Oceanography, Up Close

WHOI biologist Gareth Lawson (center), MIT-WHOI Joint Program student Stephan Gallagher (right), and MIT undergraduate Elisabeth Boles examine a sample of seawater full of tiny plants and animals known as plankton, which form the basis of marine food webs. They collected the sample aboard the research vessel Tioga as part of WHOI’s “Elements of Modern Oceanography” course, taught by Lawson and WHOI physical oceanographer Anthony Kirincich. The course highlights the interdisciplinary nature of oceanography and the role of ocean sciences in society—both themes reflected in Lawson’s and Kirincich’s research. (Photo by Kama Thieler, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)