Nuclear waste site, Runit Dome on Runit Island within the Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

Runit dome, cracking concrete, and overgrown vegetation

A group of people walking on the dome during a recent inspection and research, documenting cracks appearing in the dome’s aging concrete cap.

Runit Dome nuclear waste site in the Marshall Islands is cracking, raising fears of radiation exposure, worsened by rising sea levels linked to climate change. The dome holds over 120,000 tons of radioactive debris. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridaysforFuture #FridayFieldUpdate #Research

A Middle Eastern oil facility struck in a bombing is burning and smoking on the coast of the Persian Gulf

Emerging environmental harm and risks from the War in Iran: Pollution incidents are placing people and ecosystems at risk of acute and long-term harm, and lead to substantial environmental damage as the war continues. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate #IranWar #Ecocide

Research UAV glider

Research ship and buoy

Water sampling rosette on deck

WHOI is conducting a field trial in the Gulf of Maine to mitigate Ocean Acidification by adding small amounts of sodium hydroxide into the ocean to fight climate change. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate #FridaysforFuture #ClimateChange #OceanAcidification

Woods Hole Research Vessel

A small-scale research trial has revealed promising provisional results from an experiment of ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) in an open marine environment. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate #FridaysforFuture #ClimateChange #OceanAcidification

Coral reef dissolving from ocean acidification

#OceanAcidification, the “evil twin” of #ClimateChange, is a direct consequence of excess atmospheric #CO2 dissolving into oceans—a "one-two-punch"—dissolving #Coral skeletons, inhibiting growth, and causing reef destruction. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate

A young female researcher testing water quality in Florida Bay

Coral covered with invasive algae from polluted runoff

Runoff causes severe degradation of offshore coral reefs in the Florida Keys. Pollution fuels algae blooms that choke corals, reduces water clarity, promotes disease, and lowers oxygen levels, directly contributing to massive coral loss. #WetTribe #FridayFieldUpdate

An aerial image of Everglades runoff into Florida Bay

Drying in the Everglades, driven by restricted water flow and drought, severely damages the wetland ecosystem. Wildfires destroy habitats, release massive carbon emissions, and leads to erosion, poor water quality, and biodiversity loss. #WetTribe #FridayFieldUpdate

A Florida wildfire is approaching Alligator Alley in the Everglades

Florida is enduring its most severe drought in over 25 years, with two-thirds of the state in extreme conditions. Prolonged dryness has triggered widespread water restrictions and fueled dangerous wildfires. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate #ClimateChange #Florida #Drought #Wildfires

Crew aboard a Zodiac above a research diver and a coral reef

Research diver below with bubbles rising to the surface

A research diver handing test equipment to crew members

2023–2025 marked the fourth global bleaching event, with 84% of world reefs affected by extreme marine heatwaves. Bleaching events occur every 3-5 years, far faster than the 10-15 years needed for recovery. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate

Image capture of totally degraded coral fragments.

We’ve seen this before, when we first tried to stop them 10 years ago. The Port Miami dredge buried 300 acres of reef and killed millions of corals, damage that still hasn’t been repaired, even now. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate #Florida #Coral

Discarded plastic bottles and spilled oil on the surface of the ocean

Plastic fuels climate change throughout its lifecycle, with emissions projected at 20% of global carbon by 2050. 99% of plastic is derived from fossil fuels; its production, refining, incineration, and degradation release greenhouse gases. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate

A collection of Humpback Whale Flukes from Hawai'i

Humpback whales are identified by the unique black-and-white pigmentation patterns, scars, and serrated edges on the underside of their tail flukes, which functions as a distinct identifier. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate #HumpbackWhales

A whale research and rescue team approaches an entangled humpback whale near the surface

A male researcher with a telephoto lens photographs a whale's fin and fluke for identification purposes

A female researcher plotting a location on a nautical chart while using Marine VHF radio

A humpback whale was successfully freed from a life-threatening entanglement of rope, gear, and buoys by a trained team on Tuesday in waters off Keahole Point. Unfortunately, it was not Palette (BCY1404). The search continues. #WetTribe #FridayFieldUpdate #Hawaii #HumpbackWhales #Entanglement

Wet Tribe researcher testing runoff for both excess nutrients and plastic pollution

Excess nutrients from land sources, such as agricultural and sewage runoff, into aquatic environments, are the source of harmful algal blooms, but research reveals that plastic pollution is amplifying these problems. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate

Scientists warn that warm ocean waters are melting Antarctica’s ice shelves from below, potentially triggering up to 15 meters of global sea level rise. Research shows the continent is losing about 843 billion tons of ice annually. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridaysforFuture #FridayFieldUpdate

A sewage discharge pipe

Hands full of pine bark

Gloved hands holding test tubes while wastewater testing

Studies found hundreds of different pharmaceuticals in wastewater, while pine bark can remove 94—99% of these pharmaceutical residues and support a circular-economy-approach to wastewater management. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate

A meme comparing images of Willem Dafoe in “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” and “The Lighthouse” with facts about the failure of recycling.

