Oceans

Our vast marine environments span nearly three quarters of the earth, and play an essential role in regulating climate and weather systems as well as providing food, employment and transportation for people globally. In turn, society must play a key role in managing and mitigating its impact on the ocean. Through the Center for Ocean Solutions (COS), Woods has partnered with Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) to study and develop solutions to address ocean threats and prepare leaders to take on those challenges. COS leverages the research and policy expertise of Stanford and its partners to gather key data and develop new insights into the human-ocean interface ranging from ocean acidification to overfishing to sea level rise. Drawing on the interdisciplinary expertise of scientists, engineers and lawyers, the center harnesses the best available science to advance science-based solutions. Read on for highlights of the work COS researchers are doing to support informed ocean decisions, healthy marine ecosystems and vibrant coastal communities.

In The News

Is It Safe to Go to the Beach?

Woods Senior Fellow Alexandria Boehm tests for bacteria in samples of sand from beaches, and provides tips for beachgoers to reduce their risk...
July 27, 2015 - By , ABC News

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Scientists Show Rising Concern About Deep-Sea Mining

Senior Fellow Larry Crowder (Biology), Science Director at the Center for Ocean Solutions, calls their approach a middle ground between...
July 13, 2015 - By Robert Ferris, CNN

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The Risk of Getting Attacked By a Shark Off California Has Plummeted Sharply Since 1950, Study Says

Francesco Ferretti, a postdoctoral research fellow at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station, discusses why attack rates have declined....
July 9, 2015 - By Chelsea Harvey, Washington Post

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Shark Attack Risk Is Down Sharply Since 1950

Discusses research co-authored by Woods Senior Fellow Fiorenza Micheli (Biology) showing a more than 90-percent drop in risk of shark attacks...
July 9, 2015 - By Brian Clark Howard, National Geographic

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