HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
The Mediterranean Sea has been recording sea level for millions of years in a cave on a Spanish island. As the water rises and falls, it adds layers of minerals […]
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
There are many symbols of love, from the heart to red roses. And for some couples in Japan, it’s a glass vase — the skeleton of a sponge. Venus’s flower […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Today, the word “trade” means to swap something. That hasn’t always been the case, though. Centuries ago, it meant a path or a track. The new definition blew in on […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
From November through April, a tiny marine creature is pretty common in the coastal waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. It’s a species of copepod. It looks like a […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
When you walk on a tattered carpet or a stained-up rug, you don’t usually worry about it lunging up and biting you. Unless, that is, you happen to be walking […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Hanging out in the water while a hurricane is bearing down sounds a little scary. But that’s just what some underwater “gliders” are doing. They’re recording ocean conditions before, during, […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
The squid has quite a nerve. In fact, it has the biggest nerve fiber in the animal kingdom — a thousand times wider than the typical human fiber. That’s made […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
The Caribbean Sea is known for its tourist-attracting wonders: sandy beaches, coral reefs, and beautiful blue-green waters. But the deepest part of the sea is full of geological wonders. Parts […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
If you really want to see “jaws,” forget about great white sharks. Instead, look for the sarcastic fringehead. It’s a little fish — no more than a foot long. But […]
HOST Damond Benningfield
DISCUSSION
Most of the time, an icebreaker that doesn’t plow through the ice is about as useful as a car without wheels. But a German icebreaker is scheduled to make an […]