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A Telescope to Peer into the Vast Ocean
There are more single-celled plankton in the ocean than stars in the universe. A new instrument is about to depart on a mission across the vast Pacific to capture images of what is out there.
Read MoreNew Use for Well-known Algae
A curious chemical compound in certain marine algae has been a godsend for oceanographers, helping them reconstruct past ocean conditions. Now the same compounds also may be useful in a completely different way: to produce jet fuel.
Read MoreOne Algae, Two Fuels
New research shows a way to tap overlooked fats in marine algae to produce compounds used in jet fuel.
Read MoreJet Fuel from Algae?
New research shows a way to tap overlooked fats in marine algae to produce compounds used in jet fuel.
Read MoreA Smarter Undersea Robot
Some say it is lethal to cats. WHOI scientists say it would be a boon for autonomous undersea robots.
Read MoreHidden Battles on the Reefs
A new study led by WHOI scientists shows how changing ocean conditions can combine to intensify erosion of coral reefs.
Read MoreBringing a Lab to the Seafloor
Scientists can’t really know if new oceanographic instruments will really work until they try them in actual conditions in the real ocean. In this case, the rubber hit the road at the bottom of the sea.
Read MoreThe Waves Within the Waves
If the 30-foot wave we were looking for had tumbled across the ocean’s surface that July day, it might have been mistaken for a monstrous rogue wave. But that’s not…
Read MoreFarewell to the Knorr
Over its 44-year career, the retiring research vessel Knorr was on the scene for many of the most significant discoveries in the ocean.
Read MoreTrouble in the Tropics
An MIT-WHOI graduate student is on the trail of marine toxins that accumulate in fish and are eaten by people.
Read MoreBig Questions About Tiny Bacteria
It’s 3 a.m., and Jesse McNichol is struggling to stay awake. Since midafternoon, he’s been in his lab, tending to a jumble of glassware, plastic tubing, and metal cylinders filled…
Read MoreWhere Did Deepwater Horizon Oil Go?
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was unprecedented, and five years later, scientists are piecing together new insights into how the oil moved and behaved in the deep ocean.
Read MoreCoral-Current Connections
Will climate change shift a key ocean current in the Pacific? A graduate student is looking for clues recorded in coral skeletons.
Read More‘Covering’ Alvin‘s History
The Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History in Weston, Mass., is having an exhibit of postal covers and artifacts related to the submersible Alvin’s 50th anniversary Oct. 3 to Nov. 2.
Read MoreIt’s Hard to Kill a Killifish
Summer Student Fellow Lily Helfrich is using a new molecular tool, microRNA analysis, to explore why some killifish are able to thrive in waters heavily contaminated with PCBs.
Read MoreOn the Trail of an Invader
To find out when and how fast a small gray barnacle came to New England waters, WHOI researchers turn to forensic techniques.
Read MoreRecovering After a Hurricane
Summer Student Fellow Maya Becker studied how vulnerable four coastal communities were to major hurricanes—and how fast they recovered.
Read MoreA Summer of Science by the Sea, 2014 (Part II)
Every summer since 1959, undergraduates from around the world have come to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for a program to learn about ocean science and conduct research under the guidance of WHOI scientists. Read the second and final installment of our series of profiles of this year’s young scholars.
Read MoreSea Science in the Space Age
South Asian monsoons bring huge amounts of fresh water into the Bay of Bengal. Summer Student Fellow Mara Freilich used huge data sets from satellites to how and where the salinity of the Bay changes as a result.
Read MoreSwimming in Low-pH Seas
Researchers knew that squid raised in acidified water developed abnormal balance organs. To find out whether the young squid could still balance and swim normally, Summer Student Fellow Doriane Weiler mapped their movements.
Read MoreSurface Waters Go Their Own Way
Summer Student Fellow Sam Kastner found that at a given spot in the ocean, water at the surface may not be moving the same direction or speed as water deeper downâwhich can make predicting the path of nutrients or pollutants very challenging.
Read MoreScallops Under Stress
Like other marine species, scallops face multiple climate change-related problems. Summer Student Fellow Cailan Sugano studied how scallops respond to acidification and lack of foodâand whether extra food can help them resist damage due to more acidic seawater.
Read MoreA Summer of Science by the Sea, 2014 (Part I)
Every summer since 1959, undergraduates from around the world have come to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for a program to learn about ocean science and conduct research under the guidance of WHOI scientists.
Read MoreThe Exosuit Comes Aboard
One of the ocean’s least studied places is actually the realm between 200 and 500 feet deep. This zone has resisted exploration because it’s too deep for SCUBA and not…
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