Ocean & human lives
From Macroplastic to Microplastic
An estimated eight million tons of plastics enter our oceans each year, yet only one…
MIT-WHOI Joint Program Marks 50th Year
In 1968, two esteemed scientific institutions launched an unorthodox academic experiment: the Massachusetts Institute of…
Autonomous Ocean Vehicles Supply Key Data on Hurricane Florence
With Hurricane Florence bearing down on the North Carolina coast, researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic…
The Recipe for a Harmful Algal Bloom
Harmful algal blooms can produce toxins that accumulate in shellfish and cause health problems and…
The Bacteria on Your Beaches
The widespread use of antibiotics is increasing the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria—perhaps into the ocean,…
A Long Trail of Clues Leads to a Surprise About Oil Spills
Scientists followed evidence from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill to discover an unexpected phenomenon.
Reassessing Guidelines for Oil Spill Cleanups
A new discovery could change the way officials approach oil spill cleanups.
Industrial krill fishing
The twilight zone’s biological abundance makes it an attractive target for commercial fishing operations and…
Unearthing Long-Gone Hurricanes
A graduate student at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution tracks a trail of clues left behind…
To Track an Oil Spill
WHOI scientists are helping to develop a robotic underwater vehicle that can track oil spills…
Re-envisioning Underwater Imaging
A revolutionary new underwater imaging system developed at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution can generate ultrahigh-definition television…
Can Clams and Oysters Help Clean Up Waterways?
Towns in Cape Cod are looking to shellfish not only as culinary treats, but as…
Will Oxygen in the Ocean Continue to Decline?
The living, breathing ocean may be slowly starting to suffocate. The ocean has lost more…
Did Dispersants Help During Deepwater Horizon?
In the heat of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, U.S. government and industry responders had…
New Air-Launched Devices Help Study Hurricanes
A new breed of autonomous profiling "ALAMO" floats is giving scientists and forecasters a look…
Did Dispersants Help Responders Breathe Easier?
Seven years after the disastrous Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the decision…
Back to Bikini
WHOI scientists returned to the Pacific islands of Bikini and Enewetak in 2015 to study…
Fresh Water Below the Seafloor?
Using a new method to distinguish fresh water from oil or salt water, scientists are…
Blue Holes and Hurricanes
Scientists are digging into clues that settle into sinkholes in the seafloor to learn about…
Ancient Skeleton Discovered
International researchers discovered a human skeleton during ongoing excavations of a ship that sank around…
Inside the Sunken USS Arizona
Mike Skowronski (above left) pilots a remotely operated vehicle into the remains of the battleship…
Why Did the El Faro Sink?
WHOI deep-sea vehicles and scientists played critical roles in searching the seafloor and locating the…