Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution launches Ocean Learning Hub

Digital gateway to ocean science now available for curious minds worldwide

Woods Hole, Mass. (Sept. 9, 2025) - The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) today announced the launch of the Ocean Learning Hub, an interactive digital platform that provides teachers, students, and lifelong learners with unprecedented access to ocean science, technology, and engineering.

The Ocean Learning Hub transforms WHOI’s extensive educational resources, developed over nearly a century of ocean exploration, into an engaging, easy-to-use format tailored for educators and students. The platform centralizes materials from across WHOI, including its groundbreaking Dive and Discover expeditions, Ocean Topics, the Ocean Twilight Zone Project, Oceanus Magazine, and more.

Designed in collaboration with teachers and aligned with national science and ocean literacy education standards, the Ocean Learning Hub offers interactive modules on hydrothermal vents, ocean life, the history of oceanography, impacts of our changing climate, and other key topics. Educators can filter resources by grade level, science practices, ocean literacy principles, or education standards, and use the bookmarking tool to create their own individualized units to best serve their classroom needs. They can seamlessly integrate these resources and units directly into Google Classroom, Schoology, and other learning management systems.

The platform is designed to be user-friendly for learners of all ages, from middle school students to lifelong learners eager to dive deeper into ocean science. Research shows that middle schoolers (grades 5–8) are a particularly critical audience, as this is often when young learners begin to assess their strengths and interests. The Ocean Learning Hub offers vivid imagery, engaging videos, interactive activities, and accessible explanations of big ocean topics.

“Anytime you connect students with a resource like this, what you're really allowing them to do is dive deep and go wherever their curiosity will take them,” said Grace Simpkins, WHOI Sea Grant senior marine education specialist, who helped lead the site’s educator-driven redesign.

The project was made possible by a generous gift from Rick and Beth Willett, longtime supporters of WHOI and STEM education. A former engineer and education advocate, Beth Willett envisioned expanding access to WHOI’s science to K-12 students everywhere. “Real science and data are important for teachers to create excitement in the classroom,” said Willett. “WHOI has opened a portal of unparalleled access to ocean science. This is a wonderful tool for educators and a gift to the next generation.”

The National Science Foundation is also a supporter of the new Ocean Learning Hub.

The Ocean Learning Hub is free to all users, and live at https://www.whoi.edu/ocean-learning-hub/

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About the Ocean Learning Hub

The Ocean Learning Hub is an interactive digital platform created by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) to spark curiosity and deepen understanding of ocean science and engineering. Initially launched in 2000 as Dive and Discover, this long-running program has evolved into a dynamic learning resource that brings the excitement of real-world exploration into classrooms and homes worldwide.  

About Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930, its mission is to understand the ocean and its interactions with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate an understanding of the ocean’s role in the changing global environment. WHOI’s pioneering discoveries stem from an ideal combination of science and engineering—one that has made it one of the most trusted and technically advanced leaders in fundamental and applied ocean research and exploration anywhere.  Learn more at whoi.edu.