HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
The massive fire that engulfed Lahaina, on the Hawaiian island of Maui, killed more than a hundred people, and burned down more than 2200 buildings. And it had a much […]
Radio Program
Our regular Science and the Sea™ radio program presents marine science topics in an engaging two-minute story format. Our script writers gather ideas for the radio program from the University of Texas Marine Science Institute’s researchers and from our very popular college class, Introduction to Oceanography, which we teach to hundreds of non-science majors at The University of Texas at Austin every year. Our radio programs are distributed to commercial and public radio stations across the country.
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
When beluga whales want to communicate with each other, they just use the ol’ melon—a blubber-filled structure on their forehead. Researchers have found that the whales intentionally change the shape […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
The most powerful undersea volcano ever recorded had an impact on our entire planet—from pole to pole, and all the way to outer space. And it may continue to impact […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
One of the changes that goes along with aging is hair color. Red, blonde, black—regardless of the original color, our hair almost always turns gray or silver. Fish don’t have […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Some of the largest cities in Southeast Asia could be hit by bigger, badder tropical cyclones in the decades ahead. A recent study found that warmer seas and air could […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Storms on the Sun can have both beautiful and annoying results. They create widespread displays of auroras—the northern and southern lights. But they can damage satellites, disrupt radio communications, and […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
The female blanket octopus glides through the ocean like a winged phantom. When she’s threatened, she extends some of her arms. That spreads the webbing between the arms, like a […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
The mangrove tunicate is a mild-looking little creature. It’s a type of sea squirt. It’s only about an inch long, and it feeds by pumping seawater through its body and […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Marine scientists can’t be everywhere at once. To really understand what’s happening below the waves, though, they need a lot of observations—from many places at many times. So they’re getting […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Hotter oceans are bad for just about everyone. They can destroy coral reefs, cause fish to move to new ranges, and rev up monster hurricanes. There are problems for octopuses […]