One ocean 🤝 One great T-shirt.
Your purchase of the “Our Ocean Planet” tee not only supports marine research—it also directly supports ocean conservation!
For every shirt sold, its maker, Relic, will fund 30 water-filtering oysters with the Moriches Bay Project.
Get yours: go.whoi.edu/RelicSale
Four people wearing hard hats work together to lift a large metal object using a wooden beam in an industrial setting. The object is supported on wooden blocks, and industrial equipment surrounds the group.
A person in a hard hat works on a complex electrical panel filled with colorful intertwined wires. Their arm tattoos are visible, and they are surrounded by various tools and equipment within a metal framework.
How many engineers does it take to screw Alvin back together? 🤭
Since last fall, the Alvin Group has been hard at work giving the nation's deepest-diving crewed submersible a regular maintenance overhaul. After sea trials in June, Alvin will return to exploring the deep sea.
A black and white striped fish swims near branching coral underwater. The coral has a textured surface with white tips, and the background shows an underwater environment with more corals.
Underwater scene showing a cluster of pink and brown coral surrounded by a frame of white PVC pipes with attached cameras. The sandy seabed features gentle, wavy patterns, under clear blue water.
WHOI researchers found that damselfish's reef locations influenced how the sounds of their mating calls!
This insight enables scientists to detect species remotely and, in some cases, measure spawning success.
📲Learn more from Eco Magazine: go.whoi.edu/eco-damselfish
A black and white photo shows a group of people gathered on a dock at night, observing individuals aboard a large ship. The ship has a visible crane and machinery. The crowd, dressed in coats and hats, faces the ship, while some people on board stand near the railing looking at the spectators.
Black and white photo of a group of people, some in winter coats and hats, gathered around a man playing a trumpet and another holding an accordion. The group is outside with stacks of trays or pallets in the background.
A black-and-white photo showing a large group of people participating in a folk dance at a port. In the foreground, men and women are linked hand-in-hand forming a circle. The background shows onlookers and equipment, suggesting a lively, communal atmosphere.
Sometimes we all just need a reason to dance and celebrate as a community.
In May 1977, members of the lively Woods Hole folk dancing community turned out to help celebrate the return of the R/V Atlantis II from a 573-day circumnavigation of the world—the longest WHOI cruise up to that date.
Think your vote doesn't count? Not when it comes to the People's Choice from the ! 😊
Vote for great science communication. Vote for ocean exploration. Vote for a democratic Internet. 📲Vote for It's an Ocean World: go.whoi.edu/webby-2026
⏳Hurry, voting ends on April 16 at 11:59pm (PT)
A rusty fishing boat with a weathered cabin and an array of ropes and equipment in the foreground, docked alongside a green and white vessel named "Elizabeth." The scene is set under a partly cloudy sky.
What gives New Bedford Harbor that subtle sheen?🤔
WHOI marine chemist Chris Reddy says oil leaking from older vessels ends up in the sediment, creating a “warehouse” for pollution and exposing fish + shellfish to toxins.
📲Get the full story via @newbedfordlight.bsky.social: go.whoi.edu/nbl-oil
Currents serve as transportation corridors and highways for ocean life, nutrients—and, unfortunately, pollutants.
📲Find out how WHOI oceanographers are using specialized drifters to map these hidden highways in Cape Cod Bay: go.whoi.edu/hiddencurrents
Two people in outdoor gear stand on a icy Antarctic landscape. The person on the left, wearing sunglasses and a cap, holds binoculars, while the person on the right engages in conversation, holding a camera. In the background, a large ship is visible on the ice.
Person bundled up in cold-weather gear, wearing a blue jacket with red accents, a beanie, sunglasses, and a scarf covering their face. They are seated on a boat with snowflakes falling around and the ocean in the background.
A person wearing a blue beanie and fur-lined winter jacket is seated in a rubber boat, using a camera to capture the icy, expansive landscape. The boat is equipped with bright orange life vests. Icebergs and a wintry shoreline are visible in the background.
A group of people in heavy winter clothing, including orange and black jackets, stand on a snow-covered landscape. One person holds a red rescue ladder, and another operates an ice drill nearby. Snowy mountains and a vast expanse of ice form the background. Various tools and equipment are scattered on the ground.
How do we study one of the most inaccessible parts of the world? 🤔
From aboard a Ponant icebreaker, MIT-WHOI students are taking real-world measurements in Antarctica that will help us assess how fast the frozen continent is melting.
