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Research Highlights

Oceanus Magazine

Jane Ruckert, a technical diver

From ruin to reef

January 27, 2026

What Pacific wrecks are teaching us about coral resilience—and pollution

One researcher, 15,000 whistles: Inside the effort to decode dolphin communications

January 21, 2026

Scientists at WHOI analyze thousands of dolphin whistles to explore whether some sounds may function like words

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

WHOI reef solutions field team

Inside the Solomon Islands’ hidden mega coral — a 300-year-old ocean giant

November 19, 2025

WHOI’s Reef Solutions team journeys to the world’s largest coral colony

Heidi Sosik

The little big picture

November 6, 2025

WHOI senior biologist Heidi Sosik on the critical need for long-term ocean datasets

News Releases

New Robotic Instruments to Provide Real-Time Data on Gulf of Maine Red Tide

May 7, 2013

A new robotic sensor deployed by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Gulf of Maine coastal waters may transform the way red tides or harmful algal blooms (HABs) are monitored and managed in New England. The instrument was launched at…

Experts Call for Network to Monitor Marine Biodiversity

April 22, 2013

A group of oceanographic experts is calling for the establishment of a national network to monitor the diversity of marine life, a key bellwether of ocean and human health. Their work is described in the April 11 issue of BioScience. Lead…

Research Enables Fishermen to Harvest Lucrative Shellfish on Georges Bank

April 10, 2013

Combined research efforts by scientists involved in the Gulf of Maine Toxicity (GOMTOX) project, funded by NOAA’s Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms (ECOHAB) program, and administered by the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), have led to…

Researchers Issue Forecast for ‘Moderate’ New England Red Tide in 2013

March 25, 2013

New England is expected to experience a “moderate” red tide this spring and summer, report NOAA-funded scientists studying the toxic algae that cause blooms in the Gulf of Maine. The “red tide” is caused by an alga Alexandrium fundyense, which…

Scientists Use Marine Robots to Detect Endangered Whales

January 9, 2013

Two robots equipped with instruments designed to “listen” for the calls of baleen whales detected nine endangered North Atlantic right whales in the Gulf of Maine last month. The robots reported the detections to shore-based researchers within hours of hearing…

News & Insights

Florida’s ocean economy depends on science

August 29, 2025

WHOI’s Dennis McGillicuddy on why ocean life matters deeply to the Sunshine State

Valentine’s Day Courtship Tips from the Ocean

February 10, 2025

Are you an ocean lover? Go a little deeper with these courtship tips from beneath the waves!

Recognizing Massachusetts Right Whale Day

April 24, 2023

April 24 marks the first-ever Right Whale Day in Massachusetts. WHOI biologist and veterinarian Michael Moore recently met with the resident who brought this special recognition about– and explains why it’s important to raise awareness about the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.

Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales Getting Smaller, New Research Finds

June 10, 2021

A report out this week in Current Biology reveal that critically endangered North Atlantic right whales are up to three feet shorter than 40 years ago. This startling conclusion reinforces what scientists have suspected: even when entanglements do not lead directly to the death of North Atlantic right whales, they can have lasting effects on the imperiled population that may now number less than 400 animals. Further, females that are entangled while nursing produce smaller calves.

right whales

Rare Drone video shows critically endangered North Atlantic right whales

May 10, 2021

May 10, 2021   During a joint research trip on February 28 in Cape Cod Bay, Mass., WHOI whale trauma specialist Michael Moore, National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry, and scientists from New England Aquarium, witnessed a remarkable biological event: North…

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