Multimedia
Seals and Wild Horses on Sable Island, Nova Scotia
While East Coast seal populations have dramatically increased in recent years, a staggering proportion of Sable Island seals don’t make it to their first birthday. WHOI biologist Michelle Shero is looking into the influence of iron in seal mothers’ milk on pup survival rates.
Read MoreWHOI Scientists Test Prototype Water-Level Sensor
Did you know 43% of Massachusetts’ population lives in a coastal community?
Read MoreDo all plastics degrade the same?
WHOI and Eastman created a wood-based straw that breaks down faster than paper—showing how science and industry can team up to fight ocean plastic.
Read MoreUnderwater 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.
Read MoreUnderwater 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.
Read MoreUnderwater Research Vehicles
Since the 1960s, three key underwater vehicles—AUVs, ROVs, and HOVs—have helped explore the ocean. Click each to discover how they work and why they matter.
Read MoreAntarctic ecosystem
The Southern Ocean teems with life, ranging from microscopic plankton to top predators: whales, seals, penguins, fish, and sea birds.
Read MoreThe Arctic Ocean Ecosystem
Despite harsh weather and ice, the Arctic Ocean teems with life. Click to explore the rich ecosystem and the animals that depend on sea ice to survive.
Read MoreThe Arctic: Ocean Circulation
Follow the journey of water through the Arctic Ocean. Click the numbers to explore how Arctic Ocean circulation shapes this unique environment.
Read MorePlate Movements
Earth’s surface is always on the move! Learn how sliding, colliding, and sinking tectonic plates create mountains, volcanoes, trenches, and quakes.
Read MorePlate Boundaries
From earthquakes to hydrothermal vents, see how Earth’s restless plates shape the planet. Click to explore boundaries, fault zones, and seafloor features.
Read MoreOcean Twilight Zone: The Human Connection
From food to climate to creativity, the twilight zone plays a surprising role in our lives—showing just how connected we are to the mysterious deep sea.
Read MoreOcean Twilight Zone: Migration
Every night, billions of deep-sea creatures rise to the surface to feed—then vanish by dawn. It’s Earth’s largest daily migration, hidden in plain sight.
Read MoreOcean Twilight Zone: Carbon
From photosynthesizing plankton to poop-powered carbon sinks, discover how ocean life and physics help regulate Earth’s climate.
Read MoreTwilight Zone Technology
Studying the twilight zone is tough—it’s dark, cold, and deep. Explore how scientists use custom tools and robots to explore and uncover its hidden life and secrets.
Read MoreLife in the Twilight Zone
Dive into the twilight zone to explore extraordinary adaptations and the food web that powers this mysterious mid-ocean ecosystem.
Read MoreTwilight 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.
Read MoreFast-Spreading Mid-Ocean Ridge
Faster spreading ridges like the East Pacific Rise behave like hot taffy, with more magma and eruptions making the crust spread more fluidly.
Read MoreSlow-Spreading Mid-Ocean Ridge
Dive into the dynamic geology of mid-ocean ridges—explore lava flows, fault scarps, magma chambers, and more by clicking on each seafloor feature.
Read MoreMid-Ocean Ridges: Axial Ridge
Explore the dynamic landscape of mid-ocean ridges—from pillow lavas and lava pillars to deep-sea creatures thriving in this volcanic underwater frontier.
Read MoreTubeworm Anatomy
Explore tubeworm anatomy and discover how these deep-sea creatures survive through a unique symbiotic relationship with bacteria. Click to learn more.
Read MorePhotosynthesis vs. Chemosynthesis
Plants use sunlight to make food. Microbes near deep-sea vents use chemicals instead. Compare how life gets energy when the sun doesn’t shine.
Read MoreHydrothermal Vent Life
Discover the extraordinary creatures living at hydrothermal vents—from giant tubeworms to glowing shrimp—each adapted to thrive in extreme deep-sea heat.
Read MoreVents Around the World
Explore global hydrothermal vents—from mid-ocean ridges to arc volcanoes—and see how confirmed and inferred vents are worldwide.
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