News Releases
Radioactivity Lingers from 1946-1958 Nuclear Bomb Tests
Scientists have found lingering radioactivity in the lagoons of remote Marshall Island atolls in the Pacific Ocean where the United States conducted 66 nuclear weapons tests in the 1940s and 1950s. Radioactivity levels at Bikini and Enewetak Atolls were extensively studied in the decades after the testing ended, but there has been relatively little work…
Read MoreWHOI Led Research Team Receives Funding to Develop Ocean Temperature Forecast System
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) was awarded a competive federal grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop a forecast system that will predict seasonal and year-to-year changes in ocean temperatures on the Northeast U.S. Shelf. Other institutions involved in this project include Stony Brook University (SBU) and the Northeast Fisheries…
Read MoreJim Ledwell Selected as a Fellow of The Oceanography Society
Jim Ledwell, Emeritus Research Scholar at the Wood Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), has been named a 2017 Fellow of The Oceanography Society (TOS). The society noted his many achievements, in particular his “seminal contributions to the understanding of oceanic mixing,” as the reason for his selection. “I am honored and humbled by this recognition.” said…
Read MoreStudy Identifies Whale Blow Microbiome
A new study by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and colleagues identified for the first time an extensive conserved group of bacteria within healthy humpback whales’ blow’the moist breath that whales spray out of their blowholes when they exhale.
Read MoreFueling the Future
WHOI was awarded $5.7 million from ARPA-E’s Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER) Program for two projects that develop tools and technology to advance the mass production of seaweed for biofuels and bio-based chemicals.
Read MoreScientists Find New Source of Radioactivity from Fukushima Disaster
Scientists have found a previously unsuspected place where radioactive material from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster has accumulated’in sands and brackish groundwater beneath beaches up to 60 miles away. The sands took up and retained radioactive cesium originating from the disaster in 2011 and have been slowly releasing it back to the ocean.
Read MoreWHOI Hosts Bilingual Science Symposium
The organizers of a new event at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) want to make ocean science more accessible to people who are not native English speakers by reaching out to two of the largest non-English-speaking communities on Cape Cod: those that speak Spanish or Portuguese. The symposium will feature short presentations in either language…
Read MoreDispersants Improved Air Quality for Responders at Deepwater Horizon
A study published Aug. 28, 2017, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences adds a new dimension to the controversial decision to inject large amounts of chemical dispersants immediately above the crippled oil well at the seafloor during the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010. The dispersants may have significantly reduced the amount of…
Read MoreWHOI Selected for Bicycle Friendly Business Award
The League of American Bicyclists recognized the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) with a Silver Bicycle Friendly Business award, which acknowledges efforts by the Institution that promote cycling to help ease traffic congestion, reduce greenhouse gas and pollution emissions, and encourage a healthy lifestyle among its employees.
Read MoreWHOI Hosts Public Event Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Discovery of Deep-Sea Hot Springs
The discovery of lush communities of deep-sea life at thermal springs on the seafloor in 1977 forever changed our perception of where and how life could exist on Earth. Diving in the human-occupied submersible Alvin, a team of scientists, including famed ocean explorer Robert Ballard, was the first to explore the springs, also known as…
Read MoreWHOI Scientist Selected 2017 Recipient of Walter Munk Award
The Oceanography Society proudly announces that Dr. Andone C. Lavery has been selected as the 2017 recipient the Walter Munk Award for Distinguished Research in Oceanography Related to Sound and the Sea. Dr. Lavery is an Associate Scientist with Tenure in the Department of Applied Ocean Physics & Engineering at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Read MoreNew Technique Offers Clues to Measure Ocean Deoxygenation
The living, breathing ocean may be slowly starting to suffocate. More than two percent of the ocean – s oxygen content has been depleted during the last half century, according to reports, and marine – dead zones – continue to expand throughout the global ocean. This deoxygenation, triggered mainly by more fertilizers and wastewater…
Read MoreMargaret Tivey to Become New Vice President and Dean of Academic Programs at WHOI
Dr. Margaret K. (Meg) Tivey has been selected as the next Vice President and Dean for Academic Programs at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). Tivey will oversee all academic programs at WHOI, which include the MIT/WHOI Joint Program (JP) in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science & Engineering for graduate students, postdoctoral and undergraduate programs, and the graduate-level…
Read MoreWHOI Ocean Science Exhibit Center Extends August Hours
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Ocean Science Exhibit Center is extending its hours to include Sundays during the month of August. “We’re pleased to be able to increase our hours to include another weekend day so that more visitors to Woods Hole have the opportunity to discover what’s happening in the world’s ocean and…
Read MoreWHOI Announces 2017 Ocean Science Journalism Fellows
Eight writers, radio, and multimedia science journalists from the U.S., Canada, England, and India have been selected to participate in the competitive Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Ocean Science Journalism Fellowship program. The program takes place September 10-15, 2017, in Woods Hole, Mass., on Cape Cod.
