News All News Newsletter Recent Grants Back to main menu Overview Grant Awards 2022-23 Accolades Publications Media Information Social Media Information Science Communication Resources for Scientists Obituaries Home All News March Madness: Woods Hole Wonders Division Credit: Emily Greenhalgh By Emily Greenhalgh March 17, 2022 Share Articles Categories Spotlight This division focuses on some amazing organisms found right in Woods Hole. The waters here are teeming with ecological diversity. The Gulf Stream brings animals and plants from southern waters to Woods Hole, while the colder waters of Cape Cod Bay host mainly northern marine forms. For decades, scientists have flocked to Woods Hole to study the organisms in the local waters and saltmarshes. Meet the Organisms: Striped Bass Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis). Credit: D. Ross Robertson, Aquarium of the BayStriped bass (Morone saxatilis) is a migratory fish native to the East Coast of the United States. They are anadromous fish that spends the early part of their lives in freshwater before moving to saltwater. Each spring, adult striped bass travel from the ocean into tidal freshwater rivers along the Atlantic Coast to breed. They then return to the ocean, where some migrate as far north as the Bay of Fundy, a journey that can be over 700 miles. Learn more about striped bass Little Skate Little skate (Leucoraja erinacea). Credit: J. Andrew GillisThe little skate (Leucoraja erinacea) is a cartilaginous fish found across the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. It is a close cousin of sharks and rays and is an important model organism for biological and medical research. scientists use skates and their embryos to study skeletal development. Learn more about little skates Oyster Toadfish Oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau) Credit: Dan Schofield via Wikimedia CommonsThe oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau) lives in the northwest Atlantic from Massachusetts to as far south as Florida. Its mottled coloring provides camouflage that allows it to lie in wait and ambush prey, which include crabs, shrimp, squid, and small fish. Toadfish are also useful for inner-ear research as their broad, flat heads allow access to the otolith organs, which are used for equilibrium and balance as well as hearing. learn more about oyster toadfish Sea Robin Juvenile sea robin (Prionotus carolinus) Credit: Flickr User Kevin Faccenda via CC licenseThe sea robin (Prionotus carolinus) is named for its expanded pectoral fins that resemble bird wings. The first three fin rays separate from these wings during early sea robin development and can be used as “legs” to walk along the ocean floor. Scientists at the are studying sea robins as a model for understanding the evolution of traits, including new modes of locomotion. learn more about sea robins March Madness Divisions (2022) Woods Hole Wonders Out of Towners Classics Colorful Critters Learn More about March Madness Support the Share Articles