Oceanography
Mid-Ocean Ridges: Magnetics and Polarity, featuring seafloor spreading
Lava at mid-ocean ridges records Earth’s magnetic flips, creating stripes that reveal seafloor spreading rates and past reversals of Earth’s magnetic field.
Read MoreMonsoon circulation cycle
WHOI scientists study the Indian Ocean monsoon cycle, where ocean winds pick up moisture that condenses into heavy rains vital for billions of people’s crops and livelihoods.
Read MoreMonsoon season rain cycle
WHOI scientists are studying the link between water at the surface of the Indian Ocean and predicting monsoon rains.
Read MoreMultibeam sonar image of Galápagos seamounts
Multibeam sonar provided 1-meter-per-pixel resolution of seafloor bathymetry, compared with 800-meter-per-pixel resolution of the same area provided by satellite altimetry data.
Read MoreMultifrequency sonar image of underwater topography of an iceberg
Researchers created a colorful image of underwater topography in Greenland’s Sermilik Fjord using sonar data to estimate iceberg melting rates.
Read MoreNitrogen cycle, with imbedded callouts, captions
Chemical detectives follow nitrogen’s elusive and essential trail in the ocean.
Read MoreSinking water in the North Atlantic
Global map showing warm Gulf Stream waters flowing north toward the Arctic, where they cool, sink, and return south as part of the global ocean circulation.
Read MoreNorth Atlantic Ocean circulation pump
Map of North Atlantic currents labeled, with temperature shown in color and ocean surface elevation represented using a rainbow color ramp.
Read MorePhases of North Atlantic Oscillation
Global maps comparing weather over the North Atlantic during positive and negative oscillation phases.
Read MoreOcean-atmosphere interactions in the Northern Hemisphere
Global maps showing how atmospheric and ocean conditions interact in the Northern hemisphere, influencing sea surface temperature, weather patterns and climate.
Read MoreOcean eddies transporting plankton throughout the water column
Plankton help reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide by using it to grow. Larger particles sink to store carbon, while scientists study how smaller particles might also descend.
Read MoreOcean food web processes that drive carbon cycle
Ocean carbon cycles as phytoplankton convert CO2 into organic carbon, feeding zooplankton that respire CO2; some carbon sinks or is mixed into deeper ocean layers by various pumps.
Read MoreOcean iron recycling illustration
One ocean bacterium halves its iron needs by recycling enzymes—using iron-rich enzymes for photosynthesis by day, then switching to others for ammonia production at night.
Read MoreCalcium carbonate skeleton formation
Corals build skeletons from calcium and carbonate ions, but lower ocean pH reduces carbonate availability, making it harder for corals to grow their skeletons.
Read MoreJune 2011 Cesium-134 levels in the Pacific
Researchers on the Kaimikai o-Kanaloa found the Kuroshio Current blocked the southward flow of radioisotopes, trapping high levels south of Fukushima.
Read MoreInuktitut Glossary of Ice
Inuit have created an entire lexicon of words for ice, here are a few examples.
Read MoreLa Nina
Global map illustrating changes in sea surface temperatures, wind, and weather patterns that define an El Niño event.
Read MoreLife cycle of a scallop
What happens to the larvae of shellfish between birth and settling down largely remains a mystery. Finding out is essential to managing and restoring shellfish beds.
Read MoreLife cycle of dinoflagellate Alexandrium
The dinoflagellate Alexandrium grows, divides, and blooms in surface waters, then forms dormant cysts that settle on the seafloor to survive tough conditions.
Read MoreThe "on-call" buoy
Whales risk fatal entanglement in vertical ropes from lobster traps. The “on-call” buoy coils lines on a buoyant spool, eliminating dangerous vertical lines.
Read MoreMaldive medusae illustration
Marine biologist Henry Bigelow, WHOI’s first director, illustrated the Maldive medusae. His detailed, beautiful artwork of gelatinous marine life remains valued today.
Read MoreGlobal Map of Cesium-137 Levels in the Ocean
Map shows global ocean levels of Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope released from nuclear fission and major nuclear events like weapons tests and reactor accidents.
Read MorePlastic debris in the North Atlantic
Map of floating plastic debris collected over 22 years by students at sea shows high concentrations trapped in the slow-moving North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre.
Read MoreMarine Life Size vs Abundance
Ocean life spans from tiny bacteria and viruses to massive whales, with fewer larger animals. Most creatures prey on organisms just smaller than themselves in the food chain.
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