Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) presents Science Made Public, a series of talks by WHOI researchers on current ocean science topics. All talks held at the WHOI Ocean Science Exhibit Center, 15 School Street, Woods Hole
New Deep Sea Robot Reaches the Ocean Depths
Andy Bowen, Applied Ocean Physics & Engineering
Learn about a new type of deep-sea robotic vehicle called Nereus, a unique hybrid vehicle designed to explore the ocean’s last frontiers, and hear about its recent successful dive to the deepest part of the world’s ocean—the Mariana Trench. To reach the trench, Nereus dove nearly twice as deep as research submarines are capable of and had to withstand pressures 1,000 times that of Earth’s surface—crushing forces similar to those on the surface of Venus. July 7, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Recycled Clam Shells Help Seed a New Oyster Crop
Diane Murphy, Woods Hole Sea Grant
Oysters are not only an important fishery resource, they’re also an important part of the ecosystem, providing habitat and filtering the water column. In an effort to restore oyster populations around the region, researchers work closely with municipal shellfish officers within the shellfish aquaculture industry using a technique called remote-setting that utilizes recycled clam and oyster shells. Learn more about this restoration and marine life enhancement project. July 14, 2009 at 2:30 PM
The Hearing and Travels of Icelandic White-Beaked Dolphins
T. Aran Mooney, Biology Department
Atlantic white-beaked dolphins are the most common dolphin species around Iceland and are frequently seen riding the bow wave of vessels in the summer. These dolphins are acoustically active, producing both whistles and clicks with sound energy as high as 305 kHz, much above the typical upper hearing frequency limit for toothed whales. Learn how scientists use tags to track dolphin behavior in their natural habitat to assess what these dolphins hear and how that relates to their role in the environment. July 21, 2009 at 2:30 PM
Planet Puddle: Surprising Complexity in a Simple Climate
Rebecca Walsh Dell, Physical Oceanography
Why is it so hard to predict the climate? Anyone who has ever been surprised by the weather knows that it can be very omplicated, but it turns out that even very simple climate systems can have complex and surprising behavior. We’ll discuss how a hypothetical planet with no land and no weather can have huge changes in its climate because of ice on the sea. Come and learn about ideas that have big implications for our understanding of climate change and climate prediction. July 28, 2009 at 2:30 PM
For more information, contact Kathy Patterson, 508-289-2700 or kpatterson@whoi.edu
