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Press Room

Walking in a Real Winter Wonderland

November 1, 2007

Penguins sing, are you listening? Lava flows, snow is glistening. Through the use of the Web and satellite technology, researchers and communicators from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution are bringing the sights, sounds, and smells of the season that is, the […]

Physical Oceanographer Chosen to Receive Ketchum Award for Coastal Science

October 24, 2007

Dr. Richard Garvine, a physical oceanographer who has specialized in the circulation of coastal waters and estuaries, has been named the 14th recipient of the Bostwick H. Ketchum Award from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and WHOI Finalize Research Collaboration

October 22, 2007

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), a new world-class, graduate-level scientific research university now under development, finalized an agreement today with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) to collaborate on marine research projects in the Red Sea.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Names New President and Director

October 12, 2007

The Board of Trustees of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) announces that Dr. Susan K. Avery has accepted the position of president and director of the institution.

Can a Dose of Iron Supplements Improve the Health of the Ocean and Climate?

October 10, 2007

Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) will host a public forum next week to discuss the pros and cons of ?iron fertilization? of the oceans as a means to mediate global warming.

CSI Deep Water: Finding Invisible Clues to Ancient Greek Culture

October 1, 2007

Like forensic investigators hunting for strands of DNA at a crime scene, Maria Hansson and Brendan Foley have found a way to detect archaeological clues that are invisible to the naked eye. Hansson and Foley have developed a genetic technique to determine the original contents of amphoras, the ceramic vessels often used for transporting and storing goods in the ancient world.

Fleet of Ocean Observers Grows to 3,000 Strong

October 1, 2007

On November 1, researchers from WHOI, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the University of Washington?as well as collaborators from 22 other nations?will celebrate the deployment of the 3,000th operational float and the completion of the Argo armada.

Novel digital device is used to help prevent boat collisions with manatees

October 1, 2007

Searching for better ways to protect this endangered species, a team of researchers from Florida turned to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for help in understanding how the animals behave underwater.

Extinction of Neanderthals Was Not a Climate Disaster Scenario

September 26, 2007

For the past few decades, scientists have offered several competing theories for what led to the extinction of the Neanderthals, with much of the debate focusing on the relative roles of climate change versus conflict with modern humans. Now one theory can be ruled out. New research by a multidisciplinary, international team?including paleoclimatologist Konrad Hughen of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution?shows that Neanderthals did not die out at a time of extreme and sudden climatic change, as some researchers have suggested.

Scientists, Policymakers, and Industry Leaders Gather to Discuss Ocean Iron Fertilization

September 25, 2007

Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will host an international, interdisciplinary conference on the proposed use of ?iron fertilization? of the ocean as a means to combat rising concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Acid Rain Has a Disproportionate Impact on Coastal Waters

September 7, 2007

The release of sulfur and nitrogen into the atmosphere by power plants and agricultural activities plays a minor role in making the ocean slightly more acidic on a global scale, but the impact is greatly amplified in the shallower waters of the coastal ocean, according to new research by atmospheric and marine chemists.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Will Lead Partnership to Establish Coastal and Global Observatories for Ocean Observatories Initiative

August 23, 2007

The Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI) has awarded a $97.7 million contract to an academic partnership led by the WHOI to support the development, installation, and initial operation of the coastal and global components of the National Science Foundation?s Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI). The WHOI partnership includes Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, and Oregon State University?s College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences.

Innovative Tagging Technique May Help Researchers Better Protect Fish Stocks

August 7, 2007

Simon Thorrold, a fish ecologist from WHOI, has received a new research grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to use harmless chemical tags to track the dispersal of the larvae of coral reef fishes in the western Pacific Ocean.

WHOI Awards Lockheed Martin $2.8 Million Contract to Design Submersible Replacement Human Occupied Vehicle

August 1, 2007

WHOI has awarded Lockheed Martin a $2.8 million contract for the initial design of the Replacement Human Occupied Vehicle (RHOV), a next generation three-person Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV) that will be used by the U.S. scientific community. The contract has an option for subsequent construction of the RHOV once the initial design is completed and the project is approved to move forward.

Fragmented Structure of Seafloor Faults May Dampen Effects of Earthquakes

July 12, 2007

Many earthquakes in the deep ocean are much lower in magnitude than expected. Geophysicists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have found new evidence that the fragmented structure of seafloor faults and previously unrecognized volcanism may be dampening the effects of these quakes.

Students, Museum Visitors, and Web Surfers Can Join First Search for Life on the Arctic Ocean Floor

July 6, 2007

A multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers is conducting the first search for life and hot springs on the seafloor of the Arctic Ocean. Through the use of the World Wide Web and satellite communications, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution […]

Explorers to Use New Robotic Vehicles to Hunt for Life and Hydrothermal Vents on Arctic Seafloor

June 21, 2007

Researchers will probe the Gakkel Ridge during expedition that begins on July 1.

Newt Merrill is Elected Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

June 5, 2007

Newton P.S. Merrill, senior executive vice president (retired) of The Bank of New York, has been elected Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

Merrill was elected at the Board’s spring meeting May 18 in […]

WHOI Geologists Compile Longest Ever Record of Atlantic Hurricane Strikes

May 23, 2007

The frequency of intense hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean appears to be closely connected to long-term trends in the El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation and the African monsoon, according to new research from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). Geologists Jeff Donnelly and Jonathan Woodruff made that discovery while assembling the longest-ever record of hurricane strikes in the Atlantic basin.

B12 Is Also an Essential Vitamin for Marine Life

May 18, 2007

B12—an essential vitamin for land-dwelling animals, including humans—also turns out to be an essential ingredient for growing marine plants that are critical to the ocean food web and Earth’s climate, scientists have found.

The presence or absence of B12 in the […]