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Research Highlights

Oceanus Magazine

Microbes Hitch Rides on Plastics in the Sea

Microbes Hitch Rides on Plastics in the Sea

November 5, 2010

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the International Census of Marine Microbes initiative.

How Does Toxic Mercury Get into Fish?

How Does Toxic Mercury Get into Fish?

October 1, 2010

Most everyone has heard by now that we should limit our consumption of certain fish because they accumulate high levels of toxic mercury. But nobody-not even scientists-knows how that toxic mercury gets into the ocean in the first place. Here’s…

Plastic Particles Permeate the Atlantic

Plastic Particles Permeate the Atlantic

August 20, 2010

Recent reports of a “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” in the subtropical waters of the North Pacific Ocean described a floating island as large as Texas—so thick that one could potentially walk on plastic debris for miles and miles. The image…

The Once and Future Corals

The Once and Future Corals

March 12, 2010
Bacterial 'Conversations' Have Impact on Climate

Bacterial ‘Conversations’ Have Impact on Climate

March 5, 2010

It’s wondrous how the vast and the infinitesimal combine to make our planet work. Scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have found that bacteria in the ocean, gathering in sort of “microbial block parties,” communicate and cooperate with each…

News Releases

The National Academy of Sciences selects WHOI’s Laura Motta as Kavli Fellow

March 20, 2025

Her research focuses on advancing our fundamental understanding of chemistry inspired by marine processes that challenge our current chemical knowledge.

WHOI’s Julie Huber Among 65 Fellows Elected to the American Academy of Microbiology

February 19, 2025

Fellows are elected annually through a highly selective, peer-review process, based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions.

Cellulose Diacetate Side by Side

WHOI Scientists Discover Fastest Degrading Bioplastic in Seawater

October 17, 2024

A new version of CDA was found to be the fastest degrading bioplastic material tested in seawater and is a promising replacement for other long-lasting foam plastic materials.

Benjamin Van Mooy

WHOI senior scientist named 2024 MacArthur Fellow

October 1, 2024

Benjamin Van Mooy receives “genius grant” for his research on biogeochemical networks and the impacts of climate change on ocean health

Ben Van Mooy and a Sediment Trap

Microbe Dietary Preferences Influence the Effectiveness of Carbon Sequestration in the Deep Ocean

September 13, 2024

A series of seemingly small processes helps carry carbon dioxide from the ocean’s surface to the deep sea, where it can be stored away for decades.

News & Insights

What happens to natural gas in the ocean?

October 6, 2022

WHOI marine chemist Chris Reddy weighs in on a methane leak in the Baltic Sea

Wave Glider provides gateway to remote exploration

November 10, 2020

WHOI geochemist Chris German pairs an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) called a Wave Glider with other vehicles to expand research here and on other Ocean Worlds

Sea Dust

Mining ancient dust from the ocean’s loneliest spot

September 24, 2020

Researchers investigate dust from the ocean’s farthest point from land to reconstruct the climactic history of the Southern Hemisphere, and understand how micronutrients have influenced biological productivity in this oceanic desert.

Working from Home: Mallory Ringham

July 2, 2020

WHOI-MIT joint program student outfits her basement to do vital work on a marine carbon sensor

plastics by the numbers

The many lifetimes of plastics

June 15, 2020

Infographics strive to give us a sense of how long plastic goods will last in the environment. But is this information reliable? The findings of a new study from WHOI may surprise you.