Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 21h

Congratulations to WHOI's @julesdeep.bsky.social, who was recently selected to deliver the prestigious @agu.org Rachel Carson Lecture.

The award recognizes women whose work in ocean science is both cutting-edge and deeply relevant to today’s societal & environmental challenges: go.whoi.edu/Huber

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 1d

Sound travels more efficiently underwater than it does through air, so why does it sound muffled to our ears when we are underwater?

Find out through the WHOI Ocean Learning Hub! A free resource exploring ocean knowledge. Learn more:
go.whoi.edu/sound

📸 François Baelen/Ocean Image Bank

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 1d

This #IndigenousPeoplesDay, explore the history of shellfish in Wampanoag culture—and the challenges facing our shared marine resources in the full video series, produced by @Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe members in collaboration w/ @seagrant.whoi.edu:
seagrant.whoi.edu/shellfish-sustaining-communities

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 2d

🐧 Is #Antarctica trying to talk to us?

As warming temperatures chip away at the continent’s ice shelves, #WHOI scientists are listening for signs of unstable ice using acoustic data collected by the @awi.de

🔊 Listen in with Oceanus: go.whoi.edu/polarstethoscope

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 2d

The Mass. Division of Marine Fisheries recently issued an advisory for "low-oxygen zones" in Cape Cod Bay.

So why do these hypoxic areas form—and what does it mean for marine life? 🦞

#WHOI senior scientist Malcolm Scully breaks it down with wcai-npr.bsky.social. Listen here: go.whoi.edu/cai-loz

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 3d

Meet your new favorite sidekick 🧢

The WHOI baseball hat brings together comfort, style, and support for ocean science. Made from 100% cotton and stamped with our iconic seal, it’s the perfect fit for beach days, boat decks, and beyond.

Simple, timeless, unmistakably WHOI: go.whoi.edu/WHOIhat

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 4d

Why does a pigeon-sized bird purposely throw itself into hurricane-force winds?

With the help of lightweight GPS trackers, WHOI biologist Francesco Ventura has unlocked the Desertas petrel’s secret to success: cyclones!

📲 Find out what surprised researchers the most from BBC: go.whoi.edu/Petrel

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 5d

After completing a 3,000 mile cross-country journey by truck, our beloved submersible #Alvin arrived in Woods Hole today! 🎉

For the next 6 months, the nation’s deepest-diving human-occupied vehicle will undergo a complete overhaul—ensuring its spotless safety record continues.

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 5d

Throwback to 1949, when these scallop fishermen found a mastodon tooth in Georges Bank—and shared it with WHOI scientists!

Fossilized mastodon teeth can provide insights into the prehistoric conditions when these animals lived, including their diet, sea levels, and climate.

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 6d

The Philippines just protected 200 square miles of ocean to safeguard “super reefs” that can withstand heat and bleaching. WHOI’s Anne Cohen says such protected areas not only save existing reefs, but also help new ones develop.

📲 Learn more from insideclimatenews.org: go.whoi.edu/icn-superreef

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 6d

Are you curious about graduate studies in ocean science or engineering? Find out if the #MIT_WHOI Joint Program is right for you at our virtual info session on Wednesday, October 8 at 6 pm (EST)!

📲Get the details and register: mit.whoi.edu/admissions/info-sessions

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 7d

🎉 We’re excited to announce the WHOI Ocean Learning Hub! ✨🌊

Explore ocean knowledge, from in-depth articles to bite-sized facts, and peek below the surface into dynamic imagery and in-depth explainer videos 🤩.

So start exploring—and let us know what you think! 👇

go.whoi.edu/OLH

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 7d

Researchers from #WHOI + northeasternu.bsky.social tested 13 types of straws to see which one breaks down best in the ocean. The winner wasn’t paper or plant-based—it was a straw made from captured methane.

🥤 Take a sip of the science with nuglobalnews.bsky.social: go.whoi.edu/ngn-straw

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 8d

Wishing fair winds and following tides to #Alvin, as the iconic submersible trades the deep sea for the Interstate!

