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Oceanus Magazine

Invasion of the 'Alien Vomit'?

Invasion of the ‘Alien Vomit’?

October 6, 2008
Are Sea Squirts Crowding Out Scallops?

Are Sea Squirts Crowding Out Scallops?

October 3, 2008

Over the last 10 years, Mary Carman has documented how slimy sea squirts have invaded coastal New England, multiplying on rocks, docks, boat bottoms, moorings, and other hard surfaces. Their rubbery bodies create a nuisance and, perhaps more importantly, render…

The Spiral Secret to Mammal Hearing

The Spiral Secret to Mammal Hearing

September 17, 2008

The spiral secrets of mammals? hearing abilities Whispering galleries are curious features of circular buildings. As whispers travel along the buildings’ curved walls, they remain loud enough to be heard clearly on the other end of even a large room.…

Deeply Submerged Volcanoes Blow Their Tops

Deeply Submerged Volcanoes Blow Their Tops

August 14, 2008

A research team led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has uncovered evidence of explosive volcanic eruptions on the Arctic Ocean seafloor almost 2.5 miles deep. Scientists did not think volcanoes submerged under such intense water pressure were capable of…

Crack! A Lake Atop Greenland Disappears

Crack! A Lake Atop Greenland Disappears

July 7, 2008

In late July 2006, a 2.2-square-mile lake atop the Greenland Ice Sheet sprung a leak. Like a draining bathtub, the entire lake emptied from the bottom, sending water through a crack that reached the base of the ice sheet 3,215…

News Releases

Researchers help solve mystery of clockwork-like earthquake system deep beneath the Pacific

May 14, 2026

Study of Gofar transform fault on the Pacific seafloor points to mitigating effects of “barrier zones” that keep ruptures from spreading.

A new study finds Jupiter’s moon Europa’s quiet seafloor may still hold keys for life

January 6, 2026

A new study suggests Jupiter’s icy moon lacks geophysical activity, changing how scientists think about life there

Black shale

A new study reveals how oxygen first reached Earth’s oceans

December 9, 2025

Researchers use vanadium isotopes to track the rise of oxygen in ancient seas

europa clipper

WHOI selected by NASA to investigate ocean worlds and their organic carbon cycles

December 3, 2025

The Investigating Ocean Worlds project will seek to improve the analysis of data related to carbon-rich molecules that could be an indicator of biological activity.

Six-million-year-old ice discovered in Antarctica offers unprecedented window into a warmer Earth

October 29, 2025

This is the most significant discovery to date for COLDEX, an NSF Science and Technology Center funded in 2021 to explore the Antarctic ice sheet, which is the largest ice mass on the planet.

News & Insights

Scientists tap ‘secret’ fresh water under the ocean

September 12, 2025

First-of-its-kind research expedition studies massive freshwater aquifer under the ocean floor off Cape Cod

The Search for Life

February 17, 2021

This week, NASA’s Perseverance Rover lands on Mars to continue the search for life on the Red Planet. At the same time, WHOI scientists and engineers are applying their experience exploring the deepest parts of planet Earth to the quest…

greenland ice

Will melting glaciers cool the climate?

July 29, 2020

As glaciers melt at unprecedented rates, WHOI’s Simon Pendleton is looking back to historical records to predict whether this new cool runoff will slow ocean circulation and cool the northern hemisphere––findings which could mean adjustments to some climate predictions.

Art Maxwell

Celebrating an oceanographic life

July 1, 2020

WHOI looks back at the legacy of co-founder of MIT-WHOI Joint Program, former Director of Research and Provost at WHOI, Art Maxwell

Working from home: Chris German

April 30, 2020

As I reached the end of April, I realized that too much of my time was getting consumed by zoom calls and email in a bid to over-compensate for not being able to interact with people on-site at WHOI. So…

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