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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 advancing a seaweed solution to develop new kelp strains

August 10, 2021

A leader in ocean science, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is embarking on a study of how new seaweed strains could further enhance the burgeoning seaweed industry and offer solutions to some of the world’s pressing challenges. This research is funded in part by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) with support from the Bezos Earth Fund.

Review Evaluates the Evidence for an Intensifying Indian Ocean Water Cycle

July 20, 2021

The Indian Ocean has been warming much more than other ocean basins over the last 50-60 years. While temperature changes basin-wide can be unequivocally attributed to human-induced climate change, it is difficult to assess whether contemporary heat and freshwater changes…

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution appoints new Chief Scientist for National Deep Submergence Facility

June 21, 2021

Woods Hole, MA (June 21, 2021) — Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), a world leader in ocean exploration, discovery and education, has named a new Chief Scientist for Deep Submergence (CSDS) for its National Deep Submergence Facility (NDSF). Dr. Anna…

mesobot

Underwater robot offers new insight into mid-ocean “twilight zone”

June 16, 2021

Woods Hole, MA (June 16, 2021) — An innovative underwater robot known as Mesobot is providing researchers with deeper insight into the vast mid-ocean region known as the “twilight zone.” Capable of tracking and recording high-resolution images of slow-moving and…

Papers Explore Massive Plankton Blooms with Very Different Ecosystem Impacts

June 7, 2021

Two papers explore the distribution and abundance of plankton and what conditions lead to big plankton blooms with vastly different potential impacts on the ecosystem.

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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