Media Tip Sheet – June 2025

June 1, 2025

JUNE 2025 MEDIA TIP SHEET

Welcome to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s media tip sheet. Our goal is to provide an advanced or detailed look at stories we believe are impactful or trending and offer WHOI experts if you’re interested in a deeper dive.

Jaws at 50: How WHOI contributed to the film's most explosive scene

In the summer of 1974, Martha’s Vineyard, and by extension, the Cape Cod towns that serviced the island, were abuzz with Hollywood fever. Many of the extras seen in the film were locals, so perhaps it made sense that when the film’s producers needed expertise for its problem-plagued mechanical star – Bruce the shark – the team turned to the experts at nearby WHOI. As the world’s leading ocean science research organization, WHOI was already, more or less, a part of the film. The shark expert Matt Hooper, played by Richard Dreyfuss, was from the “Oceanographic”, which many took to imply Woods Hole Oceanographic. One of the most iconic scenes in the film comes at the end, when - spoiler alert - the shark is blown up and Roy Schneider and Richard Dreyfuss make it safely back to land. Producers reached out to WHOI looking for help with the logistics of this scene, and found marine superintendent Richard “Dick” Edwards. He had a boat for the quick ride over to the island, but more importantly, a blasting permit and expertise in explosives from serving in World War II.

Dive into the history and find out what shark experts have to say about the film in the WHOI Press Room.

Research almost two decades in the making: Scientists examine what cicadas tell us about Earth’s metals.

Cicadas are emerging in record numbers on Cape Cod, creating a unique opportunity to research their role in releasing mercury into the environment. WHOI chemist Laura Motta is taking a brief break from studying metal cycling in ocean creatures to investigate potential sources of mercury and how it's released into the environment when cicadas emerge, die, and decompose. Motta says this form of biomonitoring mercury is new and will contribute towards the UN’s Minamata Convention's goals to reduce mercury emissions.

Get buggy with it in the WHOI Press Room.

Photos and video available for use with credit can be found here.

Decoding dolphin speak: WHOI experts find meaning in their squeaks and whistles

Researchers from WHOI and the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program are analyzing dolphins’ high-pitched whistle sounds to see if they carry any meaning. Using technology like hydrophones and digital acoustic tags, they recorded 20 different whistles. They found that when they played them back to the dolphins, at least two triggered responses, including curiosity and avoidance.

Learn about this award-winning work and what’s next in the WHOI Press Room.

Summer fun awaits at WHOI’s Discovery Center!

This summer, TWO new exhibits are opening in WHOI’s Discovery Center, while others are receiving needed upgrades. The new Ocean Twilight Zone exhibit allows visitors to explore the ocean’s dimly-lit mesopelagic zone, that’s teeming with life, in a walk-through experience, spotlighting the beauty and mystery of its inhabitants. If that’s not for you, celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jaws by checking out WHOI's newly updated shark research exhibit! Through an interactive display, visitors can explore the cutting-edge technology used to study and tag sharks and see what a real shark bite looks like on one of WHOI's robots!

In addition to the Discovery Center, visitors to Woods Hole can get behind-the-scenes tours and more. Learn more about where science meets the sea in the WHOI Press Room.

Photos and videos available for use with credit can be found here.