The time to act is now

"The ocean covers more than 70 percent of the globe’s surface, so if we want to turn climate change around, we need to look to the ocean. The ocean is our planetary life support system and if we don’t understand it and take care of it, the future of our ocean planet could be compromised to the detriment of mankind and all living creatures."

—Francis E. Fowler IV

Read About the Center

The Center supports Fellows focused on research and activities to address these pressing questions, including guest speakers through our seminar series, to stimulate discussion, research and action. Further, the Center engages in national and international climate and ocean health related meetings and initiatives to bring WHOI research to the forefront of forecasting ocean ecosystem health and resilience.

CURRENT THEME

Oceans and Climate Change: Forecasting Ecosystem Health and Resilience

Ocean ecosystems are critical bellwethers of climate change and play a key role in regulating Earth’s climate, with some already showing resistance and resilience to its impacts. Predicting how these ecosystems will change is essential to understanding, addressing, and mitigating climate change.

Research Questions

How is climate impacting diverse ocean ecosystem health and vice versa?

Can climate influences on ocean ecosystems be forecasted?

How do we provide a meaningful scientific framework for supporting ocean management decisions and climate credits?

Fellowship Program

The centerpiece of the Center’s activities is a vibrant fellowship program that has provided support for nine past Francis E. Fowler IV Center Fellows and two current Fellows.

Current Fellows

Outreach - Communications and Policy

The impact of science and engineering depends in no small part on raising public awareness and informing policy, both public and corporate. The Center aims to enhance the real-world impact of its research by broadly communicating its findings and supporting efforts to translate scientific results into evidence that domestic and international leaders can use in shaping future ocean and climate policies.

Policy Impact