Science and the Sea

Polar Bears – April 22, 2018

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

The polar bear is more than just a big mammal; it’s an icon for an entire region — it’s hard to think of the Arctic without picturing these beautiful creatures. […]

Strong Teeth – April 15, 2018

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

When you bite into an ear of corn, you’re after the juicy kernels. But if you get a little too enthusiastic, you can get some of the cob, too. One […]

Brain Corals – April 8, 2018

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

If zombies ever run out of brains to munch on, they might look to the sea for more. They can find brains that are up to six feet tall and […]

Making Sparks – April 1, 2018

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

The big ships that ply the Indian Ocean and South China Sea help power the world’s economy. And they also may help power the weather. In particular, they may “seed” […]

Stinky Worm – March 25, 2018

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

We humans have been known to eat some pungent foods, from boiled cabbage to brussels sprouts to limburger-and-onion sandwiches. But a mollusk that lives in the mud at the bottom […]

Leafy Seadragon – March 18, 2018

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

Many marine creatures hang out in beds of seagrass or kelp to hide from predators or prey. But the leafy seadragon beats them all. It’s covered with leafy appendages that […]

Busy Pump – March 11, 2018

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

The heart of a typical adult human can pump about 2,000 gallons of blood per day. But that’s anemic compared to the pumping capacity of a sponge — the living […]

Tallest Waterfall – March 4, 2018

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

James Bond, Indiana Jones, and other action heroes can’t seem to avoid waterfalls. They plummet down them, or they just miss them, narrowly avoiding a gruesome fate. But no hero […]

Otters Galore – February 25, 2018

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

When sea otters decided to move into Glacier Bay in Alaska, they didn’t mess around. They first appeared in the bay in the 1990s — more than two centuries after […]

Mariana Arc – February 18, 2018

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

One of the most geologically active regions on Earth is at the western edge of the Pacific Ocean, along a chain of volcanic mountains both above and below the ocean […]