How the Ocean Works
Microbes That ‘Eat’ Natural Gas
In the quest to explore the remarkable diversity of microbial life on Earth, an international team of scientists has identified marine bacteria that can “eat” butane and propane in natural…
Building International Bridges to Explore Ridges
In January 2007, WHOI scientists Jian Lin, who grew up in China, and Chris German,…
WHOI Scientists Testify to Congress
Marine geochemist Scott Doney and marine policy specialist Porter Hoagland traveled to the nation’s capital…
New Wrinkles in the Fabric of the Seafloor
Deborah Smith first heard the strange rumbling from the seafloor in 2001 and was eager…
Interrogating the ‘Great Ocean Conveyor’
The Greenland-Scotland Ridge looms like a great undersea barrier, stretching from East Greenland to Iceland…
Summer Under Arctic Ice
This month, an international team of scientists and engineers are exploring the seafloor of the…
Following Whales Up a Creek
Michael Moore is accustomed to working solo (or nearly so) in remote places, but this…
Rescue Mission on the Seafloor
The two earthquake-monitoring instruments—each the size and weight of a small refrigerator—were glued to the…
Deep Ocean Waters Don’t Run Still
The ocean’s circulation is thought to play an important role in our climate by transporting…
A Ridge Too Slow?
Ever since scientists first discovered vents gushing hot, mineral-rich fluids from the seafloor in the…
Current Events off Antarctica
The scientific method can divert researchers down curious pathways. Human psychologists study mouse brains. Astrophysicists…
Follow the Carbon Trail
Carbon makes the world go around. It is the building block of life on Earth,…
Young Pup Teaches an Old Robot New Tricks
Mike Jakuba was still a year away from being born when scientists found vents on…
Reaching Up Into Perilous, Icy Waters
A year had passed since we deployed our mooring in the western Arctic Ocean, which…
How Long Can the Ocean Slow Global Warming?
It is 4:30 a.m., far from land. A group of scientists clad in bright yellow…
The Once and Future Circulation of the Ocean
The short history of modern oceanographic observations—less than a century’s worth, really—doesn’t give us a…
A Rare Glimpse Into the Ocean’s Crust
About one and a half million years ago, a great hidden piece of the ocean’s…
A Journey to the Ocean’s Twilight Zone
You are about to enter another dimension. You’re moving into a place of both shadow…
Swimming in the Rain
Twilight zones, witch hunts, and crossbows usually don’t find their way into tales about new…
Jason Versus the Volcano
Through the camera eyes of the undersea vehicle Jason, scientists were investigating a quietly bubbling…
Chilly Scenes of Winter off Cape Cod
When winter winds began rattling the storm windows last autumn, Andrey Shcherbina and Glen Gawarkiewicz…
Transparent Animal May Play Overlooked Role in the Ocean
Salps don’t get much respect. They’ve been around for millions of years, but hardly anyone…
A Laser Light in the Ocean Depths
Graduate student Anna Michel is adapting laser technology to the murky fluid environment and crushing…