Category: Science

Physician Dr. Larry Spetka swims with his namesake, Larry the whale shark, in the Gulf in May 2025. Credit: BWRI/Jamison Smith

A Year in the Life of Larry the Whale Shark

6/8/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. One year ago today, researchers deployed a satellite tag on a whale shark off the coast of Tampa Bay, Florida. They never could have anticipated the epic journey that would ensue. On May 28, 2025, researchers set out from Boca Ciega Bay, Florida, heading into the Gulf… SEE MORE

Cyclothone or "Bristlemouth" fish illustration

The Ocean’s Most Abundant Fish Evolved in Extreme Heat — and That May Be Good News

5/31/2026 - By Daniel Hentz, whoi.edu. The most numerous fish in the ocean isn't one most boaters or anglers will ever see. Bristlemouths — tiny, deep-dwelling fish of the genus Cyclothone — number in the quadrillions and play a major role in the ocean's biological carbon pump, helping move CO₂ from the… SEE MORE

The Container Ship That’s Also an Ocean Science Lab

5/29/2026 - By Amy E. Nevala, whoi.edu. Some of the most valuable ocean data in the Atlantic isn't being collected by a research vessel — it's riding aboard a container ship. The M/V Oleander, which makes twice-weekly cargo runs between Port Elizabeth, New Jersey, and Hamilton, Bermuda, has carried scientific instruments since… SEE MORE

Credit: Howard Stanbury (left); NOAA Library/NOAA Fisheries circa 1939 (right); NOAA (background)

New England Fishery Management: Backed by Science, Shaped by People

5/19/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. One of New England’s most iconic sights: Rain or shine, fishing boats slipping out of the harbor at dawn, just as they have for generations. The centuries-old scene feels timeless. But the industry behind it isn’t sustained by tradition alone; it endures because of science-based management. At… SEE MORE

South Beach on Miami Beach was inundated by Sargassum seaweed on June 21, 2018. Credit: Michael Montero/University of Miami

NOAA Sargassum Tool Now Provides Daily Update of Risk of Seaweed Washing up on Beaches

5/18/2026 - By research.noaa.gov, research.noaa.gov. Upgrade will help communities anticipate impacts, risks, and supports planning and response. NOAA’s Sargassum Inundation Risk tool (SIR) has been upgraded to offer daily reports on the location and risk that brown floating algae could wash ashore along coastal areas in the Caribbean, Florida, Gulf of America, and northern… SEE MORE

Three Ocean Robots Exploring Active Underwater Volcanoes

5/18/2026 - By Amelia Macapia, whoi.edu. The ocean floor is home to thousands of volcanoes — many of them active — and understanding what's happening down there requires machines that can go where humans can't. A new feature from WHOI's Oceanus magazine profiles three robotic vehicles that are transforming what scientists know… SEE MORE

Fishing with dip nets in the 1940s and 2018. Credit: NOAA Fisheries Archives/G.T. Tooker (left); Shutterstock (right)

Magnuson-Stevens Act at 50: Charting a Course to Sustainable Fisheries

5/14/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. This landmark legislation set the United States on track to become a world leader in sustainable fisheries management. In April, we celebrated the 50 years since the United States signed the Magnuson-Stevens Act. This landmark law set the United States on a course toward sustainably and cooperatively managed marine… SEE MORE

Dr. Holmes led a hack2week workshop as part of a NOAA International Fellowship in India in September 2023. Credit: International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography

Breaking Barriers to “Big Earth Data”

5/12/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. Dr. Elizabeth "Eli" Holmes received the prestigious Earth Science Information Partners Martha Maiden 2026 Award in January. Dr. Holmes’ 25-year career at NOAA Fisheries demonstrates a deep commitment to advancing open science, fostering collaboration across agencies, and inspiring the next generation of scientists. At NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Dr.… SEE MORE

Recreational anglers enjoy a day on the water in the Florida Keys. NOAA/Matt McIntosh

Future of the Catch: The Modernization of Recreational Red Snapper Data Collection

5/8/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. NOAA Fisheries and partners are using innovative methods to modernize Gulf of America recreational red snapper data collection. These projects are working to deliver faster, more efficient science. Red snapper is a cultural and economic cornerstone for coastal communities in the Gulf of America. The species is… SEE MORE

Luxury Antarctic Cruises Double as Climate Research Platforms Through WHOI-Ponant Partnership

5/4/2026 - By Laura Castanon, whoi.edu. A new partnership between Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and French expedition cruise line Ponant is turning luxury Antarctic voyages into working science missions — giving researchers rare access to some of the most remote glaciers on the planet while passengers watch the work unfold in real… SEE MORE