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Research Highlights

Oceanus Magazine

Scientists Discover the "Vitamin B12 Claw"

Scientists Discover the “Vitamin B12 Claw”

May 31, 2012

Scientists have revealed a key cog in the biochemical machinery that allows marine algae at the base of the oceanic food chain to thrive. They have discovered a previously unknown protein in algae that grabs vitamin B12, an essential but…

Lessons from the 2011 Japan Quake

March 9, 2012

When the ground in Japan started shaking on March 11, 2011, the Japanese, who are well accustomed to earthquakes, knew this time was different. They weren’t surprised—the fault that ruptured has a long record of activity. But this time the…

Marine Microbes vs. Cystic Fibrosis

Marine Microbes vs. Cystic Fibrosis

February 29, 2012

Microbes that grow in the ocean could one day help doctors combat the deadly disease cystic fibrosis (CF), said Tracy Mincer, a microbiologist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Mincer studies the small chemicals marine microbes make to do specific jobs…

Tracking Toxic Chemicals in Oil Spills

Tracking Toxic Chemicals in Oil Spills

February 6, 2012

I don’t do San Francisco like most people. I skip the cable cars, Lombard Street, Alcatraz, and the fine restaurants and museums. Soon after my flight arrives, I drive my rental car north over the Golden Gate Bridge and hike…

On the Trail of Mercury in the Ocean

On the Trail of Mercury in the Ocean

February 1, 2012

I returned from Hawai’i in mid-December with 700 bottles of seawater. The bottles hold what I hope are solutions to an abiding mystery. In the middle of the ocean, waters at depths ranging from 100 to 1,000 meters contain high…

News Releases

What can a whale’s breath tell us? According to a new study, a lot about its health

November 12, 2025

A first of its kind study links drone-collected respiratory microbes with health assessments, offering hope for protecting vulnerable populations

USS Arizona provides blueprint for addressing oil leakage at thousands of WWII shipwrecks

October 2, 2025

The findings underscore the USS Arizona’s dual role as a solemn memorial and a “living laboratory.”

Ken Buesseler

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Ken Buesseler receives AGU Honor

September 24, 2025

Buesseler joins a distinguished group of scientists, leaders and communicators recognized by AGU for advancing science.

A new look at an old pollutant

September 2, 2025

A WHOI-led study tracks mercury across the western Pacific

New report highlights plastic pollution as a grave and growing danger to health and announces an independent, health-focused global monitoring system

August 4, 2025

While the impacts of plastic pollution on human health and the environment are growing, the report finds, increasing harm due to plastics is not inevitable.

News & Insights

What happens to natural gas in the ocean?

October 6, 2022

WHOI marine chemist Chris Reddy weighs in on a methane leak in the Baltic Sea

Wave Glider provides gateway to remote exploration

November 10, 2020

WHOI geochemist Chris German pairs an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) called a Wave Glider with other vehicles to expand research here and on other Ocean Worlds

Sea Dust

Mining ancient dust from the ocean’s loneliest spot

September 24, 2020

Researchers investigate dust from the ocean’s farthest point from land to reconstruct the climactic history of the Southern Hemisphere, and understand how micronutrients have influenced biological productivity in this oceanic desert.

Working from Home: Mallory Ringham

July 2, 2020

WHOI-MIT joint program student outfits her basement to do vital work on a marine carbon sensor

plastics by the numbers

The many lifetimes of plastics

June 15, 2020

Infographics strive to give us a sense of how long plastic goods will last in the environment. But is this information reliable? The findings of a new study from WHOI may surprise you.

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