Posts by Stephanie Murphy
Post 8: Spring Release Summary
Unlike our winter and fall deployments, all of our drifters released during spring escaped Cape Cod Bay and are now in the greater Atlantic Ocean! Immediately after being released into the bay on May 11, the drifters built by Sofia and Ella/Viv (drifter 1 and 2) started to head northeast towards Race Point. The third…
Read MoreWelcome, Jess Drysdale, WHOI Sea Grant’s New Research Coordinator
WHOI Sea Grant welcomes Jessica Drysdale, who joined our team in May as research and fellowship coordinator. Jess has been working in the Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry department at WHOI since 2015, including projects exploring carbon cycling in the ocean and understanding the fate and movement of anthropogenic radionuclides from coastal sources. She has a…
Read MoreCoastSnap Program Expands to Mashpee
With its soft sand and warm water, South Cape Beach in Mashpee is a popular Cape Cod summer destination. But it’s more than just a great place to relax; year round, South Cape also serves as a barrier for marshes, ponds, and habitats. Monitoring this shoreline is fundamental to being able to protect it, and beach-goers can be part …
Read MoreFocusing on the Fundamentals of Shellfish Farming
Interest in aquaculture as a business opportunity brings a steady influx of inquiries to WHOI Sea Grant for technical and permitting assistance. The Fundamentals of Shellfish Farming class highlights ways someone could get involved with shellfish farming including creating a new farm, working on a farm, and …
Read MoreSunken Ships, Living Habitats: Removing marine debris from historic wrecks
WHOI biologist Kirstin Meyer-Kaiser studies the colonies that settle around shipwrecks, looking at changes to the colonies over time as well as changes to the ship, including the impacts of large fishing nets and other gear that become entangled in the wreck. This “marine debris” can destroy whole sections of a wreck, disrupting the habitat of colonizing animals.
Read MoreA Strange and Fascinating Water World
The ocean is full of strange, fascinating, and sometimes surprising science. From its distinctive creatures to intricate ecosystems, here are some of the many things I learned in my 2025 O-STEAM fellowship that make the marine world so incredible.
Read MorePost 7: Spring Drifter Deployment
Drifters for the spring deployment are prepped and ready in the lab. We released our third set of drifters into Cape Cod Bay on Monday (5/11/2026). Thank you to the crew of the RV Tioga for deploying the drifters for us! Recap First, a quick recap on the drifters from our last deployments! We still…
Read MoreWomen on the Water Film Screening in Woods Hole
On Saturday, June 6, 2026, from 3 – 4:30 p.m., join WHOI Sea Grant and the Woods Hole Film Festival for a screening of Women on the Water, a documentary created by New Hampshire Sea Grant about the changing face of the seafood industry. A panel discussion with local fishers will follow. The screening is…
Read MoreEarth Day 2026
Be a positive force for the global ocean! This Earth Day, let’s focus on Ocean Literacy Principle #6: Humans and the ocean are inextricably interconnected. How might our actions impact the ocean for good? Here are some ideas: Beach Cleanups – Take 5! Even five minutes of beach cleanup makes a big difference to the…
Read MorePost 6: February Drifter Retrieval
What an interesting two weeks of drifter tracking! Released into the Bay on Feb. 10, the drifters experienced a nor’easter blizzard on Feb. 22 and 23, which brought wind gusts upward of 60 miles per hour. As of February 27 two drifters (Ella and Viv as well as Annie and Autumn) have hit land, while…
Read More