Read MoreNew Robot Speeds Sampling of Ocean’s Biogeochemistry and Health
The world’s first underwater vehicle designed specifically to collect both biological and chemical samples from the ocean water column successfully completed sea trials off the coast of New England on July 9, 2017. The new autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), named Clio, will help scientists better understand the inner workings of the ocean.
Read MoreWHOI Researchers to Participate in Science and Film Panels at the Woods Hole Film Festival
In an era of rapid scientific and technological innovation, finding new and engaging ways to bring science to mainstream audiences is a necessity. This summer, the Wood Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is teaming up with the Woods Hole Film Festival (WHFF) for Q&A panel discussions that highlight scientific advances and expand creative storytelling about scientific…
Read MoreExhibit at WHOI Ocean Science Exhibit Center Features Photographs by Daniel Casado
Environmental photographer Daniel Casado’s exhibit, “Infamia“, displays haunting images of life and death in Chiloe, an island off the coast of Chile—from majestic blue whales to the devastating impacts on one of the world’s most vital ecosystems after thousands of tons of rotten salmon were discharged a few miles off shore. Casado’s photos will be…
Read MoreRe-envisioning Underwater Imaging
The Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory (AIVL) at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) working with Marine Imaging Technologies has developed a revolutionary new multi-function, underwater imaging system capable of generating ultra-high definition television (UHDTV) video, 2-D mosaic imaging, and 3-D optical models of seafloor objects and environments. The new state-of-the-art technology is currently being…
Read MoreSix Right Whales Die In Canadian Waters In Less Than Three Weeks
Over the past three weeks, six critically endangered North Atlantic right whales have died in Canadian waters. With only about 500 of these massive plankton feeders still alive, these deaths represent a loss of more than 1 percent of the entire population for the most endangered large whale species in the Atlantic Ocean in less…
Read MoreWHOI Research Engineer Selected for NASA Astronaut Program
Research Engineer Loral O’Hara was introduced today at Johnson Space Flight Center as a member of NASA’s most recent class of astronauts. O’Hara was one of just 12 to be selected from an applicant pool of more than 18,300 — the largest number NASA has ever received.
Read MoreFinding New Homes Won’t Help Emperor Penguins Cope with Climate Change
Unlike other species that migrate successfully to escape the wrath of climate change, a new study shows that dispersal may help sustain global Emperor penguin populations for a limited time, but, as sea ice conditions continue to deteriorate, the 54 colonies that exist today will face devastating declines by the end of this century.
Read MoreMore Frequent Extreme Ocean Warming Could Further Endanger Albatross
As scientists grapple with the behavioral, ecological and evolutionary impacts of extreme climatic events, the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B created a special June issue to explore what is known on the topic and pioneer new approaches to this challenging and rapidly expanding field of study. The issue, which was published online…
Read MoreMedia Advisory: Research Vessel Neil Armstrong Participates in Fleet Week New York
What: The research vessel Neil Armstrong, owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), will participate in Fleet Week New York, May 24-26, 2017. The ship is the only research vessel participating in the celebration. Media Tours: A limited number of special media tours of the Neil Armstrong will…
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