WHOI in the News
Starting Oct. 1, foam containers for carryout food will be banned throughout Maryland. Not everyone is happy
As the first state in the country to ban foam food containers, Maryland will be a “very good case study,” said Chris Reddy, a scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts.
Meet the new wash-ashore: Portuguese man-of-war
“They most likely arrive here via the Gulf Stream and then get blown or drift on shore,” Larry Madin, a retired senior scientist with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Rising Sea Levels Push Woods Hole Science Community To Prepare for Change
Three world-renowned science institutions in Woods Hole are preparing their ocean-front facilities for the threats of climate change and will soon release an adaptation plan.
Antarctic ice loss expected to affect future climate change
In a new climate modeling study that looked at the impacts of accelerated ice melt from the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) on future climate, a team of climate scientists reports that future ice-sheet melt is expected to have significant effects on global climate.
Studies Investigate Marine Heatwaves, Shifting Ocean Currents
Extreme warming events impact fisheries and economies; understanding processes beneath ocean surface is crucial for assessment and management.
Want to Save the Whales? Eavesdrop on Their Calls
“Moorings are typically made from chain, so they clank a lot,” says Mark Baumgartner, whale ecologist and senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who helped develop the technology. “And that’s not really good when you’re trying to hear animals that are many miles away making sounds.”
A New Ship’s Mission: Let the Deep Sea Be Seen
Mr. Dalio was thinking of buying the Alucia when a team of WHOI experts used the vessel and an undersea robot to find the shattered remains of Air France Flight 447, which in 2009 had vanished over the South Atlantic with 228 passengers. Other search teams had failed, and Mr. Dalio saw the 2011 success as an indication of the field’s exploratory promise.
Why is it important to study life in the deep sea and even below the seafloor?
Dr Virginia Edgcomb heads a laboratory at WHOI in the US. She spent three months on a ship in the middle of the Indian Ocean conducting research as part of a quest to find evidence of microbial life within the lower oceanic crust.
The $500 Billion Question: What’s the Value of Studying the Ocean’s Biological Carbon Pump?
A new paper published in the journal Science of the Total Environment from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) puts an economic value on the benefit of research to improve knowledge of the biological carbon pump and reduce the uncertainty of ocean carbon sequestration estimates.
What did we learn from the Deepwater Horizon disaster?
All existing tests on the efficacy of dispersants had been conducted on the surface of water, says Elizabeth Kujawinski, a chemical oceanographer at WHOI. There was no guarantee that they would perform the same way in the crushing depths of the ocean.
Coalition, including UMass Dartmouth, backs expanded research of offshore wind
Seven Massachusetts research institutions late last month pressured Congressional leaders to pass legislation that would “update and expand” the federal government’s offshore wind energy program and related research opportunities.
145 invasive European green crabs caught in Drayton Harbor
Washington Sea Grant is working with Carolyn Tepolt, a researcher at WHOI in Massachusetts, who studies population genetics and has the most extensive dataset on West Coast green crab populations.
Ecology Research: Ocean acidification causing coral ‘osteoporosis’ on iconic reefs
New research by scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution reveals the distinct impact ocean acidification is having on coral growth on some of the world’s iconic reefs.
Fighting algae with clay, sponges and floating barriers: Cape Coral canals are helping researchers find what works
As the Earth’s climate changes, blooms have become more frequent and severe, and the hunt for solutions has intensified, said algae scholar Don Anderson, senior scientist at WHOI in Massachusetts, where he’s been studying those solutions for decades.
New Sensor to Monitor Microplastics in Cape Cod Canal
An ocean technology company installed a particle sensor Tuesday in the Cape Cod Canal to monitor plankton and potential microplastics.
Disentangling influences on coral health
In a new study, Weifu Guo of WHOI and his colleagues have compiled records of existing and new skeletal growth of a stony, long-lived coral genus known as Porites to disentangle the competing effects.
Researching phytoplankton 2000 miles from shore aboard the R/V Atlantis
Don’t be fooled by phytoplankton’s microscopic size, the creature is among the most vital organisms for the ocean and planet’s survival.
Coral develops ‘osteoporosis’ because of acidic oceans caused by climate change, study reveals
Scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) found significant reduction in the density of coral skeleton along much of the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system, and also on two reefs in the South China Sea, which they attribute largely to the increasing acidity of the waters surrounding these reefs since 1950.
‘SharkCam’ films basking sharks off Scotland
A robot camera has been used in UK seas for the first time to monitor the behaviour of basking sharks. WHOI’s SharkCam was deployed off the west coast of Scotland where the sharks gather to breed after migrating from waters off west Africa.
The Ocean Race Summits return to Newport, RI, USA, to shine a light on ocean health
On September 16, from 10am to 1pm EDT hosts Danni Washington (marine biologist, TV host and science communicator), Liz Bonnin (biochemist, wild animal biologist and TV presenter) and Niall Myant-Best (presenter and host for The Ocean Race) will lead lively conversations with a diverse group of accomplished leaders and youth changemakers, including Dr. Mark Baumgartner of WHOI.
Ocean acidification causing coral ‘osteoporosis’ on iconic reefs
Scientists have long suspected that ocean acidification is affecting corals’ ability to build their skeletons, but it has been challenging to isolate its effect from that of simultaneous warming ocean temperatures, which also influence coral growth. New research from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) reveals the distinct impact that ocean acidification is having on coral growth on some of the world’s iconic reefs.
Atlantis getting ‘midlife fitting’ at Dakota Creek
The Atlantis is a scientific research vessel owned by the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, a nonprofit ocean research and education organization based in Massachusetts.
Scientists returning to site of 1898 shipwreck off Mass. waters that killed more than 190 people
Scientists on Tuesday will once again explore wreckage from the steamship Portland, which sank in 1898 in waters off Massachusetts, killing more than 190 people in what became known as the “Titanic of New England.” Via Twitter, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution provided details on the planned expedition.
Radioactive liquid effluent releases at San Onofre: how worried should we be?
After dozens of inquiries from concerned community members and panicked parents about the actual risk and health impacts, we think it’s time we should all educate ourselves about this confusing and complex realm of radiological exposure in our environment. To help in this endeavor, we reached out to Dr. Ken Buesseler, a senior scientist at the prominent Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.