News Releases
MassDEP awards $500,000 to support eelgrass restoration
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is supporting a two-year study to quantify carbon storage in both natural and restored eelgrass meadows in coastal waters.
Read MoreWaves hit different on other planets
From lazy ripples to towering breakers, waves should vary widely from one planet to another, according to a new model.
Read MoreWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution and CMA CGM expand their partnership
CMA CGM, which has long been committed to preserving biodiversity through multiple initiatives in the U.S. and worldwide, will support two key WHOI projects
Read MoreNew study quantifies sargassum’s multi-million dollar impact to U.S. coastal economies
WHOI led the study’s economic modeling and analysis, examining impacts across three sectors central to coastal economies: tourism, recreation, and fisheries.
Read MoreFecal samples from bowhead whales link ocean warming to rising algal toxins in Arctic waters
Filter-feeding whales sample the Arctic food web, tracking decades of change
Read MoreNew global efforts to map and monitor kelp forests extend to South Africa and Namibia
A new expansion of kelpwatch.org, brings over 40 years of satellite-derived kelp canopy data to South Africa and Namibia, offering new insights into these vital underwater forest ecosystems.
Read MoreScientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution identify heat-resistant kelp strain
A new strain of kelp can help support sustainable farming
Read MoreSwimming crustacean eats unlikely food source in the deep ocean
Increased capabilities in the human occupied submersible Alvin open a window on a rarely seen behavior.
Read MoreVitamin B12 adaptability in Antarctic algae has implications for climate change
Woods Hole, Mass. — Vitamin B12 deficiency in people can cause a slew of health problems and even become fatal. Until now, the same deficiencies were thought to impact certain…
Read MoreStudy Clearly Identifies Nutrients as a Driver of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt
Findings could lead to locating nutrient sources and providing management options
Read MoreNatural Wax Holds Promise to Replace Petroleum in Cosmetics and Personal Care Products
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Western Washington University Sign License Agreement for Upwell Cosmetics to Make and Market a Marine Microalga-Derived Wax
Read MoreThe Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt
Opportunistic sampling shows geographic scope of distribution, offer some of the first sampling opportunities
Read MoreNew study uncovers unprecedented declines in iconic kelp forests along Monterey Peninsula, with glimmers of hope in Oregon and Mexico
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution part of collaborative team working to save kelp
Read MoreResearch suggests giant kelp has different factors that bear on its growth dynamics
The macroalga giant kelp, which is an iconic and important ecosystem-structuring species found off the coast of California and many other coastlines, can grow 100-feet long within 1-2 years. Now, researchers using novel remote sensing observations have found that different factors may bear on the spatial growth dynamics of the Macrocystis pyrifera kelp, which is the largest species of algae in the world.
Read MoreFirst Global Statistical Analysis of Harmful Algal Blooms
International study finds no worldwide trend in blooms, but significant increases in some regions and of certain species, pointing to the need for better monitoring and data collection—especially in light…
Read MorePapers Explore Massive Plankton Blooms with Very Different Ecosystem Impacts
Two papers explore the distribution and abundance of plankton and what conditions lead to big plankton blooms with vastly different potential impacts on the ecosystem.
Read MoreHeidi Sosik Selected as a Fellow of The Oceanography Society
Heidi Sosik, a senior scientist in the Biology Department at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has been named a 2018 Fellow of The Oceanography Society (TOS). Sosik’s accomplishments will be formally recognized on Feb. 13, 2018, during a ceremony at the 2018 Ocean Sciences Meeting in Portland, Oregon.
Read MoreA New Long-Term Ecological Research Site Announced for the Northeast U.S. Shelf
To better understand and manage the intricate ecosystem off the Northeast U.S. coast, the National Science Foundation has announced the selection of this critical ocean region for a new Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site led by WHOI.
Read MoreNew 13-year Study Tracks Impact of Changing Climate on a Key Marine Food Source
A new multiyear study from scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has shown for the first time how changes in ocean temperature affect a key species of phytoplankton. The study, published in the October 21 issue of the journal Science, tracked levels of Synechococcus – a tiny bacterium common in marine ecosystems – near the coast of Massachusetts over a 13-year period. As ocean temperatures increased during that time, annual blooms of Synechococcus occurred up to four weeks earlier than usual because cells divided faster in warmer conditions, the study found.
Read MoreSwirling Currents Deliver Phytoplankton Carbon to Ocean Depths
A new paper published March 26 in the journal Science that highlights the significant role that swirling currents, or eddies, play in pushing non-sinking carbon to ocean depths.
Read MoreScientists Discover New Trigger for Immense North Atlantic Ocean Spring Plankton Bloom
On this July 4th week, U.S. beachgoers are thronging their way to seaside resorts and parks to celebrate with holiday fireworks. But across the horizon and miles out to sea…
Read MoreScientists Discover Huge Phytoplankton Bloom in Ice Covered Waters
A team of researchers, including scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), discovered a massive bloom of phytoplankton beneath ice-covered Arctic waters. Until now, sea ice was thought to block…
Read MoreA ‘B-12 Shot’ for Marine Algae?
Studying algal cultures and seawater samples from the Southern Ocean off Antarctica, a team of researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the J. Craig Venter Institute have revealed a key cog in the biochemical machinery that allows marine algae at the base of the oceanic food chain to thrive. They have discovered a previously unknown protein in algae that grabs an essential but scarce nutrient out of seawater, vitamin B12.
Read MoreIdentical Virus, Host Populations Can Prevail for Centuries, WHOI Researcher Reports
A Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) scientist, analyzing ancient plankton DNA signatures in sediments of the Black Sea, has found for the first time that the same genetic populations of a virus and its algal host can persist and coexist for centuries. The findings have implications for the ecological significance of viruses in shaping algae ecosystems in the ocean, and perhaps fresh water as well.
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