News & Insights
Shedding light on the deep, dark canyons of the Mid-Atlantic
WHOI biologist Tim Shank discusses the exploration of deep-sea canyons throughout the Mid-Atlantic Ocean and how ecosystems there can be managed sustainably in the face of climate change and increased human pressures.
Read MoreThe future of the ocean’s conveyor belt
WHOI scientist Young-Oh Kwon discusses the state of the AMOC—the crucial North Atlantic current that regulates our planet’s climate.
Read MoreWHOI scientist selected for industry-funded accelerator program
Anna Michel, an associate scientist and early-career researcher in WHOI’s Applied Physics and Ocean Engineering Department, has been awarded a spot in the RBR2020 cohort.
Read MoreKalina Grabb studies some of the ocean’s most reactive chemicals
A marine geochemist discusses her passion for coral reefs, how volatile compounds in the ocean affect their health, and a new type of sensor that is shedding light on these interactions.
Read MoreSpock versus the volcano
Five hundred meters below the calm surface waters of the Aegean Sea off Santorini Island, Greece, lies an active submarine volcano. There, a decision-making robot equipped with artificial intelligence searches for life and danger.
Read MoreUnderstanding the Melting Arctic
Glaciologist Sarah Das explains why surface melting and runoff across Greenland’s mile-thick ice sheet sped up dramatically in the 20th and 21st centuries, showing no signs of abating.
Read MorePaul Caiger hunts for things that glow in the Ocean Twilight Zone
Paul Caiger is a fish biologist, marine photographer and postdoctoral investigator at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). From the ghoulish grimace of the viperfish, to the bejeweled beauty of the strawberry squid, Caiger’s marine portraits have helped shine a light in this dark but critical ocean zone.
Read MoreInvestigating the ocean’s influence on Australia’s drought
Researchers look to the Indian Ocean for clues on how Australia’s blazing wildfires and bone-dry conditions have reached such extremes.
Read More90 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 these numbers.
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 acidic harbors in the Baystate.
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.
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