HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Setting up an offshore oil rig takes a lot of time and money, and a lot of thought about the environment. And so does taking one down. California, for example, […]
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
A volcanic island in the western Pacific Ocean just can’t settle down. After not changing much for thousands of years, it’s undergone a series of eruptions in recent decades. That’s […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
The Tristan albatross is one of the largest sea birds on the planet. It has a 10-foot wingspan, which it uses to soar across millions of square miles of the […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
The striated frogfish has quite a resumé. It walks on the ocean floor, camouflages itself to avoid predators, carries its own fishing lure, and can gobble another fish faster than […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Melanoma kills thousands of Americans every year, and attacks tens of thousands. So far, there’s no cure. But a potato-shaped organism in the waters around Antarctica may offer a solution. […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Sea lilies and feather stars are some of the most beautiful and delicate creatures in the oceans. Many of these animals resemble feather dusters, with the “feathers” colored orange, yellow, […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Killer whales are a bit provincial. They’re split into small regional populations that stay on their own — they almost never interact with others. The smallest of these groups is […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Even if you live a thousand miles from the ocean, it still has an impact on your life. It provides food, fuel, and other resources. It’s a “superhighway” for transporting […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
The smallest fish on coral reefs appear to have two main jobs. One is to make more fish. And the other is to get eaten. These little guys are known […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Parrotfish and surgeonfish are among the many colorful residents of Caribbean coral reefs. They mainly eat algae and a type of bacteria off the reef. But they also nibble on […]