WRITER Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
If you happen to have a spare fiber in your undersea fiber-optic cable, marine scientists might like to have a chat. They’re using the cables to listen to the sounds […]
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.
WRITER Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
1933 was a bad year for the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Slime mold wiped out the eelgrass beds in the shallow coastal waters. A big hurricane made things even worse. […]
WRITER Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
After the 1944 D-Day invasion of Europe, Germany launched a months-long attack on London and Belgium. Its V-1 “buzz bombs” killed thousands. Today, though, the remnants of some of these […]
WRITER Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Some of the clouds that waft across the Southern Ocean may have an icky source: penguin poop. Ammonia in the poo mixes with other chemicals in the air. That creates […]
WRITER Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
A symphony is playing in the estuaries of South Carolina—the sounds of shrimp, fish, dolphins, and other creatures. To marine biologists, each sound is like a musical note. Individual notes […]
WRITER Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
You don’t have to be anywhere near an ocean storm to feel its power. Big waves can travel far across the ocean, causing damage thousands of miles from the storm […]
WRITER Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
It’s easy to gain weight on a road trip—restaurant meals and junk food add up. But that’s not the case for some humpback whales. According to a recent study, a […]
WRITER Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Second place doesn’t get a lot of attention: the second-tallest mountain, the second expedition to reach the North Pole, silver medalists in the Olympics. The second-deepest spot in the oceans […]
WRITER Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Kelp forests are some of the most important habitats in coastal waters around the world. They provide breeding grounds for fish and shellfish, and protect juveniles from predators. They absorb […]
WRITER Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Sharks and rays are in trouble. A study a few years ago found that the global population had dropped by more than 70 percent since 1970. And three-quarters of all […]