News Releases
Will Ocean Fertilization To Remove Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere Work?
Reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas linked to global warming, by fertilizing the oceans with iron may not be as attractive a solution as once thought according to a report in Science magazine.
Read MoreWHOI Scientist To Receive Nansen Medal from European Geophysical Society
Kurt Polzin, an associate scientist in the Department of Physical Oceanography at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, will receive the European Geophysical Society’s Fridtjof Nansen Medal in recognition of his pioneering contributions to the measurement of mixing in the deep ocean. The award will be presented at the group’s annual meeting in Nice, France, in early April.
Read MoreCentury-Long Drought Linked to Collapse of Mayan Civilization
New analysis of sediment samples from the southern Caribbean indicate that severe droughts occurred at the same time as the known collapse of the Mayan civilization. In a study in the March 14 issue of the journal Science, lead author Gerald Haug of Geoforschungszentrum (GFZ) in Potsdam, Germany, together with Konrad Hughen of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and colleagues report that sediments from the Cariaco Basin in northern Venezuela clearly show a dry spell that the Caribbean region starting in the seventh century and lasting for more than 200 years.
Read MoreWHOI Geochemist to be Honored By the American Chemical Society
Senior Scientist John Hayes of the Geology and Geophysics Department at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) will receive the American Chemical Society’s 2003 Geochemistry Division Medal at the group’s 225th national meeting in March in New Orleans.
Read MoreWHOI Scientist Honored by American Meteorological Society
Robert A. Weller of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has been honored by the American Meteorological Society (AMS) for his contributions to understanding the interactions between the oceans and atmosphere.
Read MoreFossil Records Show Methane in Seafloor Sediments Released During Periods of Rapid Climate Warming
Scientists have found new evidence indicating that during periods of rapid climate warming methane gas has been released periodically from the seafloor in intense eruptions. In a study published in the current issue of the journal Science, Kai-Uwe Hinrichs and colleagues Laura Hmelo and Sean Sylva of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) provide a direct link between methane reservoirs in coastal marine sediments and the global carbon cycle, an indicator of global warming and cooling.
Read MoreTwo WHOI Scientists Honored by Office of Naval Research
Assistant Scientists Christopher Reddy and Steven Jayne of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have been honored as 2003 Young Investigators by the Office of Naval Research (ONR).
Read MoreWHOI Elects Trustees at Fall Meeting of the Corporation
Three new Trustees were elected at the recent Joint Meeting of the Board of Trustees and Corporation at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Peter Aron of New York, Joseph McNay of Chestnut Hill, MA, and Joseph Patton of Boston, currently serving as Members of the Institution’s Corporation, were elected Trustees during the fall meetings in October in Woods Hole.
Read MoreOil Found in Marsh Sediments 30 Years After Spill
Thirty years after approximately 175,000 gallons of No. 2 fuel oil spilled from the barge FLORIDA in Buzzards Bay near West Falmouth, MA, residues of the oil can still be found in salt marsh sediments, according to a report to be released November 15 by scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and colleagues at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Their findings, to appear in the journal Environmental Science and Technology published by the American Chemical Society, provide further evidence that oil persists in the marine environment for a long period of time even though the surface sediments recover quickly and appear visually healthy.
Read MoreEuropean Seal Plague May Threaten Population Survival
Scientists from G??teborg University in Sweden and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) report in an upcoming issue of the journal Ecology Letters that the 2002 outbreak of phocine distemper virus, or PDV, in European harbor seals may reduce the population by more than half and that future outbreaks with similar characteristics would significantly increase the risk of population declines. Their findings are the first epidemiological data reported on the 2002 outbreak, which is still underway, and may help predict the recurrence of the outbreaks and the impact on the long-term growth and survival of the European harbor seal population.
Read MoreNew Generation Deep Ocean Vehicle Begins Science Operations for U.S. Researchers
A new generation of remotely operated vehicle (ROV) capable of routine operation to depths of 6,500 meters (21,320 feet) and communicating its data back to shore via the Internet has been developed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). The vehicle, JASON II, recently completed its first science cruise off the coast of Washington and Oregon and is currently at sea in the Pacific working off the coast of Hawaii.
Read MoreWHOI Scientist Honored by Russian Academy of Sciences
A local scientist has been honored by the Russian Academy of Sciences. Assistant Scientist Steve Jayne of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution was presented the 2002 Zeldovich Award by the Committee on Space Research and the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Read MoreOffshore Air-Sea Interaction Tower Expands Research Capabilities of the Martha’s Vineyard Coastal Observatory
Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and their colleagues will gain critical environmental information from the Air-Sea Interaction Tower (ASIT) being built off the south shore of Martha’s Vineyard. Construction of the tripod-shaped tower began in August and is expected to be completed in late September. The tower will be linked to the Institution’s Martha’s Vineyard Coastal Observatory (MVCO), which was built and installed several years ago off South Beach near the Katama Airfield.
