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Research Highlights

Oceanus Magazine

Lifetime of plastics illustration

Does plastic last for thousands of years in the environment?

March 13, 2025

WHOI marine chemist Collin Ward weighs in on the lifespan of plastics and innovations to address this pollution

The R/V Acadiana

Looking to the Mighty Mississippi for climate solutions

December 16, 2022

Researchers measure alkalinity flowing into the Gulf of Mexico to assess a carbon dioxide removal strategy

Why Indigenous perspectives matter in the climate conversation

November 21, 2022

Wampanoag Tribal Member Leslie Jonas talks WHOI, Native rights, and a timely partnership

The teetering balance of coastal CO2

October 18, 2022

WHOI scientists Matt Long and Aleck Wang explain the incredibly important role of coastal seagrasses and rivers in the global carbon cycle

A ship floats in the the Gulf of Mexico after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (Photo by Kris Krug, Wikimedia Commons)

Sunlight and the fate of oil at sea

September 29, 2022

Danielle Haas Freeman draws on the language of chemistry to solve an oil spill puzzle

News Releases

A pipette droplet of oil extracted from algae.

Natural Wax Holds Promise to Replace Petroleum in Cosmetics and Personal Care Products

April 6, 2023

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Western Washington University Sign License Agreement for Upwell Cosmetics to Make and Market a Marine Microalga-Derived Wax

CUREE is an autonomous underwater vehicle

Toward a New Era of Reef Solutions

April 4, 2023

WHOI coral reef researchers propose a new technology-centered focus to study and conserve coral reefs

WHOI helps lead groundbreaking study on the human and ocean health impacts of ocean plastics

March 21, 2023

For the first time, leading researchers from the fields of healthcare, ocean science, and social science have collaborated to quantify plastic’s considerable risks to all life on Earth. The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health report, released today, presents a comprehensive analysis showing plastics as a hazard at every stage of their life cycle.

CTD over the side

A Better Understanding of Gas Exchange Between the Atmosphere and Ocean Can Improve Global Climate Models

March 7, 2023

If scientists can improve the way models represent physical processes such as gas exchange, they can have more confidence in future simulations.

WHOI’s Matt Long and Jeff Coogan dive to check the status of underwater instruments near an eelgrass meadow,

Excess Nutrients Lead to Dramatic Ecosystem Changes in Cape Cod’s Waquoit Bay

February 21, 2023

The Bay Is a harbinger for estuaries worldwide, say researchers

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.