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Combining paleocurrents and sea level in a least-cost pathway model of human dispersal from Sunda to Sahul, 65-45,000 years ago
Borreggine, M., Powell, E. M., Fu, M., Yang, X., Weeks, E., Zhang, B., Wilkinson, K., Mitrovica, J. X., Tryon, C., & Meadow, R. (2026). Combining paleocurrents and sea level in a…
Read MoreMeso-submesoscale surface temperature-salinity compensation and density gradient variability in the North Atlantic from Saildrone observations
Yu, L. (2025). Meso-Submesoscale Surface Temperature-Salinity Compensation and Density Gradient Variability in the North Atlantic from Saildrone Observations. Journal of Physical Oceanography. https://doi.org/10.1175/jpo-d-25-0037.1 Why it matters: Existing satellite salinity measurements have resolutions of…
Read MoreAre the ice sheets really melting?
Despite record snowfall, Antarctica’s ice sheets are still shrinking. WHOI scientists explain why short-term gains can’t offset long-term warming and rising sea levels.
Read MoreAnalysis of tidal flows through the Strait of Gibraltar using Dynamic Mode Decomposition
Dias, S., Surasinghe, S., Priyankara, K., Budišić, M., Pratt, L., Sánchez-Garrido, J., & Bollt, E. (2025). Analysis of tidal flows through the Strait of Gibraltar using Dynamic Mode Decomposition. Journal of…
Read MoreHow do deep-sea organisms get energy?
Deep-sea microbes use chemosynthesis from vents and seeps, sustaining ecosystems central to life and exploration.
Read MoreAre shark attacks on the rise?
Shark attacks are not on the rise, contrary to popular belief; marine ecologist Camrin Braun from WHOI emphasizes that these incidents often result from mistaken identity and that the odds of being bitten are just one in 4.3 million.
Read MoreTour of PO Labs
Operations Manager Chris Ross shows September PO Tour attendees different types of Moorings. The mooring construction and rigging shop offers a wide range of services and extensive marine hardware…
Read MoreWho owns the ocean?
From the coasts to the high seas, these are the agreements that define oceanic territories
Read MoreIntroduction to the special collection on the Arctic Ocean’s changing Beaufort Gyre
Timmermans, M.-L., Le Bras, I., O’Brien, J., Margevich, A., Macoun, P., Williams, B., & Zimmermann, S. (2025). Introduction to the Special Collection on the Arctic Ocean’s Changing Beaufort Gyre. Journal…
Read MoreHow do wrecks impact marine life?
Millions of shipwrecks provide habitat for marine life, though impacts vary by material, depth, and pollution. Artificial reefs offer safer, intentional habitats.
Read MoreHow do marine animals hear?
Sound travels faster and farther in water than air, helping marine animals like whales, corals, and crabs navigate, communicate, and survive by detecting and responding to underwater acoustic signals.
Read MoreAssistant Scientist Svenja Ryan Visiting Kiel, Germany on a Research Fellowship by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
MIT/WHOI JP Students and WHOI Scientists take part in Geodynamics Seminar Program in Patagonia
Icebergs in Lago Grey (Grey Lake). In the background are the forests of the Sendero Refugio Paine and further back are the peaks of Cerro Paine Grande…
Read MoreDoes plastic last for thousands of years in the environment?
Plastic pollution is a serious-and growing-environmental problem, with millions of tons of bags, bottles, fishing gear and more piling up on land and floating out to sea.
Read MoreHolger Jannasch
“Science is an adventure, not a career,” said Holger Jannasch, a WHOI biologist who lived up to those words. In the 1960s, inspired by the surprisingly edible condition of a…
Read MoreHow do manatees stay hydrated?
Marine mammals need to hydrate—even in the saltiest of seas. Here’s how manatees stay fresh wherever they go.
Read MoreAre offshore wind farms harming whales?
WHOI whale biologist Mark Baumgartner discusses the perceived risks of offshore wind development on endangered right whales.
Read MoreWill the Gulf Stream really shut down?
Recent news headlines suggest the Gulf Stream current could shut down in just a few years—or perhaps a few decades—bringing about a catastrophic change in global climate.
Read MoreIt’s always freezing in the Arctic. Or is it?
WHOI experts dig into a popular misconception that the Arctic is always frigid.
Read MoreIs the Great Barrier Reef making a comeback?
The world’s largest reef saw record growth after years of bleaching, but it’s not out of the woods yet
Read MoreOcean acidification is no big deal, right?
Some people argue that ocean acidification isn’t an issue of concern. After all, they say, the ocean isn’t actually acidic. There is some truth to that. On the pH scale,…
Read MoreIs sea-level rise exaggerated?
WHOI’s Chris Piecuch debunks a long-standing myth
Read MoreAre we heading toward another Little Ice Age?
Concerns about a potential Little Ice Age are tempered by scientific evidence indicating that current climate dynamics are unlikely to lead to significant cooling. WHOI physical oceanographer Jake Gebbie explains that while natural phenomena like volcanic eruptions could theoretically cool the planet, the overwhelming heat from greenhouse gas emissions makes a return to pre-industrial temperatures improbable.
Read MoreHow does the ocean affect storms?
Under the right conditions, some of those storms can grow into large tropical storms. Or even monstrous hurricanes.
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