
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
logo.
The
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is
a private,
nonprofit research and higher
education facility dedicated to the study of all aspects of
marine science and
engineering and to the education of marine
researchers. Established in 1930, it is the largest independent
oceanographic research institution in
the U.S., with staff and students numbering about 1,000. The
Institution is organized into
five
departments,
four interdisciplinary institutes—ocean life,
coastal ocean, ocean and climate change, deep ocean exploration—the
Cooperative Institute for Climate and Ocean Research,
and a
marine policy center.
Its shore-based facilities are located in
the village of Woods Hole
,[15178] Massachusetts
, and a mile and a half away on the Quissett
Campus. The bulk of the Institution's funding comes from
peer-reviewed grants and contracts from the
National Science Foundation and
other government agencies, augmented by foundations and private
donations.
In an interdisciplinary atmosphere that nurtures discovery, WHOI
scientists, engineers, and students collaborate to explore the
frontiers of knowledge about planet Earth. They develop theories,
test ideas, build seagoing instruments, and collect data in diverse
marine environments. Working in all the world’s oceans, their broad
research agenda includes: geological activity deep within the
earth; plant, animal, and microbial populations and their
interactions in the ocean; coastal erosion; ocean circulation;
ocean pollution; and global climate change.
Ships operated by WHOI carry research scientists throughout the
world’s oceans. The WHOI fleet includes three large research
vessels (
R/V Atlantis,
R/V Knorr, and
R/V
Oceanus), coastal craft including
R/V
Tioga, the deep-diving human-occupied submersible
Alvin, the tethered, remotely-operated vehicle
Jason/Medea, and autonomous underwater
vehicles such as the
Autonomous Benthic
Explorer and
SeaBED.
WHOI offers
graduate and post-graduate studies in nearly all areas
of marine science. There are several fellowship and traineeship
programs, and graduate degrees are awarded through a
joint
program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) or
by the Institution itself. WHOI also offers other outreach programs
and informal public education through its
Exhibit
Center and
summer tours. The Institution has a volunteer
program and a membership program,
WHOI
Associates.
Mission
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 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.
History
In 1927, a
National Academy of Sciences
committee concluded that it was time to "consider
the share of the United States of America in a worldwide program of
oceanographic research." The committee's recommendation for
establishing a permanent independent research laboratory on the
East Coast to "prosecute oceanography in all its branches" led to
the founding in 1930 of the Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution.
A $3 million grant from the
Rockefeller Foundation supported the
summer work of a dozen scientists, construction of a laboratory
building and commissioning of a research vessel, the 142-foot ketch
Atlantis, whose profile still forms the Institution's logo.
WHOI grew substantially to support significant defense-related
research during World War II, and later began a steady growth in
staff, research fleet, and scientific stature. Over the years, WHOI
scientists have made seminal discoveries about the ocean that have
contributed to improving US commerce, health, national security,
and quality of life.
In February 2008, Dr.
Susan K.
Avery became the new president and
director of the institution. Avery, an atmospheric physicist, is
the ninth director in WHOI's 77-year history, and the first woman
to hold the position.
Research vessels
WHOI operates several
research
vessels, owned by the
United
States Navy, the
National Science Foundation, or
the Institution:
[15179]
Underwater vehicles
WHOI also has developed numerous underwater autonomous and remotely
operated vehicles for research:
WHOI also shares with MBL a
large library of
marine-related works.
See also
External links