Tag: Science

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

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

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

Gray Whale Population Decline Along the West Coast Raises Alarm for Coastal Communities

4/22/2026 - By Norris Comer, best4boats. Three dead gray whales discovered in Washington state waters in a single week in early April have renewed concerns about a troubling decline in the East Pacific gray whale population. For boaters, whale watchers, and coastal communities along the West Coast, these deaths are part of… SEE MORE

WHOI Scientists Use Drifters to Track Hidden Currents in Cape Cod Bay

4/15/2026 - By MARGARET GREGORY, whoi.edu. For anyone who fishes, boats, or harvests shellfish in Cape Cod Bay, the water beneath the surface is doing more than it appears. A team from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is deploying GPS-tracked drifters and running ocean models to map how currents move water, nutrients, and… SEE MORE

(Photo by Taylor Crockford, ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

WHOI Study Reveals the Hidden Molecules That Drive the Ocean’s Carbon Cycle

4/4/2026 - By whoi.edu, whoi.edu. The surface waters that boaters, anglers, and coastal communities depend on are teeming with invisible chemical exchanges that help regulate Earth's climate. A new study led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Columbia University has identified the specific molecules that marine phytoplankton release into seawater — compounds… SEE MORE

Oyster seed in the palm of a person's hand.

Louisiana Sea Grant Develops New Tool to Count Oyster Seed Faster

3/19/2026 - By SeaGrant NOAA - seagrant.noaa.gov. Originally published on February 05, 2026 Researchers at the Louisiana Sea Grant Oyster Research Lab and Louisiana State University’s Math Consultation Clinic (MC²) have developed an automated, image-based tool that counts juvenile oyster seed faster and more accurately than traditional methods. The aim is to… SEE MORE

A drone carries a suction-cup tag toward a humpback whale. A successful deployment attaches cleanly near the dorsal fin, allows the whale to continue natural behavior without disturbance, collects high-quality data, and later releases for recovery. Photo: Ed Lyman/NOAA Permit #25754

Practice Makes Perfect: Drone Operations in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary

12/18/2025 - By sanctuaries.noaa.gov, Published in sanctuaries.noaa.gov. A well-placed multi-sensor tag on a humpback whale allows researchers to track its underwater movements and observe its behavior. But how do whale researchers practice dropping these suction cup tags from a drone onto the back of a massive ocean animal? With a surfboard, of… SEE MORE

NOAA/British Geological Survey Release 2025 World Magnetic Model Report

12/14/2025 - By nesdis.noaa.gov, Published in nesdis.noaa.gov. NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and the British Geological Survey have released their joint Technical Report for the 2025 World Magnetic Model (WMM 2025), the standard navigation model for the U.S. Department of Defense and the global public which provides critical global data for navigation systems… SEE MORE