Discover Science in Woods Hole

Woods Hole Historical MuseumDiscover science in Woods Hole during a one-hour guided walking tour! Tours are offered Tuesday through Friday through August 22 by the Woods Hole Historical Museum. During the tour participants learn about the illustrious history of science in Woods Hole and the groundbreaking research that is still carried out to this day.

The tour covers the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute’s discovery of the Titanic, environmental and ecological problems faced by Cape Cod and its waters, and the value of the Marine Biological Laboratory’s biomedical research. The tour also features touch tanks and marine life. The tour ends at the Woods Hole Aquarium in time for the exciting seal feeding.

Tours begin at 10 from the Woods Hole Historical Museum at 579 Woods Hole Road in Woods Hole, MA. Please arrive 15-20 minutes early to check in, either for free with a ticket from participating sponsors (members of the Woods Hole Business Association and the Woods Hole Historical Museum) or purchase a ticket for $5.

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WHOI citizen science campaign

The village of Woods Hole is home for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) but that does not mean the science stays on the east coast.  Researchers at WHOI have been assessing radioactivity released into the ocean from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power facility. Learn more about radiation in the ocean and how the WHOI citizen science campaign aims to collect and analyze ocean samples to monitor radiation from Fukushima.

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Woods Hole Oceanographic Exhibit Center

A trip to Woods Hole affords you a visit to the incredible discoveries of the world-famous research institution called the Woods Hole Oceanographic (WHOI). In the midst of the many scientific research buildings in Woods Hole sits the Ocean Science Exhibit Center and Gift Shop.

The exhibit center informs visitors on WHOI’s research and inventions and includes a gift shop with WHOI merchandise. The exhibit center includes exhibits on the Titanic, whale and dolphins research, hydrothermal vents, toxic algae, ocean floor sediment that can help us to better understand climate changes, and much more.

The Ocean Science Exhibit Center provides an opportunity for anyone to learn about WHOI’s ocean science research and the tools and vessels developed for the research. The exhibit center includes videos about living in WHOI’s deep submersible Alvin. The videos especially focus on the 1985-1986 discovery and exploration of the Titanic. Aside from the videos – visitors are able to step inside of a life-size model of the inner sphere of Alvin, which includes amazing footage of deep-sea hydrothermal vent sites. Other exhibits include further information on the deep sea.

Located in the Exhibit Center is the WHOI Gift Shop. The shop carries WHOI merchandise, books, toys, and jewelry. All of the proceeds are donated to WHOI for their research, education, and outreach activities.

The Ocean Science Exhibit Center is located on 15 School Street in Woods Hole – hours vary seasonally. There is no official fee for a visit to the Ocean Science Exhibit Center, however a two-dollar donation is encouraged.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Exhibit Center and Gift Shop sits right off of School Street in Woods Hole.

Meet the Blogger

Meet our summer intern and blogger, Lauren Hoyerman, who will be a senior this fall at Falmouth Academy.  Lauren shares with us a passion for Woods Hole, a love that is rooted in her appreciation of the physical beauty of the area, her interest in photography and the knowledge she has gained living in one of the most cutting-edge science communities in the US.

“It’s impossible to grow up near Woods Hole and not become interested in science,” said Hoyerman who has worked as an intern at almost all of Woods Hole’s science centers including the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI), the Marine Biological Laboratories (MBL), and the Woods Hole Research Center.

Our blogger Lauren Hoyerman and her teacher Jo Muller taking a core out from the Quissett Peat Marsh.

Our blogger and her classmate as they count desert algae cells.

Hoyerman shared more about her favorite Woods Hole science project: “Last year, my junior year at FA, I worked at the Woods Hole Research Center alongside amazing mentors, Josef Kellndorfer, Wayne Walker, and Greg Fiske. I have always been interested in environmental science and knew I wanted to work with a hands on project. After a few brainstorm sessions I found myself in the midst of a massive carbon assessment forestry project. “

“For the entire fall and early winter I ventured into forests all over Falmouth and measured the widths and heights of 1,500 trees. Using that information I was able to calculate the carbon storage availability of Falmouth forests and gain a better understanding of how much carbon storage Cape Cod has lost throughout the years.”

Hoyerman measuring a tree’s height with a laser back in East Falmouth.

“I was able to make a rough estimate that the loss of carbon storage availability from 1830 to 2003 was around 7, 320, and 000 tons of carbon. The substantial loss was not entirely surprising because of course after the industrial revolution Cape Cod’s landscape drastically changed, “ said the young scientist.

“Although I calculated a few other changes, my project primarily focused on the validation of a previously existing work national biomass carbon data set map. After months of field and calculations I was finally able to extract map values from the WHRC’s map and compare them to my own measurements.  The correlation between my data and the national set was extraordinary.  What a joy to work on such a project with amazing mentors like the scientists you find here in Woods Hole, “ concluded Hoyerman.

The Woods Hole Business Association is honored to be working with this independent and industrious young woman.  You will see her around the village, camera in hand, and enjoy her lovely pictures and blog-posts, right here on WoodsHole.com.