HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Atlantic menhaden stinks. Because of that, its oily flesh isn’t exactly a sought-after treat. Over the decades, though, it’s been a common sight on American dinner tables — in margarine, […]
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
In November of 1520, an expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan headed into an ocean that was a complete mystery to European sailors. It turned out to be far larger than […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
The sand striker is like something out of a nightmare. The worm hides in the sediments on the sea floor, then lunges out to grab a passing fish or crustacean. […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
When Robert Wyland was 14 years old, he and his mother traveled from their home in Michigan to Laguna Beach, California. From the water, Wyland saw another mom and child […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
The waters of most of the world’s oceans are stacked like the layers of a cake. Each layer is a different temperature. The top layer is warm, the bottom layer […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
When sheep or cattle burp, it’s not just rude — it’s a hazard. The average dairy cow can belch almost 400 pounds of methane per year. And methane is a […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
A sperm whale can dive thousands of feet deep to catch its fill of squid. The pressure causes its rib cage to buckle inward and its lungs to collapse. Yet […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
People who picnic on the beach sometimes face a greedy pest: a seagull. Gulls grab the food around people — and have even been known to take it right out […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Clear skin is worth some extra time — even for a whale. In fact, some whales may leave their usual feeding grounds for weeks to clear up their skin. Many […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Most fish in the oceans don’t do anything to protect their offspring. They release their eggs, then move on. So most of the eggs get eaten, and most of the […]