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Media Tip Sheet – August 2026

August 1, 2026

 

 

AUGUST 2026 MEDIA TIP SHEET 

Welcome to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s (WHOI) media tip sheet. Our goal is to provide an advanced or detailed look at stories we believe are impactful or trending, and offer WHOI experts if you’re interested in a deeper dive.

 

A new investment in reef solutions

WHOI is announcing one of the largest private investments in coral reef science—a $25 million gift establishing the Schiller Center for Reef Solutions. The new virtual, interdisciplinary Center will unite scientists and engineers across WHOI to develop scalable, science-based solutions for coral reefs worldwide while supporting innovative, high-risk research that is often difficult to fund through traditional sources. The announcement comes as coral reefs face increasing pressure from marine heat waves and other climate-driven stressors. The Center’s inaugural director, Amy Apprill, is available for interviews.

Get the full picture in the WHOI Press Room. 

Images and video available for use can be found here.

 

Global shipping slowdown may fuel next marine invasive species event

A new international study warns that thousands of commercial ships stranded for months in the Strait of Hormuz could unintentionally trigger a global marine invasive species event. Researchers, including WHOI biologist Carolyn Tepolt, found that prolonged periods at anchor allow ship hulls to accumulate dense communities of algae, barnacles, mussels, and other marine organisms that could be transported to ports around the world when vessels resume normal operations. The team says the unprecedented lay-up of more than 1,500 ships presents a major biosecurity risk and is calling for stronger international monitoring and ship biofouling management before global shipping returns to normal. Tepolt is available for interviews.

Learn more in the WHOI Press Room.



VISUAL OF THE MONTH: Get a rare look at a Weddell seal swim lesson– and listen to calls between moms and pups!

Newly released underwater video from McMurdo Sound captures a mother Weddell seal helping her pup learn to swim and the unique calls between these mammals, providing a glimpse into the early life stage that shapes how these animals survive beneath the ice. The footage, captured in 2015, shows a seal population that WHOI scientists are still studying today. Weddell seals are among the ocean’s most capable deep divers, routinely reaching depths of more than 600 meters and staying beneath the surface for more than an hour. But while mothers are raising their pups, they sacrifice feeding and rely instead on their own fat and iron reserves. They can lose over 300 lbs in just 6 weeks, impacting their own diving abilities.

Current WHOI research, led by WHOI research assistant Michelle Shero and postdoctoral scholar Kaitlin Allen, focuses on how iron moves from muscle in moms to muscle in pups, and what the implications are at the cellular level when iron flux is so high. Both are available for interviews.

 

WHOI’s Alvin submersible helps image two historic shipwrecks

WHOI's legendary human-occupied submersible Alvin recently helped bring a new chapter of polar history into focus during the Heroic Age Expedition, a partnership with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society to survey the iconic shipwrecks of Ernest Shackleton's Quest and Robert Falcon Scott's Terra Nova. Over the course of the expedition, researchers captured up-close imagery of both wrecks and created high-resolution 3D "digital twins.” The work preserves these historic ships digitally before they deteriorate further, while showcasing how cutting-edge ocean exploration technology can unlock new discoveries about our maritime past and present. WHOI experts are available to discuss advanced imaging techniques and the biological impacts of the wreck sites.

Take a peek in the WHOI Press Room. 

Images from the wrecks can be found here. Embeddable video of the Quest and Terra Nova is also available.

 

Other stories:

 

On the August calendar:

 

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