📲Learn more from Oceanus: go.whoi.edu/polarpartnership
In 1949, researchers lowered a microphone into the ocean and recorded something they couldn’t quite explain. 🤔
Decades later, experts at WHOI realized the it was the earliest known recording of a humpback whale! 🐋
📲Tune into the sounds of an earlier ocean from @apnews.com: go.whoi.edu/apwhale
Can science help stop the spread of harmful algal blooms? 🦠🔬
WHOI biologist Don Anderson has spent decades studying these toxic marine algae—and is hopeful about solutions on the horizon.
📲 Find out how marine scientists are fighting HABs from @usatoday.com: go.whoi.edu/usatodayblooms
Did you know that the Earth makes its own glass⁉️🤯
When magma erupts from volcanoes on land or the deep sea, it cools rapidly, forming “volcanic glass.” Here, a lava pillar ‘portal’ formed after an eruption at the East Pacific Rise in 2025, featuring delicate drip structures on the top selvages.
After spending the winter getting a full makeover in Florida, R/V Atlantis left the drydock this week—but not before we got some pictures of the 274-foot ship's underbelly!
After sea trials, Atlantis returns to Woods Hole on April 28. Follow its journey: go.whoi.edu/atlantis-tracker
📣 It's An Ocean World, a website challenging how we view our ocean planet, has been nominated for the Internet’s most prestigious recognition, the Webby Awards!
✅ You can help by voting (early and often) in the People's Choice competition through April 16: go.whoi.edu/webby-2026🤞
TONIGHT at 7:30pm (ET) — explore the deepest, darkest mysteries on Earth at Ocean Encounters!
👉 Register for this free, live virtual event: go.whoi.edu/into-the-abyss
+ASL interpretation for Zoom viewers🤟
#OceanEncounters is an official event of the @unoceandecade.bsky.social
🐬Long-term research in Sarasota, Florida, reveals that dolphins have a “signature whistle” they use to stay in touch.
Find out what #WHOI biologist Laela Sayigh has been able to decode in her decades of work with these marine mammals in @us.theconversation.com: go.whoi.edu/conversation-sayigh
How do you become Chief Scientist of the National Deep Submergence Facility?
Find out what it takes to do deep sea research in a live virtual conversation with WHOI's Anna Michel + colleagues at Ocean Encounters, April 8 at 7:30pm (ET)!
👉 Register: go.whoi.edu/into-the-abyss
IWasAKid.com🖌️
❄️ In a new collaborative study, WHOI scientists found that bacteria riding on “marine snow” can break down the minerals that help it sink. That means less carbon may reach long-term storage in the deep ocean.
📲Learn more: go.whoi.edu/eco-snow
A Chinstrap penguin stands on rocky terrain, calling with its beak open. Behind it, snowy mountains and a clear blue sky form a striking backdrop.
What do penguins do when they get hot?🤔
Like all birds, chinstrap penguins do not have sweat glands, so they pant to cool themselves down.
During a research expedition to Antarctica in 2009, WHOI postdoc Michael Polito investigated how temperature changes ripple through the food web.
A humpback whale breaches near one of the #NSFfunded Ocean Observatories Initiative surface moorings.
This data collected by these offshore instruments helps researchers better understand ocean dynamics— and the ecosystems that whales call home.
📸 Peter Duley, Permit 27066
🌊Take a deep dive into the abyss on April 8!
Join @deepseadawn.bsky.social and experts from WHOI and @sunygeneseo.bsky.social for live virtual conversation about deep sea research + technologies.
📲Learn more & register: go.whoi.edu/into-the-abyss
A bright yellow and red underwater vehicle with lights on, marked "Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution," explores beneath an enormous, jagged iceberg in deep, dark water.
A vibrant yellow boat floats on calm water, dwarfed by the towering, jagged face of a glacier. The glacier is a mix of icy blues and whites, with sharp peaks and intricate textures under a cloudy sky.
A bright yellow submersible, marked with "SENTRY" and "Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution," floats on calm ocean waters. It is equipped with orange fins and attached to a crane, ready to be lowered or lifted. The serene sea and blue sky stretch into the distance, creating a tranquil backdrop.
A bright orange and yellow underwater drone floats on the ocean’s surface, surrounded by a patch of vivid green water contrasting with the darker sea. The sky is overcast, creating a moody atmosphere.
🤖 It’s National Robotics Week!
Whether remotely sampling the deep sea or autonomously gathering data in stormy seas, ocean robots help scientists study the extremes of our ocean planet faster, safer, and in greater detail than ever before.
