Topic: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

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How climate change destroyed one of the world's largest civilizations

Located in present-day India and Pakistan, the Harappan civilization fell victim to shifting monsoon patterns, a new study has found.
How a bizarre ocean current could create coral refuges (+video)

Warming in the Pacific could lead to new currents that create islands of refuge for corals, new research suggests.
James Cameron dive launches race to the bottom of the world (+video)

Before James Cameron made a solo dive to the Challenger Deep – the deepest point in the ocean – only one mission had been there before. Now, several groups are planning deep-sea dives, and engineering advances could shed new light on the region.
Sea level studies: US coasts even more vulnerable than previously thought

South Florida, southern Louisiana, and the Carolinas top the list of states with the most land to lose if sea level rises 1 meter, according to a pair of new studies.
Scientist captures amazing video of jellyfish migration

A researcher at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution visited Palau and took a dive in the tiny island nation's Jellyfish Lake, and captured video of a swarm of Mastigias.
Gulf spill: Where did the oil go – and what did it do?

One year after the Deepwater Horizon blow-out began the worst oil spill in US history, scientists continue to investigate the effects of the oil and its residues.
Air France wreckage could provide answers to mysterious crash

French authorities say they have found the engine and parts of the fuselage of the Air France plane that crashed in 2009 off Brazil's coast.
Air France Flight 447 wreckage (but no black box) found in Atlantic

Air France Flight 447 plunged into the ocean en route from Rio to Paris, killing all 228 passengers and crew. The latest search found a section of the aircraft, including bodies, and raised hopes that the black boxes will be found to explain what happened.
It turns out that squids can hear. But do they listen?

A recent study found that squids can detect low-frequency sounds, using sac-like organs at the base of their brains.
Risk of fresh Haiti earthquake could be greater than previously thought

Scientists had thought the Haiti earthquake a year ago released stress on a well-known fault. It didn't. Instead, it revealed faults that scientists didn't know existed.
Is new species of microbe gobbling up Gulf oil spill?

A study released Tuesday suggests that a new species of microbe is consuming the undersea plumes in the Gulf oil spill – perhaps more quickly than scientists anticipated.
Gulf oil spill plume stretches 22 miles, not breaking down much

US and Australian scientists measured the plume from the Gulf oil spill during a research cruise. The findings are published Thursday.
In finding BP oil spill flow rate, lab science meets real world

Scientists are using sophisticated tools to estimate the flow of oil responsible for the BP oil spill. Some techniques are commonly used to show scientific principles, but are not often applied to real-world problems.
BP oil disaster: new oil numbers suggest more environmental damage

New figures could mean 42 million gallons to more than 100 million gallons of oil have already fouled the Gulf's delicate ecosystem.
New BP oil spill flow estimates: 20,000 to 40,000 barrels per day

The latest revisions from four teams of scientists find that up to 1.76 million barrels from the BP oil spill had escaped into the Gulf of Mexico by June 3.
Oil on Orange Beach, spill keeps looking worse

The spill was flowing at a daily rate that could possibly have been as high as 2.1 million gallons, twice the highest number the federal government had been saying.
Space shuttle Atlantis returns home safely

The space shuttle Atlantis returned back to Cape Canaveral in Florida this morning after its final scheduled mission.
Mediterranean Sea heating up and getting saltier

An increase in ocean salinity suggests an increase in the net evaporation of the water.
Is Haiti on the brink of another earthquake?

Scientists have found that the devastating Jan. 12 Haiti earthquake has placed stresses on the fault system beneath the island nation, which could lead to another major quake.
Space shuttle Atlantis embarks on its final mission

After this flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis there are only two space shuttle missions left before the orbiters are retired.
Gulf oil spill's environmental impact: How long to recover?

What scientists know about how oil spills affect the environment is drawn from a range of past events, no two of which have been alike. Because the blowout occurred 5,000 feet below below the water surface, the Gulf oil spill is unchartered territory.
At deepest hydrothermal vent yet found, an 'awe-inspiring' view

Scientists have found a hydrothermal vent community three miles beneath the sea near the Cayman Islands. Other vents have led to the discovery of new and exotic creatures.
Ocean acidification: another path to EPA rules on carbon emissions?

In a legal settlement Thursday, the EPA agreed to help states test coastal waters for acidity, and to weigh whether to tighten rules on carbon emissions to address ocean acidification.
Global News Blog
Why are Galapagos sea lions moving to Peru?

A colony of sea lions from the Galapagos Islands recently migrated 1,000 miles southeast to Peru, say a Lima-based ocean group. Was this migration – and others like it – caused by climate change?
Haiti earthquake: Why the Caribbean is a mini ring of fire

The forces that led to the Haiti earthquake are a reminder that the idyllic Caribbean is one of the more geologically active spots on earth, and that a powerful earthquake could strike the region again.