The nation’s deepest-diving human-occupied vehicle departed San Diego today by truck, and will traverse deserts, mountains, and plains to arrive in Woods Hole by Thursday.

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 8d

Are you curious about graduate studies in ocean science or engineering? Find out if the #MIT_WHOI Joint Program is right for you at our virtual info session on Wednesday, October 8 at 6 pm (EST)!

📲Get the details and register: mit.whoi.edu/admissions/info-sessions

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 9d

Salt marshes are powerful protectors—buffering coastlines from storms, supporting fisheries like lobster and scallops, and locking away carbon. But what happens in these vital ecosystems during the winter months?

👉 Find out: go.whoi.edu/JuliaGuimond

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 9d

🔌 What’s a wuzzle? To #WHOI engineers, it’s a mess of tangled cords and wires. While it doesn’t hold an official spot in the dictionary, experts say it originated as a verb meaning “to jumble…”

📲 Learn more about its origins from waywordradio.org: go.whoi.edu/www-wuzzle

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 10d

Keeping plastic out of the ocean, one shirt at a time 🌊👕

This WHOI Logo T-Shirt is more than just a tee—it’s a statement. Made from 100% recycled materials, this soft, durable shirt shows the world that you support ocean protection.

Science looks good on you: go.whoi.edu/shortslv

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 10d

This World Animal Day, we are spotlighting an important collaboration helping safeguard the less than 400 North Atlantic right whales remaining.

Our researchers at Robots4Whales are working with shipping company CMA CGM to operate acoustic monitoring buoys in busy shipping lanes: go.whoi.edu/R4W

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 11d

It’s #NationalDisabilityEmploymentAwareness Month! One shining example of an inclusive workplace is Elizabeth Sibert’s Paleo-FISHES Lab, the first ADA-accessible lab at #WHOI.

🤔What does your workplace do to accommodate people of all abilities? Share your experiences in the comments!

Accessible Sink is shown with chair in the knee space for scale. The sink has two white DI water faucets, as well as a tap water faucet and an eye wash. To one side of the sink is a drying station with numerous sieves and falcon tubes. To the other side of the sink are some empty beakers and DI water wash bottles. There is a beaker drying rack on the wall behind the sink, and a 8" washing sieve in the sink for scale

Photo shows the accessible fume hood in the Paleo-FISHES Lab space. It is located near a large window, and has a blue lab chair sitting in front of it at the workstation spot. The fume hood sash is open, and it is clear that the chair easily fits into the empty knee-space in the middle of the fume hood counter.

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 11d

🎉 Congratulations to #WHOI marine radiochemist @cafethorium.bsky.social, who was recently awarded the 2025 Ambassador Award from the @agu.org.

AGU recognized Buesseler’s innovative contributions to science through his studies of radiation in marine environments.

Learn more:go.whoi.edu/Buesseler

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 12d

Meet the “squidworm” 🦑🪱

Discovered by WHOI biologist Larry Madin and colleagues, this 4-inch-long animal was just one of roughly 6,000 new species uncovered during the Census of Marine Life, a decade-long global effort involving more than 2,700 scientists to explore and document ocean life.

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 12d

We’re saddened to learn of the recent passing of Jane Goodall, an advocate for conservation, community, and connectedness across our planet.

As we join the global community mourning Goodall’s loss, we are thankful for the light, wisdom, and hope that she gifted the world.

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 13d

An estimated 3 million wrecks are lying on the seafloor across the globe. Whether they're sunken war ships or modern cargo vessels, the wreckage can provide shelter for marine life—or damage the ecosystem.

📲 Learn about the science of shipwrecks:go.whoi.edu/shipwreck

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution @whoi.edu · 13d

⛴️ Researchers recently found what they believe to be a massive hidden freshwater reservoir off Cape Cod. The effort builds on work done by #WHOI’s Rob Evans, whose 2015 research mapped contours of the aquifer remotely.

📲 Dive into the research with apnews.com: go.whoi.edu/ap-water

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