Latest statistics show plastic recycling rates remain low globally (9%) and in the U.S. (5%). 22-24% of plastic waste is "mismanaged" (leaking into the environment), while 49% goes to landfills and 19% is incinerated. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate #PlasticRecyclingRates #Pollution

Most wetland trees contain specialized bacteria called methanotrophs that eat methane from within the tree. This is a process recently coined as “aerotrophy” or “air eaters.” #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate #ClimateChange #Wetlands

A researcher kneeling at the base of a tree in the wetlands, using scientific equipment to test gas conversion within the tree and bark.

Trees pull carbon dioxide out of the air, release the oxygen we breathe, and combat climate change. New research has revealed that microbes living in the bark consume gases like methane and carbon monoxide. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate

A research diver with a clipboard documenting kelp forest health.

Our 2025 citizen science studies of ocean-related issues consistently reported increases in participant engagement, data quality, program opportunities, and the need for additional funding. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate #CitizenScience

A color-coded map of U.S. Marine Protected Area Coverage by Region

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are designated ocean, coastal, or Great Lakes regions set aside for long-term conservation of marine life, habitats, and cultural heritage. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate #CitizenScience #MarineProtectedAreas #MPAs

Female researchers with clipboards, wearing blue shirts and windbreakers, on a rocky coastline, are documenting a pollution research study.

Coastal pollution is a multi-pollutant crisis, with hotspots near high populations; riverine export is key, but local sources (waste, industry) heavily influence beach/coastal sediments. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #Research #FridayFieldUpdate #CoastalPollution

A whale fluke breaks the surface, entangled in ropes and floats of fishing or crabbing gear.

A research and rescue Zodiac boat is pursuing an entangled whale in hopes of freeing it.

An aerial image from a drone showing an entangled whale trailing rope debris

95 whale entanglements were reported in 2024, up from 64 in 2023, raising concerns about marine safety amid NOAA's staffing and budget cuts. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #California #FridayFieldUpdate #Whales #BoatStrikes #Entanglement #GhostGear

"No Dumping Drains to Waterway" stenciled on the sidewalk with volunteers' hands displayed

What We Can Do: Coastal cleanups and "Drains to Waterway" stencil campaigns both encourage a sense of shared responsibility to keep waterways clean and protect the environment. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate

Virgin plastic bottles on the conveyor belt at the factory

A storm drain catch basin is collecting plastic as the stormwater runs off

A stormwater drain pipe releasing runoff at the coast

Why the Number Keeps Rising: New, non-recycled plastic production continues to climb, projected to more than double by 2050. Waste infrastructure gaps in urbanizing regions allow huge amounts of plastic to enter waterways. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate

UN logo with a map of the world surrounded by two olive branches decal on the window of the United Nations

The latest reports from the UN Environment Program summarize the current state of plastics in our waters in its Plastic Pollution report, estimating 19–23 million metric tons of plastic enter lakes, rivers, and oceans every year. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate

A healthy seagrass bed is beneath the surface, with the sunlight filtering down

#Seagrass and other #BlueCarbon ecosystems, like mangroves, sequester #carbon through photosynthesis and by trapping it in sediments, helping mitigate #ClimateChange and reducing #OceanAcidification. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate

Researchers on deck lowering a rosette for scientific water sampling

Researcher in the lab, examining a piece of bleached coral as part of an ocean acidification study

A researcher's hands holding a test tube in a pH test against a color comparison chart

Ocean Acidification is advancing faster than we previously warned. Research reveals that CO2 in deeper waters, thought to be more protected from acidification, is outpacing the increase in greenhouse gases. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #Research #FridayFieldUpdate

A researcher kneeling to read temperature data on deck

Oceanographers on the stern of the research vessel are raising a water temperature rosette

Panama’s ocean cycle has collapsed for the first time in 40 years. Winter trade winds cause upwelling in the Gulf of Panama, bringing nutrient-rich water to support marine life, but this year that process did not occur. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #FridayFieldUpdate #Oceanography

Coral restoration is made more difficult if not impossible given rising temperatures and acidity. There is no guarantee that corals restored from past populations will be able to survive the harsher conditions of the future. #FridayFieldUpdate