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Finding New Homes Won't Help Emperor Penguins Cope with Climate Change

Finding New Homes Won’t Help Emperor Penguins Cope with Climate Change

June 7, 2017

Unlike other species that migrate successfully to escape the wrath of climate change, a new study shows that dispersal may help sustain global Emperor penguin populations for a limited time, but, as sea ice conditions continue to deteriorate, the 54 colonies that exist today will face devastating declines by the end of this century.

Loral O'Hara

WHOI Research Engineer Selected for NASA Astronaut Program

June 7, 2017

Research Engineer Loral O’Hara was introduced today at Johnson Space Flight Center as a member of NASA’s most recent class of astronauts. O’Hara was one of just 12 to be selected from an applicant pool of more than 18,300 — the largest number NASA has ever received.

More Frequent Extreme Ocean Warming Could Further Endanger Albatross

More Frequent Extreme Ocean Warming Could Further Endanger Albatross

May 30, 2017

As scientists grapple with the behavioral, ecological and evolutionary impacts of extreme climatic events, the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B created a special June issue to explore what is known on the topic and pioneer new approaches to this challenging and rapidly expanding field of study. The issue, which was published online May 8, 2017, was co-edited by Wood Hole Oceanographic institution (WHOI) biologist Stephanie Jenouvrier.

Media Advisory: Research Vessel Neil Armstrong Participates in Fleet Week New York

Media Advisory: Research Vessel Neil Armstrong Participates in Fleet Week New York

May 24, 2017

What: The research vessel Neil Armstrong, owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), will participate in Fleet Week New York, May 24-26, 2017. The ship is the only research vessel participating in the…

Travel Distances of Juvenile Fish Key to Better Conservation

Travel Distances of Juvenile Fish Key to Better Conservation

May 15, 2017

WHOI scientists and their international colleagues conducted the largest, most comprehensive study of larval dispersal at coral reefs. Their findings have important implications for the sizing and spacing of marine reserves.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Ship Neil Armstrong to Participate  in Fleet Week New York

Woods Hole Oceanographic Ship Neil Armstrong to Participate in Fleet Week New York

May 9, 2017

The research vessel Neil Armstrong will participate in Fleet Week New York, May 24-26, 2017, marking the first time in recent memory that an oceanographic research vessel will be included in the celebration.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Honored by  Associated Industries of Massachusetts

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Honored by Associated Industries of Massachusetts

May 5, 2017

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has ‘œtransformed Massachusetts’ by carving out a preeminent place in the field of ocean sciences, according to the Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM). A global leader in ocean science and a key driver of the economy on Cape Cod, WHOI will be presented with the Vision Award, AIM’™s highest honor, at a ceremony in Boston on May 5.

Tracing the Puzzling Origins of Clinging Jellyfish

Tracing the Puzzling Origins of Clinging Jellyfish

April 18, 2017

For such small and delicate creatures, they can pack mighty painful stings. Known as clinging jellyfish because they attach themselves to seagrasses and seaweeds, Gonionemus is found along coastlines in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and in particular in waters near Vladivostok, Russia. Exactly how these jellyfish, long assumed to be native to the North Pacific, became so widely distributed throughout the world has perplexed researchers for decades

Volcanic Arcs Form by Deep Melting of Rock Mixtures

Volcanic Arcs Form by Deep Melting of Rock Mixtures

April 7, 2017

A new study published in the journal Science Advances changes our understanding of how volcanic arc lavas are formed, and may have implications for the study of earthquakes and the risks of volcanic eruption.

School Vacation Week Activities in Woods Hole

April 6, 2017

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the Woods Hole Film Festival present Fun & Films for Families, free films and activities during April school vacation week, Monday, April 17, through Thursday, April 20, 2017.  The events include family-friendly film screenings…

President of the United Nations General Assembly and WHOI Director Will Host Press Briefing

April 6, 2017

The President of the UN General Assembly and the Director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) will hold a press briefing on the vital importance of basic research to a global sustainable ocean. The briefing will be held on Friday, April 7, at 11:30 a.m., at WHOI’™s LOSOS laboratory.

Don Anderson

Don Anderson Selected for Prestigious Ketchum Award for Coastal Research

April 3, 2017

Senior Scientist Don Anderson will receive WHOI’s prestigious 2017 Bostwick H. Ketchum Award, which honors an internationally recognized scientist who demonstrates an innovative approach to coastal research, leadership in the scientific community, and who forges a link between coastal research and societal issues.

Corals Die as Global Warming Collides with Local Weather in the South China Sea

Corals Die as Global Warming Collides with Local Weather in the South China Sea

March 23, 2017

New research highlights the devastation caused when global-scale ocean warming interacts with short-lived weather anomalies, and adds urgency to the question of how reefs will fare through the end of this century.

Taking Earth’s Inner Temperature

Taking Earth’s Inner Temperature

March 2, 2017

A new WHOI study led by WHOI suggests the mantle—the mostly solid, rocky part of Earth’s interior that lies between its super-heated core and its outer crustal layer—may be hotter than previously believed. The surprising finding could change how scientists think about many issues in Earth science including how ocean basins form.

A New Long-Term Ecological Research Site Announced for the Northeast U.S. Shelf

A New Long-Term Ecological Research Site Announced for the Northeast U.S. Shelf

March 1, 2017

To better understand and manage the intricate ecosystem off the Northeast U.S. coast, the National Science Foundation has announced the selection of this critical ocean region for a new Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site led by WHOI.

Panel to Discuss Deep-Sea Mining at AAAS Meeting

Panel to Discuss Deep-Sea Mining at AAAS Meeting

February 17, 2017

Home to an immense diversity of marine life, the deep ocean also contains valuable minerals with metals such as nickel, copper, cobalt, manganese, zinc, and gold, and rare-earth elements used in electronic technology like smart phones and medical imaging machines. As demand for these resources increases and supplies on land decrease, commercial mining operators are looking to the deep ocean as the next frontier for mining.

Study Provides Measurement of Nitrogen Removal by Local Shellfish

Study Provides Measurement of Nitrogen Removal by Local Shellfish

February 6, 2017

A new study by Woods Hole Sea Grant, Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, and the Mashpee Department of Natural Resources provides the first comprehensive measurement of nitrogen removed by shellfish harvested from waters off Cape Cod.

Town of Falmouth and WHOI Win Seaport Economic Council Grant

Town of Falmouth and WHOI Win Seaport Economic Council Grant

February 2, 2017

At a meeting Thursday in Fall River, members of the Massachusetts Seaport Economic Council (SEC) green-lighted a $500,000 grant request from the Town of Falmouth and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). The award will go toward a feasibility study for the replacement of the WHOI dock on Water Street in Woods Hole.

Antarctic Bottom Waters Freshening at Unexpected Rate

Antarctic Bottom Waters Freshening at Unexpected Rate

January 25, 2017

In the cold depths along the sea floor, Antarctic Bottom Waters are part of a critical part of the global circulatory system. Over the last decade, scientists have been monitoring changes in these waters, but a new WHOI study suggests these changes are themselves shifting in unexpected ways, with potentially significant consequences for the ocean and climate.

Salty Oceans Can Forecast Rain on Land

Salty Oceans Can Forecast Rain on Land

December 16, 2016

At this week’s American Geophysical Union meeting, a team of researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) presented their latest research findings on the long-range predictions of rainfall on land. Their method is based on ocean salinity rather than sea surface temperatures, which has been the standard for decades.