Science in Rough Seas

Conditions can get a little rough off the coast of North Carolina in January, but that didn’t stop WHOI physical oceanographer Glen Gawarkiewicz and his team. Using an instrument called a CTD, the researchers measured the water’s conductivity (salinity) and temperature through a range of depths to better understand water properties that drive major ocean currents. Even though air temperatures on the cruise sometimes dipped below freezing, the Gulf Stream was a warm 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The expedition was part of the PEACH project, a multi-year, multi-institution effort to investigate recent changes in Gulf Stream flow and better predict the coastal ocean’s response to climate change. (Photo by Joleen Heiderich, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)