Dinoflagellates (tiny marine microbes) are extremely common and important for aquatic ecosystems. This public radio story introduces the world of dinoflagellates in a very creative way – through song and a show production! You will learn that dioflagellates can be beautiful if they are involved in bio luminescence but they can also be deadly, when they are involved in red tide.
Story Length: 5:45
This audio is part of the One Species at a Time series hosted by Ari Daniel and produced by Atlantic Public Media and the Encyclopedia of Life, with the support from the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology. Read the Podcast Transcript. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.
Marine biologists are studying the sounds that fish make. They believe that sounds are key to understanding fish behavior. This audio story explores how listening to fish may also be a way to help protect fish. By studying the sounds that fish make when trying to attract mates and when breeding, we may be able to stay clear of them during those times to help them reproduce more productively.
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Scientists have wondered why giant squid and colossal squid have such enormous eyes. Their eyes are the size of basketballs. Their thinking about this question has been hampered by the rarity of these animals and the difficulty of preserving eye specimens. Using some clever techniques and luck, researchers have been able to measure the size of giant squid eyes. This has led to an interesting hypothesis about why their eyes are so enormous.
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Oceans have become very loud because of humans. In this public radio story you'll hear some of the things that make the ocean so noisy. Scientists are worried all that noise is hurting marine life. They want to find ways to quiet down the ocean and study what the noise means for marine mammals.
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Biologists studying right whales face the challenge of studying rare, extremely large organisms that spend the majority of their time underwater. This public radio story explores some of the challenges and risks of studying right whales and explores the reasons that scientists are willing to work so hard to study them. In addition, the story discusses an experiment designed to learn how male and female right whales find each other during mating season.
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As plants and animals reproduce over time, they are able to change and adapt to ensure or improve their chances of survival. The evolutionary goal of reproduction is paired with the concept of natural selection and survival of the fittest to determine who will reproduce. From colorful plumage to size, different species use different strategies to ensure reproduction and mate selection. The sand tiger shark has a unique strategy to ensure successful reproduction - and it depends on the timing of mating. Listen to learn more about the ultimate sibling rivalry while in the womb.
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