Sustained observations
We host some of the longest-running oceanic and atmospheric measurement programs in the world, facilitating research on both local and global environmental issues.
Projects
Our research spans the branches of oceanography—biological, chemical, physical, and geological—and includes work in the related disciplines of environmental science, resource monitoring and conservation, atmospheric science, and risk prediction.
Oceans and climate
The ocean is a dominant player in Earth’s climate system, moving and storing energy, carbon, and water in ways that have strongly affected Earth’s climate history and will continue to affect our future climate.
Ocean life
The ocean is the largest and most diverse habitat on Earth, home to an astonishing diversity of microorganisms and aquatic plants and animals. Ocean life plays a key role in our planet’s climate and provides half of the oxygen on Earth needed for all life.
Science and society
Science can help inform decisions regarding how societies plan and manage economies and social systems, providing unbiased data and analyses that can be used to protect and improve lives and livelihoods. Beyond the here-and-now, the ocean may also yield fundamental insights into human life itself.