Multimedia Items
North Atlantic ocean currents circulation map
One of the “pumps” that helps drive the ocean’s global circulation suddenly switched on again last winter for the first time this decade. The “pump” is in the western North…
Read MoreNorth Atlantic Oscillation positive and negative stages
North Atlantic Oscillation. (Illustration by Jack Cook, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Read MoreOcean and atmospheric interaction in the North Atlantic Ocean
Ocean and atmospheric interaction in the North Atlantic Ocean. (Illustration by Jack Cook and Fritz Heide, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Read MoreOcean eddies transporting plankton throughout the water column
Plankton in the ocean can help reduce the amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide building up in our atmosphere. Like plants, they use carbon dioxide to grow and are eaten by…
Read MoreOcean food web processes that drive carbon cycle
The figure above illustrates the ocean food web processes that drive the transformation and partitioning of carbon among various reservoirs. Dissolved inorganic carbon enters the ocean as CO2 which is…
Read MoreOcean iron recycling illustration
Iron is a scarce, essential nutrient in the ocean. One bacterium appears to halve its iron needs by recycling. It breaks down certain iron-containing enzymes used by day for photosynthesis,…
Read MoreOceanic conveyor belt
Ocean conveyor belt. (Illustration by Jayne Doucette, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Read MoreInfographic explaining the formation of calcium carbonate skeletons
Corals combine calcium and carbonate ions in seawater to make calcium carbonate skeletons. Lower ocean pH means fewer carbonate ions available for corals to build skeletons. (Illustration by Eric S.…
Read MoreInfographic measuring amount of radioisotopes at 3 different nuclear disasters
The amount of cesium-137 radioisotopes from the Fukushima disaster in surface ocean waters was 10,000 to 100,000 times greater than amounts that entered the ocean from the Chernobyl accident or…
Read MoreInfographic showing different levels of radiation doses
Infographic showing different levels of radiation doses. (Illustration by E. Paul Oberlander, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Read MoreInfographic showing June 2011 Cesium-134 levels in the Pacific
Starting 375 miles off Japan, researchers on the Kaimikai o-Kanaloa measured radioisotope levels in various locations. They found that the Kuroshio Current blocked the southward flow of radioisotopes. Highest levels…
Read MoreInfographic showing the effects of radiation on human tissue
Infographic showing the effects of radiation on human tissue. (Illustration by Eric S. Taylor, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Read MoreInfographic tracking radioisotopes in marine life
Infographic tracking radioisotopes in marine life. (Illustration by Eric S. Taylor, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Read MoreInuktitut Glossary of Ice
Inuktitut Glossary of Ice. (Daniel Hentz and Natalie Renier, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Read MoreIron fertilization consideration illustration
Iron Fertilization. (Illustration by Jack Cook, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Read MoreLa Nina
La Niña (Illustration by Jack Cook and Fritz Heide, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Read MoreLavas forming at volcanic arcs
A new study changes our understanding of how lavas are formed at volcanic arcs, and may have implications for the study of earthquakes and the risks posed by volcanic eruption.…
Read MoreLife cycle of a scallop
Suspended in the water, floating in unseen hordes, shellfish larvae are transported by wind and tidal currents until they settle and grow into adults. But this critical stage in the…
Read MoreLife cycle of dinoflagellate Alexandrium
Life cycle of the Dinoflagellate Alexandrium. (Illustration by Jack Cook, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Read MoreLobster traps and right whales
Lobster traps and right whales. (Illustration by Eric S. Taylor, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Read MoreMaldive medusae illustration
Maldive medusae illustration. (Illustration by Henry Bryant Bigelow, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Read MoreMap showing radiation measurements in the ocean
Twenty-five years ago today, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine exploded and burned, creating what was at the time the largest accidental release of radiation to the environment. Ken…
Read MoreMap showing where high amounts of plastic were found
Caption from Oceanus magazine, Vol. 48, No. 2, pg. 21: Red and yellow areas show where high amounts of plastic were found. About 83 percent of all the plastic debris…
Read MoreMarine Life Size vs Abundance illustration
The ocean is full of life, most of it too small for us to see. Marine life ranges from bacteria and viruses, at nanometer scales (10-9m), to whales and other…
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