Read MoreWHOI to Host U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy July 22
Abrupt climate change, ships and ocean observatories, coastal management, biodiversity and genetics, hydrothermal vents and the deep biosphere will be among the topics discussed by Woods Hole scientists with members of the presidentially-appointed U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy during a July 22 visit to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Read MoreUS/Canada Joint Ice Working Group Meets in Woods Hole, Honors Contributions of Former WHOI Director Edward “Iceberg” Smith
The sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic in April 1912 had many connections to Woods Hole, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the US Coast Guard, the first the creation of the International Ice Patrol just two years after the sinking. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution gained international attention when it found the wreck of the sunken luxury liner in 1985 and explored it again in detail the following year. Many other connections exist as well, among them the major role of a former WHOI Director in ice research.
Read MoreWHOI Establishes Award for Excellence in Ocean Science Journalism
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has established a major journalism award to recognize an outstanding record of achievement in communicating ocean science to the public. The award, The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Award for Excellence in Ocean Science Journalism, will be given for a body of work that enhances public awareness of, interest in, and understanding of the ocean sciences and was published or broadcast within the last five years. The $5,000 cash prize and award will be presented in Woods Hole for the first time in the fall of 2003, with the recipient presenting a lecture or seminar on an appropriate science journalism topic at that time.
Read MoreWHOI Elects Trustees/Corporation Members
Fourteen new Trustees and Corporation Members were elected at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s recent spring meetings in Woods Hole. Officers of the Corporation and one Honorary Member were also elected, and 17 Trustees and Members were re-elected.
Read MoreNew Hydrothermal Vent Sites Found, Original Vent May Have been Covered by Volcanic Eruption
The “Rose Garden” – one of the most well-visited and lush communities of seafloor vent life – may have been paved over by a recent volcanic eruption. But scientists on a just-completed expedition near the Galapagos Islands have discovered a thriving new community of very young tubeworms, clams, and mussels, which they have called “Rosebud.”
Read MoreWHOI Director, Scientist Elected Fellows of American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Director and President Robert Gagosian and Senior Scientist John Whitehead of the Physical Oceanography Department were recently elected Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the oldest learned societies in the nation. Drs. Gagosian and Whitehead are among the 177 Fellows and 30 Foreign Honorary Members elected to the 2002 Class, which includes a United States Senator and a Representative, four college presidents, three Nobel Prize winners, six Pulitzer Prize winners, three MacArthur Fellows and six Guggenheim Fellows.
Read MoreMajor Cruise to Galapagos Rift Marks 25th Anniversary of Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vent Discovery
In 1977, scientists made a stunning discovery on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean that forever changed our understanding of our planet and life on it. They discovered the first deep-sea hydrothermal vents, andA?to their complete surpriseA?a lush community of exotic life thriving around them.
Read MoreWHOI Scientist Receives Honored by Russian Academy of Natural Sciences
A local scientist has been honored by the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences with its highest honors. Scientist Emeritus John Hunt of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution was awarded the Gold Medal of Honor of Albert Einstein by the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, United States section, for “outstanding contributions in the field of geology.” The medal is the highest award conferred by the Academy.
Read MoreNew Vice President and CFO Appointed at WHOI
After a long and extensive search process, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has appointed Carolyn A. Bunker of Falmouth Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer. The appointment, announced today by WHOI Director and President Robert Gagosian, is effective immediately.
Read MoreWHOI and Massachusetts Firm Sign Contract to Build New Coastal Vessel
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation of Somerset, MA, signed a contract today to build a 60-foot vessel to replace the Institution’s aging 46-foot coastal vessel Asterias. Construction of the new vessel is estimated at a cost of $1.6 million, with delivery expected in March 2004.
Read MoreWHOI To Present Mary Sears Woman Pioneer in Oceanography Award to California Scientist March 28
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) will present one of its highest honors, the Mary Sears Woman Pioneer in Oceanography Award, to California Biologist Mary Wilcox Silver. A Professor of Ocean Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Dr. Silver is being honored for providing “significant scientific leadership in understanding our marine environment” and recognized for providing “the inspiration and/or opportunity for other women in marine sciences.” Colleagues note that she has “led the way for people with strong family commitments to go to sea, showing that scientists could combine challenging, field-based careers with family life.”
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