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Research Highlights

Oceanus Magazine

Alvin and the swordfish

Alvin vs. the swordfish

May 16, 2026

During a 1967 dive off Florida, a startled swordfish rammed the famed submersible Alvin—lodging its sword in the hull and forcing the crew to abort the mission

Luxury cruises with a side of climate science

April 9, 2026

A new partnership gives scientists rare access to remote Antarctic glaciers—and a new way to engage the public

Overhead view of ROV Jason working at an underwater volcano site. (© Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

Three ocean robots that plunge into active volcanoes

March 18, 2026

Jason, Mesobot, and Nereid Under Ice are transforming our understanding of underwater volcanoes and the life they support.

A new underwater robot could help preserve New England’s historic shipwrecks

December 1, 2025

WHOI’s ResQ ROV to clean up debris in prominent marine heritage sites

Carl Hartsfield

Three questions with Carl Hartsfield

November 6, 2025

Captain Hartsfield, USN retired, discusses the role ocean science plays in our national defense

News Releases

WHOI shares details on microplastic detection project

January 11, 2022

A project led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Chemical Sensors Lab is moving researchers closer to an in-field microplastics sensor that measures the amount of plastic particles in water.

Research suggests giant kelp has different factors that bear on its growth dynamics

January 4, 2022

The macroalga giant kelp, which is an iconic and important ecosystem-structuring species found off the coast of California and many other coastlines, can grow 100-feet long within 1-2 years. Now, researchers using novel remote sensing observations have found that different factors may bear on the spatial growth dynamics of the Macrocystis pyrifera kelp, which is the largest species of algae in the world.

DOE Funding will Support WHOI Research to Support Sustainable Development of Offshore Wind

November 19, 2021

Woods Hole, MA – The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has received $750,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop next‐generation autonomous robotic technology for environmental monitoring of marine organisms and the seafloor at potential wind…

auv coral

Development of a curious robot to study coral reef ecosystems awarded $1.5 million by the National Science Foundation

November 10, 2021

A prototype of an autonomous underwater vehicle capable of navigating complex underwater environments and of collecting data adaptively over long periods of time. Daniel Hentz / ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole, MA – A grant by the National Science…

ROV Jason

ROV Jason helps recover two other underwater vehicles

September 3, 2021

On September 2, the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Jason aided in the recovery of two underwater vehicles, ROV Hercules and Argus, that were stranded on the seafloor near British Columbia

News & Insights

WHOI builds bridges with Arctic Indigenous communities

February 10, 2021

NSF program fosters collaboration between indigenous communities and traditional scientists, allowing WHOI’s autonomous vehicles to shed light on a changing Arctic

WHOI-assisted study finds ocean dumping of DDT waste was “sloppy”

October 29, 2020

An investigative report this week in the LA Times features the work of WHOI’s marine geochemistry lab in identifying the discarded barrels and analyzing samples from the discovery.

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