A video link between MIT and Woods Hole provides interactive transmission for classes. Specialized research facilities include the National Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility and the North-East Regional Ion Microprobe Facility. The library facilities shared with the Marine Biological Laboratory are supplemented by collections of the Northeast Fisheries Center of the National Marine Fisheries Service and the US Geological Survey's Office of Marine Resources Branch of Atlantic Geology, all located in Woods Hole. The village is situated on the southwest corner of Cape Cod, about 80 miles from Boston. Place of residence is determined by the student's selected program of study and research interests, and transportation is provided between institutions.
Students have the opportunity to participate in oceanographic cruises during graduate study.
The subjects are supplemented by numerous seminars, directed studies, and cross-registration privileges with Harvard, Brown, and the Boston University Marine Program. Complete listings can be found in the subject descriptions of each individual department. Its central goal is to describe and explain the complex motions of the ocean. The Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences offers programs in physical oceanography with WHOI, which lead to the Doctor of Science or Doctor of Philosophy degree. Principal research areas include water column geochemistry, sedimentary geochemistry, seawater-basalt interactions, and atmospheric chemistry.