HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons — PAHs — are compounds that can be both good and bad. On the good side, they form the “bark” on a slice of brisket, which adds […]
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
Dozens of mermaids MERMAIDS drift with the currents of the South Pacific. They listen for the rumble of earthquakes on the ocean floor. Then they pop to the surface to […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Just because something is tiny doesn’t mean it’s defenseless. Some of the smallest organisms in the oceans, for example, have found ways to keep much larger organisms from gobbling them […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
When you’re being chased by a great hammerhead shark, simply running away isn’t always a great option. The shark is big and fast, so there’s a good chance it’ll catch […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Warmer oceans are bad news for corals. Higher temperatures can kill the living part of a coral, leaving only a bleached-out skeleton. Despite appearances, though, one species of coral might […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Shortly after the end of World War II, American forces on Kwajalein Atoll, a small island in the western Pacific Ocean, faced a problem. It would cost more to ship […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Adelie penguins live in one of the iciest regions on Earth — on the rim of Antarctica. But when the ice around one colony thinned out a few years ago, […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
If you live along the coast, you might get hit by several tsunamis a year — but not even know it. They aren’t generated by underwater earthquakes, volcanoes, or landslides. […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
The sea walnut first entered the Baltic Sea almost 40 years ago, probably hitchhiking on cargo ships. Since then, this little critter has been a big pest. The population has […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Trillions of metallic nodules cover the bottom of a vast region of the Pacific Ocean. They’re worth a fortune, so mining operations are considering scooping them up. But like many […]