📲Find out how:
go.whoi.edu/Oceanbots
Every corner of our DeepTech Collaborative is designed for innovation.
Designed as a shared “collision space,” DeepTech provides scientists and engineers with a place to push boundaries and design the technologies that will transform how we explore the ocean.
👉Learn more: go.whoi.edu/DeepTech
Three people in safety gear and helmets on a ship's deck are handling a large scientific instrument with multiple cylindrical containers, suspended by a crane. In the background, an icy, snow-capped mountain rises over calm arctic waters.
The war between Russia and Ukraine has destroyed many things, including vital research partnerships in the Arctic.
WHOI senior scientist Don Anderson explains how research into harmful algal blooms has been disrupted in the 4-year conflict: go.whoi.edu/RussiaUkraine
📣 It's An Ocean World, a website challenging how we view our ocean planet, has been nominated for the Internet’s most prestigious recognition, the Webby Awards!
✅ You can help by voting (early and often) in the People's Choice competition through April 16: go.whoi.edu/webby-2026🤞
Whoi biologist, Dick Backus, is using a machine to see if plankton are migrating with the eclipse. The room is filled with complex equipment and wires, suggesting a scientific or technical environment.
In 1963, WHOI biologist Dick Backus set his sights on a question that had puzzled scientists for decades: what caused the daily vertical movement of plankton? The sun or an internal clock?
During an eclipse, Backus was able to monitor that the migration was triggered by changing light levels!
A deep-sea dumbo octopus with a translucent body swims by the porthole of the deep sea submersible Alvin. Bubble-like text on the left reads "INTO THE ABYSS." Event details on the right mention "Exploring the mysteries of the deep," with the date "Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 7:30–8:30PM ET." The footer notes "OCEAN ENCOUNTERS" by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Discover what it takes to explore the abyss during a live virtual discussion with deep sea experts on April 8!
👉 Register: http://go.whoi.edu/into-the-abyss
@deepseadawn.bsky.social @sunygeneseo.bsky.social @unoceandecade.bsky.social
A person in a blue shirt and cap sits among green foliage, holding a fluffy, dark bird in their hand. The background features a vibrant turquoise sea and rocky shoreline.
A hand gently cradles a fluffy, gray chick with closed eyes against a blurred turquoise background.
Close-up of a brown and white seabird, with black, glossy eyes and a sharp, dark beak. A vivid blue ocean is blurred in the background.
Lights, camera…seabirds!
A documentary film crew recently joined researchers, including WHOI biologist Francesco Ventura, on a mission to Bermuda’s Nonsuch Island to learn more about cahows.
Learn about one of the world’s rarest seabirds from The Royal Gazette: go.whoi.edu/rg-cahow
WHOI oceanographer Sophie Hines has spent her career piecing together the ocean’s past, one sediment sample and deep-sea coral at a time.
👉Get to know this Human of WHOI: go.whoi.edu/SophieHines
A person dressed in a fur-lined parka and colorful ski goggles holds a large, translucent block of ice. The jacket is dusted with snow. A camera on a tripod is positioned nearby, capturing the scene.
Close-up of textured ice with intricate, frosty patterns and crystalline structures. The surface glistens, showcasing layers of translucent and opaque ice mixed with delicate snowflakes.
Close-up of rugged, layered terrain showing a clear, crystalline ice sheet embedded within gray, cracked soil and rocky surface. The ice glistens with white striations, contrasting sharply against the earthy textures and colors.
Imagine finding the last person who speaks a lost language—and having only a short time to learn from them.
Polar scientists are facing a similar time crunch as ancient ice emerges + melts along Alaska’s coast.
📲 Learn more from WHOI’s Sarah Shackleton in @science.org go.whoi.edu/icerelic
A person wearing a navy blue cap with "R/V Neil Armstrong" and a ship design embroidered on it, along with a light gray T-shirt featuring a stylized image of a ship and waves, stands on a sunny day near a marina.
A person wearing a shirt with a ship design embroidered on it, along with a white T-shirt featuring a stylized image of a ship and waves, stands on a sunny day near a marina.
The WHOI Research Fleet belongs on the sea. But these shirts? They belong on you!
Celebrate the legacy of the Navy-owned, WHOI-operated R/V Neil Armstrong and R/V Atlantis! Get 25% off while supporting research at sea!
🔬 See all the goodies in our End-of-Winter Sale: go.whoi.edu/WinterSale
