How the Ocean Works
Where Currents Collide
In January 2005, a research cruise set out aboard R/V Oceanus for the tumultuous witnertime waters off Cape Hatteras—aptly nicknamed “the graveyard of the Atlantic.” During three weeks riding the waves, WHOI Research Associate Chris Linder kept a journal with pen and camera that includes “relentless North Atlantic storms battering our ship, instrument retrievals in the dead of night with blue water washing over the rail, and science gear shattered by 20-foot waves.”
At the River’s End
In science, some of the most confounding and interesting questions come from the borderlands, where…
The Once and Future Danube River Delta
?The Danube River Delta is like the Everglades,? said Liviu Giosan, who grew up near…
A Tropical Research Paradise
WHOI Trustees Frank and Lisina Hoch have issued a one-to-one $1.125 million challenge to seize…
Seafloor Reconnaissance Reveals Hidden Dangers Off Antarctica
For five frigid weeks in April and May 2005, a team of scientists and engineers…
The Great Flood of New York
An ice dam forming a large Ice Age lake collapsed 13,350 years ago, sending a…
Fathoming the Ocean Without Ever Going to Sea
"The general circulation of the ocean is a massive and majestic phenomenon," says WHOI physical…
A “Thinking Map” of North America
For geologist Brian Tucholke, creating a new Geologic Map of North America was a 23-year…
Coral Gardens in the Dark Depths
The words "coral reefs" conjure up images of a tropical paradise: shallow, warm, aquamarine waters,…
The Coastal Ocean Institute
We are all stewards of the coastal ocean. For some of us, the connection to…
Where Are Mines Hiding on the Seafloor?
Eternally and incessantly, waves and currents stir up sand from the seafloor near the coast.…
Red Tides and Dead Zones
The most widespread, chronic environmental problem in the coastal ocean is caused by an excess…
Water Flowing Underground
Groundwater discharge appears to be an important factor for determining the chemistry of the coastal…
Rising Sea Levels and Moving Shorelines
Changes to the shoreline are inevitable and inescapable. Shoals and sandbars become islands and then…
Shaping the Beach, One Wave at a Time
For years, scientists who study the shoreline have wondered at the apparent fickleness of storms,…
In Tiny Ear Bones, the Life Story of a Giant Bluefin Tuna
The Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, is one of the fastest, most powerful and most…
The Deep Ocean Exploration Institute
This may sound like heresy, but for some of us at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,…
Living Large in Microscopic Nooks
Newly discovered deep-sea microbes rearrange thinking on the evolution of the Eart—and life on it.
Unique Vehicles for a Unique Environment
For climatologists and physical oceanographers, it is often said that the Arctic is a canary…
Ears in the Ocean
If you sought to delve into the forces that drive and shape the face of…
Mixing Oil and Water
In recent decades scientists have made substantial progress in understanding how oil enters the oceans,…
Earth’s Complex Complexion
Even as you read this, Earth's crust is continually being reborn and recycled in a…
Unraveling the Tapestry of Ocean Crust
Most people know that oceans cover about 70 percent of Earth's surface. Fewer people realize…