Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is dedicated to research and education to advance understanding of the ocean and its interaction with the Earth system, and to communicating this understanding for the benefit of society.

Collaborator Contributions

A deep-sea octopod wraps itself around a submersible’s robotic arm in the Gulf of Mexico.

Octopod on Submersible Arm

A deep-sea octopod wraps itself around a submersible’s robotic arm 2,300 meters (7,546 feet) down in the Gulf of Mexico. "Most octopuses will let you get close, maybe even touch them, but normally they'll try to run once the manipulator gets close," said Bruce Strickrott, pilot of the submersible Alvin. Explore more octopod content and learn more in our Deep Ocean Exploration section.

Dr. Chris Reddy, an environmental chemist from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, studies oil spills and their long-term impacts.

Oil & Water Don't Mix

Dr. Chris Reddy, an environmental chemist from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution studies the long-term impacts of oil spills. Watch as he digs beneath the surface in Massachusetts’ Wild Harbor salt marsh to find oil that continues to impact the wetland's ecology and wildlife 40 years after a spill.

Marine biologists Larry Madin (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) and Patricia Kremer (U. Connecticut) investigate a little-known salp species. Salps are tube-shaped, soft, transparent animals that swim through the ocean, straining out plant food as they go.

Antarctic Salps

Climate and sea changes in the Southern Ocean create conditions that favor the growth of salps over krill—a vital food source for seals, whales, and penguins. Salps are tunicates that consume phytoplankton and use jet propulsion to move.

This autonomous operated vehicle will map areas of seafloor earthquakes.

Launch of an Autonomous Benthic Explorer

This autonomous operated vehicle, known as an ABE (autonomous benthic explorer), will map sites where seafloor earthquakes have occurred—enhancing our understanding of these catastrophic events.

The research submersible Alvin uses bright lights to illuminate the dark seafloor.

Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) Alvin

The research submersible Alvin uses bright lights to illuminate the dark seafloor. Built in 1964, it has made more than 4,400 dives. It can carry two scientists and a pilot as deep as 4,500 meters (14,764 feet). More about deep ocean exploration can be found in our Deep Ocean Exploration featured story.

On May 31, 2009, this robotic vehicle reached the deepest part of the ocean.

Hybrid Vehicle Nereus

On May 31, 2009, this one-of-a-kind hybrid robotic vehicle reached the deepest part of the ocean—the Marianas Trench, located in the western Pacific Ocean, 10,902 meters (6.8 miles) below the surface. That makes the remotely operated Nereus the deepest-diving vehicle currently in service.

Phoenix’s mother, Stumpy (number 1004), was killed in a collision with a ship near Virginia in February 2004. She was pregnant with her sixth known calf.

When Ships Strike

Phoenix’s mother, Stumpy (#1004), was killed in a collision with a ship near Virginia in February 2004. She was pregnant with her sixth known calf. More about whales can be found in our Tale of a whale featured story.

North Atlantic right whales migrate seasonally along the eastern coast of the United States.

North Atlantic Right Whale Territory

North Atlantic right whales migrate seasonally between calving and feeding grounds along the eastern coast of the United States. Most North Atlantic right whales go south for the winter, to the shallow coastal waters off the southeastern United States. That’s where the females give birth to calves—a single calf every 3-5 years. In spring the whales migrate north.

Dozens of tiny crustaceans live on the right whale.

Whale Lice

This close-up photo of a right whale’s head shows dozens of hitchhikers—tiny crustaceans known as cyamid amphipods. They live on the rough patches of skin on North Atlantic right whales known as callosities.

This magnified photo provides a close-up look at copepods—tiny crustaceans that right whales feed on.

Copepods: Right Whale Food

This magnified photo provides a close-up look at copepods—tiny crustaceans that right whales feed on. More about the right whale can be found in our Tale of a Whale featured story.

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