News & Insights
90 Years of Ocean Research, Education, and Exploration
In the 90 years since its inception, Wood Hole Oceanographic Institution has grown from a summer laboratory to a year-round global research operation with more than 1,000 oceanographers, engineers, students, and support staff. Today, we celebrate nearly a century of marine science and discovery.
Read MoreStamp of approval: David DuBois highlights WHOI with special-edition pictorial postmarks
David DuBois is senior distribution assistant in the Facilities department at WHOI. An avid stamp collector, David has been involved with three Pictorial Postmarks for WHOI over the years.
Read MoreSea anemones with jet lag?
WHOI scientists investigate the internal body clocks of sea anemones to determine if fluctuating temperatures play a role in their daily rhythms.
Read MoreThe oceans are losing oxygen, and faster than we thought
WHOI scientists weigh in on a new ICUN report highlighting a 2% decline in marine oxygen levels between 1960 and 2010. The loss of oxygen has triggered an expansion of marine dead zones throughout the global ocean that has put marine life and ecosystems in peril.
Read MoreThe Ocean Twilight Zone’s crucial carbon pump
When CO₂ enters the ocean, where does this heat-trapping gas go? WHOI geochemist investigates how much carbon from the surface ocean is dispatched to the ocean twilight zone–the midlayer of the ocean–and on to the deep ocean.
Read MoreBioacoustic alarms are sounding on Cape Cod
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and its Marine Mammal Rescue Team in Yarmouth, Mass. have responded to a record high of more than 464 marine mammals stranded on Cape Cod since January this year. Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) believe patterns from animal sound data may be the key to curbing…
Read MoreOcean acidification gets a watchful eye in New England aquaculture ‘hot spot’
Shellfish aquaculture is thriving in New England, but future growth in the industry could be stunted as coastal waters in the region become more acidic. Researchers at WHOI have developed a way to link nutrient load reductions to improvements in the health of Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, which may an important step toward cleaner and less…
Read MoreRed Sea ‘hotspot’ study reveals behaviors of whale sharks
A new study of whale shark movements near a known hotspot in the Red Sea sheds light on their behaviors and could help inform the conservation efforts of the largest known fish, which can reach lengths of 40 feet or more.
Read MoreAn eye for adventure: Chris Linder
Chris Linder is a photographer and a part-time Expedition Multimedia Specialist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. His body of photographic work comprises a mosaic of imagery from scientific expeditions in the harshest of environments.
Read MoreExploration Enabler: Robin Littlefield
WHOI engineer Robin Littlefield is on a mission to increase the reach of science through the development and operation of autonomous underwater vehicles.
Read MoreWHOI scientists weigh in on sea level rise impact study
When it comes to future sea level rise, most studies predict we’ll see between four to eight inches of global sea level rise between now and 2050. The looming question is—how many people will be affected by rising seas in the coming decades?
Read MoreSearching for the limits of life: Taylor Heyl
A deep-sea biologist discusses her search for life in the deepest parts of our ocean, and why WHOI is the place she has chosen to carry out her research
Read MoreThe Rise of Orpheus
WHOI’s new deep-sea autonomous underwater vehicle moves one step closer to exploring the hadal zone—the deepest region of the ocean—to search for new clues about the limits of life on Earth, and possibly beyond.
Read MoreFollowing the elusive sword
Satellite tags allow researchers to “see” how swordfish move in and out of the ocean twilight zone.
Read MoreThe “sub” text of 45 years at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Rick Chandler is a senior submersible engineer and administrator for the Alvin Group at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where he’s worked for more than 45 years.
Read MoreFalling in love with foraminifera
A marine geobiologist falls for the ‘brains’ and beauty of an ancient single-celled creature that can change its shell into a variety of geometric shapes.
Read MoreFlight of the underwater falcon
How a remotely operated vehicle made by Saab is lending a watchful eye to scientific mooring operations.
Read MoreHow do you study marine metamorphosis?
Kirstin Meyer-Kaiser is a marine benthic ecologist, whose primary research focus is on how invertebrates establish themselves along the seafloor.
Read MoreThe hive mind behind a swarm of submersibles
The vastness of our oceans demands extensive study methods. Erin Fischell, an assistant scientist in the Department of Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, has been experimenting with a swarm of autonomous underwater vehicles that aim to both minimize cost and maximize the scope of scientific assessment at sea.
Read MoreThe Rise of Orpheus (Part 2)
WHOI’s new deep-sea autonomous underwater vehicle moves one step closer to exploring the hadal zone—the deepest region of the ocean—to search for new clues about the limits of life on Earth, and possibly beyond.
Read MoreErin Fischell wins Moore Inventor Fellowship
Erin Fischell, an assistant scientist in Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, has been awarded the Moore Inventor Fellowship for her work on ocean robotics.
Read MoreRiver Detective: WHOI scientist studies river chemistry around the world
Bernhard Peucker-Ehrenbrink has been studying rivers around the world as part of the Global Rivers Observatory network to observe how natural and human-caused environmental changes affect the composition of river water over time.
Read MoreThe Rise of Orpheus (Part 1)
WHOI’s new deep-sea autonomous underwater vehicle moves one step closer to exploring the hadal zone—the deepest region of the ocean—to search for new clues about the limits of life on Earth, and possibly beyond.
Read MoreWHOI weighs in on climate change report
Rick Murray, WHOI Deputy Director and Vice President for Research, weighs in on the IPCC’s special report on the ocean and cryosphere in a changing climate.
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