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4 Episodes 2023 - 2023
Episode 1
Wed, Jun 21, 2023
Seashells, with their beautiful shapes and colors, have inspired humans since the dawn of time. Many people enjoy collecting seashells on the beach, and the southwest coast of Florida is a great place to find these natural treasures. While shells delight young and old, few know about the equally fascinating animals that create these elaborate skeletons. They belong to the phylum Mollusca, the second largest phylum in the animal kingdom, and include well-known mollusks such as clams and snails, as well as lesser-known creatures like tusk shells and chitons. These animals have surprisingly varied diets and reproductive strategies. Scientists and shell enthusiasts have treasured and studied seashells for generations, amassing large collections in the process. Now, a new initiative, known as the Eastern Seaboard Project, brings together multiple institutions to make their vast collections easily accessible online. And, despite the large collections that already exist, researchers and citizen scientists continue to make new discoveries. More than one new species is named every day. These include tiny micromollusks, as well as otherworldly planktonic creatures that migrate up from the depths each night to feed, where daring blackwater photographers document them in stunning imagery.
Episode 2
Wed, Jun 21, 2023
The Belize Barrier Reef is home to a diverse array of shark species, including lemon sharks, nurse sharks, tiger sharks, and Caribbean reef sharks. These top predators play an essential ecological role in the reef system and are paramount to the nation's tourism and fishing industries. As such, the government of Belize actively works to strike a delicate balance between all the stakeholders of their marine areas. In a pioneering collaboration, marine scientists, local fishers and fisheries managers are working together to collect data on shark abundance inside and outside of protected areas. These long-term surveys provide the Fisheries Department with what they need to manage shark populations sustainably. In addition, local fishers leverage their generational knowledge to help Belize fisheries managers and international scientists keep shark populations healthy for all.
Episode 3
Wed, Jun 28, 2023
Bermuda is not only the shipwreck capital of the world, but also home to one of the highest latitude reefs on the planet. Covering 280 square miles, Bermuda's extensive reef platform is essential for its tourism and fishing industries. But, more crucially, these reefs that once terrified mariners of old, are now all that protects the islands from the high seas of the Atlantic. Today, the islands, reefs, and shipwrecks are all subject to the accelerating impacts of a changing climate. But Bermuda is also in a unique position to meet these challenges. While reefs around the world are suffering under intense heat events, Bermuda's corals remain relatively healthy, and researchers are trying to find out why. These tougher corals and their unique location may offer clues to heightened resilience in the face of a changing climate. Working at the edge of science - and living at the edge of the ocean - local Bermudians and international scientists race to protect these islands and reefs they call home.
Episode 4
Wed, Jun 28, 2023
The small Norwegian community of Ny-Ålesund is home to the world's northernmost year-round research station. Located in the Svalbard archipelago, Ny-Ålesund is less than 800 miles south of the North Pole. At this latitude, darkness reigns for four months of the year. It was long believed that little to no activity took place in the ocean during the polar night, since phytoplankton, the base of the marine food chain, can't grow without sunlight. Targeted research into polar night ecology didn't begin until 2009, after an accidental discovery made scientists realize this wasn't a dormant period in the ocean after all. A team of scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has joined this growing field of research by studying some of the tiniest animals that are active during the polar night. They want to know if the larvae of invertebrates that live on the seafloor rely on an alternative food source during the dark months of the year. The researchers are also curious if these larvae, known as meroplankton, are able to undergo the energetically costly metamorphosis required to become adults and settle on the seafloor during this time. Through lab experiments and a unique autonomous camera system, the scientists are making exciting discoveries that will help explain some of the basic biology taking place during the polar night. Understanding these seasonal patterns is key in a changing climate, as temperatures in the polar regions are changing faster than elsewhere on the planet.