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New 13-year Study Tracks Impact of Changing Climate on a Key Marine Food Source

New 13-year Study Tracks Impact of Changing Climate on a Key Marine Food Source

October 20, 2016

A new multiyear study from scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has shown for the first time how changes in ocean temperature affect a key species of phytoplankton. The study, published in the October 21 issue of the journal Science, tracked levels of Synechococcus – ”a tiny bacterium common in marine ecosystems – ”near the coast of Massachusetts over a 13-year period. As ocean temperatures increased during that time, annual blooms of Synechococcus occurred up to four weeks earlier than usual because cells divided faster in warmer conditions, the study found.

Study Reveals Corals' Influence on Reef Microbes

Study Reveals Corals’ Influence on Reef Microbes

October 12, 2016

As they grow, corals are bathed in a sea of marine microbes, such as bacteria, algae, and viruses. While these extremely abundant and tiny microorganisms influence coral communities in a variety of ways, a new study by researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) and University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) reveals that corals also have an impact on the microbes in waters surrounding them

Chief of Naval Operations Visits WHOI

September 19, 2016

Global ocean research projects and marine technology advances were among the topics presented on September 9 when the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Admiral John Richardson, paid a visit to WHOI.

Ancient Skeleton Discovered on Antikythera Shipwreck

Ancient Skeleton Discovered on Antikythera Shipwreck

September 19, 2016

An international research team discovered a human skeleton during its ongoing excavation of the famous Antikythera Shipwreck (circa 65 B.C.) this month. The shipwreck, which holds the remains of a Greek trading or cargo ship, is located off the Greek island of Antikythera in the Aegean Sea. The first skeleton recovered from the wreck site during the era of DNA analysis, this find could provide insight into the lives of people who lived 2100 years ago.

Free-swimming Ocean Gliders Help Scientists Understand Storm Intensity

Free-swimming Ocean Gliders Help Scientists Understand Storm Intensity

September 5, 2016

A regional team from WHOI, Rutgers University, the University of Maine, the University of Maryland, and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute mobilized Friday in advance of Hurricane (now Tropical Storm) Hermine’s arrival in the Northeast to gather data from new ocean instruments that will help better predict the intensity and evolution of future tropical storms along the US East Coast

WHOI Receives $1 Million Award for Early-Career Scientists  from Grayce B. Kerr Fund

WHOI Receives $1 Million Award for Early-Career Scientists from Grayce B. Kerr Fund

September 2, 2016

The Grayce B. Kerr Fund has awarded the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) $1 million to establish an endowment in memory of WHOI Life Trustee Breene Kerr.

The Sound of a Healthy Reef

The Sound of a Healthy Reef

August 26, 2016

A new study from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) will help researchers understand the ways that marine animal larvae use sound as a cue to settle on coral reefs. The study, published on August 23rd in the online journal Scientific Reports, has determined that sounds created by adult fish and invertebrates may not travel far enough for larvae – ”which hatch in open ocean – ”to hear them, meaning that the larvae might rely on other means to home in on a reef system.

Moore Foundation Supports WHOI Effort to Revolutionize Ocean Research

Moore Foundation Supports WHOI Effort to Revolutionize Ocean Research

August 22, 2016

A $250,000 award from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation supports WHOI scientists and engineers to explore a new path for ocean research focused on rapid software and hardware innovation.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Announces Innovative Wind Turbine Monitor

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Announces Innovative Wind Turbine Monitor

August 16, 2016

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) announces the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 9,395,338 for self-regulating terrestrial turbine control through environmental sensing.

Wind energy is a widespread clean alternative to energy from fossil fuels. The increasing number of wind turbine installations highlights […]

WHOI Announces 2016 Ocean Science Journalism Fellows

WHOI Announces 2016 Ocean Science Journalism Fellows

July 28, 2016

Seven writers, radio, and multimedia science journalists from the U.S., England, and India have been selected to participate in the competitive Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Ocean Science Journalism Fellowship program. The program takes place September 25-30, 2016, in Woods Hole, Mass., on Cape Cod.

WHOI is a 'Rising Star' in Research Performance

WHOI is a ‘Rising Star’ in Research Performance

July 27, 2016

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) was named one of the top 25 institutions in North America in the Nature Index 2016 Rising Stars, which identifies the countries and institutions that have significantly increased their research studies published in high-quality research journals.

Scientists Now Listening for Whales in New York Waters With Real-time Acoustic Buoy

Scientists Now Listening for Whales in New York Waters With Real-time Acoustic Buoy

June 27, 2016

Scientists working for WCS’™s (Wildlife Conservation Society) New York Aquarium and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) now have an “ear” for the New York region’™s biggest “voices and singers”‘” the whales of New York Bight.

Swansea University Professor Receives Prestigious Fulbright Award to Study at WHOI

Swansea University Professor Receives Prestigious Fulbright Award to Study at WHOI

June 26, 2016

David Lamb, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Swansea University in Wales, will conduct research at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) as part of an All Disciplines Scholar Fulbright Award—one of the most prestigious and selective scholarship programs operating worldwide.

SharkCam Tracks Great Whites into the Deep

SharkCam Tracks Great Whites into the Deep

June 24, 2016

On the first trip to study great white sharks in the wild off Guadalupe Island in 2013, the REMUS SharkCam team returned with an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) tattooed with bite marks and some of the most dramatic footage ever seen on Discovery Channel’s Shark Week: large great white sharks attacking the underwater robot, revealing previously unknown details about strategies sharks use to hunt and interact with their prey.

Artifacts Discovered on Return Expedition to Antikythera Shipwreck

Artifacts Discovered on Return Expedition to Antikythera Shipwreck

June 20, 2016

An international research team led by archaeologists and technical experts from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports and WHOI has discovered spectacular artifacts during its ongoing excavation of the famous ancient Antikythera Shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera in the Aegean Sea.

Historic Marine Mammal Sound Archive Now Available Online

Historic Marine Mammal Sound Archive Now Available Online

June 20, 2016

Over his more than 40 years as a scientist at WHOI, William Watkins led the effort to collect and catalog the vocalizations made by marine mammals. Now, a team from WHOI has launched the online, open access William Watkins Marine Mammal Sound Database.

MIT/WHOI Joint Oceanography Program Achieves Milestone of 1,000th Degree

MIT/WHOI Joint Oceanography Program Achieves Milestone of 1,000th Degree

May 31, 2016

One of the nation’s preeminent graduate programs in oceanography has achieved a major milestone:  This year, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Joint Program will confer its 1000th degree.  A celebration will be held in Woods Hole […]

Fishermen, Scientists Collaborate to Collect Climate Data

Fishermen, Scientists Collaborate to Collect Climate Data

May 23, 2016

To help understand the ongoing changes in their slice of the ocean, a group of commerical fishermen in southern New England are now part of a fleet gathering much-needed climate data for scientists through a partnership with the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). 

Study Offers Clues to Better Rainfall Predictions

Study Offers Clues to Better Rainfall Predictions

May 6, 2016

WHOI scientists have found a potential path to better seasonal rainfall predictions. Their study shows a clear link between higher sea surface salinity levels in the North Atlantic Ocean and increased rainfall on land in the West African Sahel, the area between the Sahara Desert and the savannah in Sudan.

WHOI Technology Used in Locating El Faro Data Recorder

WHOI Technology Used in Locating El Faro Data Recorder

April 28, 2016

Technology and vehicles developed and operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) scientists and engineers were instrumental in assisting the NTSB in locating the voyage data recorder (VDR) of El Faro.