Oceans

Nearly three quarters of the earth is covered by ocean. Marine environments play an essential role in regulating climate and weather systems, as well as providing food, employment and transportation for people. The Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment seeks to manage and mitigate society’s impact on the sea by developing new insights into issues ranging from ocean acidification and sea level rise to overfishing and industrial pollution. Woods supports the Center for Ocean Solutions (COS), where science, engineering and policy experts develop solutions to address ocean threats and prepare leaders to take on those challenges. Woods-affiliated researchers are informing decisions that lead to healthy marine ecosystems and vibrant coastal communities.

In The News

Will Climate Change Wipe out the Coral Reefs? Watch an Expert Explain Why There’s Still Hope

Interview with Senior Woods Fellow Steve Palumbi (Humanities and Sciences) on the future of the world's corals.
November 10, 2015 - By Amelia Urry, Grist

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Toxin in crab among impacts of warm sea that alarm scientists

Senior Woods Fellow Steve Palumbi (Humanities and Sciences) discusses the causes and potential impacts of warming West Coast waters.
November 7, 2015 - By Peter Fimrite and Kurtis Alexander, SF Chronicle

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Do Humans Have a Future in Deep Sea Exploration?

Senior Fellow Robert Dunbar (Earth System Science) comments on Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory
September 14, 2015 - By Chris Dixon, New York Times

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In California's Protected Waters, Counting Fish Without Getting Wet

Woods postdoctoral scholar Jesse Port explains how he uses DNA testing to reveal which organisms have been in the Monterey Bay.
September 8, 2015 - By Lauren Sommer, NPR

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