Environmental Science
Transport of microplastics in the North Atlantic
Global maps illustrating how microplastics may travel through the North Atlantic and Arctic, based on global transport simulations.
Read MoreCoral reef deterioration stages
Healthy corals support healthy marine ecosystems, but corals are in crisis on many fronts.
Read MoreGreenland circulation
Map illustrating North Atlantic currents flowing into two Greenland fjords, combined with seafloor bathymetry.
Read MoreCities and sea level impact
2013 map highlighting 20 cities projected to be at risk due to sea level rise.
Read MoreAcoustic Sensing Cube in the Ocean Twilight Zone
An ocean network could provide a comprehensive view of the twilight zone, or mesopelagic, using several different technologies including moored buoys equipped with acoustic survey systems
Read More"How Climate Change Spurred the Rise and Fall of Ancient Civilizations"
Climate change particularly changes in the monsoon—prompted dramatic changes in how the peoples of ancient India lived.
Read MoreWhat happens in the ocean as a hurricane passes over?
Hurricanes are powerful storms that cause massive damage on land. Here’s a look at what happens below the surface during a storm.
Read MoreAre offshore wind farms harming whales?
A collection of seemingly grass-roots organizations claim that offshore wind projects are responsible for an uptick in whale deaths. But there’s no evidence to support their claims. Whales have been…
Read MoreHow deep do marine plastics go?
Learn how plastic pollution pervades the ocean, from surface debris to deep-sea trenches. With 390 million tons produced annually, plastic poses a significant threat, impacting marine ecosystems and organisms.
Read MoreWill the Gulf Stream really shut down?
Recent news headlines suggest the Gulf Stream current could shut down in just a few years—or perhaps a few decades—bringing about a catastrophic change in global climate.
Read MoreHow does ocean warming affect fisheries?
The ocean has absorbed 93% of excess heat from human activities, raising its temperature by 1.5°F since 1901. Warming oceans impact fish migration, leading to conflicts and overfishing.
Read MoreWhere does all the carbon go?
Explore the ocean’s critical role in carbon sequestration and how it could be a pathway to mitigate climate change.
Read MoreIt’s always freezing in the Arctic. Or is it?
WHOI experts dig into a popular misconception that the Arctic is always frigid.
Read MoreCan AI help us explore the ocean?
Learn how scientists at WHOI are using AI, like the software “Spock,” to enable autonomous underwater robots, such as Nereid Under Ice and CUREE, to study marine life and explore ocean environments.
Read MoreIs the Great Barrier Reef making a comeback?
The world’s largest reef saw record growth after years of bleaching, but it’s not out of the woods yet
Read MoreOcean acidification is no big deal, right?
Some people argue that ocean acidification isn’t an issue of concern. After all, they say, the ocean isn’t actually acidic. There is some truth to that. On the pH scale,…
Read MoreIs sea-level rise exaggerated?
WHOI’s Chris Piecuch debunks a long-standing myth
Read MoreAre we heading toward another Little Ice Age?
Concerns about a potential Little Ice Age are tempered by scientific evidence indicating that current climate dynamics are unlikely to lead to significant cooling. WHOI physical oceanographer Jake Gebbie explains that while natural phenomena like volcanic eruptions could theoretically cool the planet, the overwhelming heat from greenhouse gas emissions makes a return to pre-industrial temperatures improbable.
Read MoreSea level rises when land sinks
People around the world are worried about rising sea levels. Much of this increase comes from melting polar ice and ocean waters that expand as they warm. But along many coastlines, sea level rises much more than we might expect simply from changes in the ocean.
Read MoreIs glacier ice actually rock?
In places where it gets cold and snowy in winter, many meters of snow can fall. In some the following winter, adding a new layer to what was already there. Over hundreds to thousands of years, this process creates big sheets of ice called glaciers.
Read MoreIron Fertilization
Iron fertilization is a technique that would artificially add iron to the ocean's surface, triggering massive blooms of phytoplankton that could remove substantial amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Read MoreReef Ecosystems
A healthy reef protects coastlines from wave damage, plays a critical role in providing food, boosts the economy, and provides materials for pharmaceuticals.
Read MoreOcean Zones
The ocean water column is made up of five zones: the sunlight (epipelagic), twilight (mesopelagic), midnight (bathypelagic), abyssal (abyssopelagic) and hadal zones (trenches).
Read MoreOcean Alkalinity
When alkalinity reacts with carbon dioxide in the ocean, it converts it to a form that can't readily return to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide gas.
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