrating Arctic currents and the surrounding sovereign regions in flat projection.
Map
Multimedia | Glaciers & Ice Sheets
Atlantic Ocean currents carrying warm water up to Greenland
3D map illustrating ocean currents in the North Atlantic, combined with seafloor bathymetry.
Map
Multimedia | Coastal Science
Territorial Arctic map
Multiple countries control territories within the Arctic circle, with Russia alone accounting for 53% of the Arctic coastline.
Map
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
Boundaries of the Arctic region
Map showing Arctic boundaries including the Arctic Circle, tree line, July isotherm, permanent sea ice extent, and surrounding countries.
Map
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
2011 global hydrothermal vents
2011 map showing the global distribution of hydrothermal vent locations, either suspected or confirmed.
Map
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
2009 global hydrothermal vents
2009 map showing the global distribution of hydrothermal vent locations, either suspected or confirmed.
Map
Multimedia | How the Ocean Works
Global thermohaline circulation
Map with bathymetry and generalized ocean currents driven by temperature and density differences, forming the global ocean conveyor belt.