Science and the Sea

Shark Nursery – September 10, 2023

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

Young sharks of several threatened species are living together in a “nursery” off the western tip of Africa. It’s one of the busiest nurseries in the Atlantic Ocean. From 2016 […]

Asphalt Volcanoes – September 3, 2023

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

Oil and gas bubble up through the ocean floor all the time. They form oil slicks, create tar balls that wash up on shore, and make pillows of methane ice. […]

Otters and Wolves – August 27, 2023

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

Good news for one species isn’t necessarily good news for all. Consider the wildlife on Pleasant Island, off the coast of southeastern Alaska. Sea otters returned to the island a […]

Coastal Threats – August 20, 2023

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

Millions of residents chased out of their homes. Trillions of dollars in extra damages. A tenth of coastal crops destroyed. That’s what some developing countries could face from coastal flooding […]

Arms vs. Tentacles – August 13, 2023

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

Here’s a pop quiz for you: How many tentacles does an octopus have? If you said “eight,” sorry, but you fail. An octopus does have eight limbs. But technically, they’re […]

Anglerfish – August 6, 2023

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

When scientists began pulling anglerfish from the deep ocean, they noticed something odd—all of the specimens were female, and many of them had small parasites attached to their bodies. And […]

Moving Out – July 30, 2023

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

When neighborhoods start to go downhill, people move away. And today, that’s happening in marine neighborhoods. As the oceans get warmer—a result of our changing climate—fish and other critters are […]

Shark Grass – July 23, 2023

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

Tiger sharks can boldly go where no diver has gone before—or is likely to go anytime soon. That makes them great research assistants for marine scientists. In fact, they helped […]

Atmospheric Rivers – July 16, 2023

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

Many Americans have learned a new term in the past few years: atmospheric river. Massive ribbons of water vapor have brought floods and epic snowfalls to the West Coast. And […]

Lyrical Spider – July 9, 2023

HOST Damond Benningfield

DISCUSSION

A few years ago, some scientists in Australia got a tip from a city council member in a town in the state of Queensland, on the country’s northeastern coast: Some […]