Oceanus – Details, episodes & analysis

The ocean is brimming with sounds, from the crackle of snapping shrimp to the deep bellows of humpback whales.

Amelia Macapia, a WHOI guest investigator and a contributor for Oceanus Magazine, explains how studying acoustic ecology led her to fall into a deep love with the sea.

She tells her story in front of a live audience in Woods Hole for "Making Waves: A Science Story Slam," the culmination of a first-of-its-kind science storytelling workshop hosted by the Transom Story Lab and Atlantic Public Media in June 2025.

(Original photo by Liz Lerner, Artwork by Daniel Hentz)

A WHOI marine chemist studies how mercury pollution in Colombia’s Amazon threatens the Indigenous way of life.

Story written and narrated by Rachel Mann.

Read the full story at https://go.whoi.edu/toxicgoldmining

Don't let their awkward waddle fool you. Emperor penguins have evolved ingenious ways to stay warm, feed their young, and forage in deep water, all while living in the world's most inhospitable continent. Find out how these iconic sea birds earned their royal reputation.

Written and narrated by Elise Hugus | Artwork by Natalie Renier, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Penguin soundbites are from video footage Courtesy of Stephanie Jenouvrier, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

What does it take to be the world's southernmost living mammal? Guts, grit, and...super milk? Learn what makes the Weddell seal one of the toughest—and cutest—animals to ever flop around the Antarctic coast.

Written and narrated by Daniel Hentz | Artwork by Natalie Renier, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Special thanks to our friends at Montana State University and the Erebus Bay Weddell Seal Population Study for providing the seal recordings heard in this episode—NMFS Permits No. 1032-1917 and No. 26375 according to their chronological appearance in the story.

You can check out their work at https://weddellsealscience.com/index.html 

The flying style of the wandering albatross is legendary, as is its commitment to love. Learn about this iconic seabird and the human activity threatening its survival.

Written and narrated by Hannah Piecuch | Artwork by Natalie Renier, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

As seasonal landfast ice dwindles in the Arctic, towns in the high north are starting to feel the sting of increased wave activity and dangerous storms. To help track changes to coastal ice, WHOI assistant scientist Maddie Smith and a team led by Sandia National Laboratories are using a novel method to measure wave activity using lasers and internet cables on the Alaskan seafloor.

Written and narrated by Daniel Hentz. 
Read the full article: https://go.whoi.edu/cabledocean

WHOI experts dig into a popular misconception that the Arctic is always frigid.

Narrated by Scott Dickson
Original story written by Alison Pearce Stevens. Click here to read the full story: https://go.whoi.edu/4ya11c

The humble origins of human-occupied submersible Alvin began alongside Cheerios and Wheaties in the General Mills factory.

Narrated by Hannah Piecuch
Original piece written by Amy E. Nevala

Read the article here: https://go.whoi.edu/championsub

WHOI researcher Martin Arostegui tracks how spearfish take advantage of local currents to find food.

Read the full article: https://go.whoi.edu/trackingfish

What’s causing a contagious cancer to spread among clams along Cape Cod? WHOI scientists investigate.

Read the full story: https://go.whoi.edu/puzzlingmollusk