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WHOI Perspectives


Jellyfish larger than blue whales?

Jellyfish

Recent accounts in the media have described the appearance of lion’s mane jellyfish in waters and beaches in the Northeast as a surprising, sometimes troubling, event, with record sizes and numbers reported from Maine to the Massachusetts south coast. But is this event noteworthy? Or, as some have implied, is it a sign of failing ocean health? Three WHOI marine biologists weighed in to put events into perspective.

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Seven ocean explorers you should know about

June 8th is World Oceans Day, but we’re celebrating the big ole blue all month-long. But, before you post those Cousteau quotes, that inspiring Sylvia Earle documentary, or talk about those neat expeditions by James Cameron, we’d like to present you with five ocean explorers you may not have heard of.

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Summer’s coming: Will Cape Cod beaches be safe?

beach

Beach parking lots across Cape Cod are closed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. As summertime approaches, will the beach crowds that normally show up after Memorial Day will be staying away this year? WHOI microbiologist Amy Apprill weighs in.

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The oceans are losing oxygen, and faster than we thought

Low-oxygen “dead zones” and phytoplankton blooms

WHOI scientists weigh in on a new ICUN report highlighting a 2% decline in marine oxygen levels between 1960 and 2010. The loss of oxygen has triggered an expansion of marine dead zones throughout the global ocean that has put marine life and ecosystems in peril.

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WHOI scientists weigh in on sea level rise impact study

Climate Central sea level rise graphic

When it comes to future sea level rise, most studies predict we’ll see between four to eight inches of global sea level rise between now and 2050. The looming question is—how many people will be affected by rising seas in the coming decades?

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Putting the ‘nuclear coffin’ in perspective

WHOI geochemist Ken Buesseler discusses marine radioactivity monitoring in the Marshall Islands atop Runit Dome

WHOI chemist and marine radioactivity expert shares his thoughts about radioactivity waste leaking from Runit Dome—a bomb crater filled with radioactive soil in the Marshall Islands that is now being penetrated by rising sea levels

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