CHANGING SEAS VIII
#801: Sponges: Oldest Creatures in the Sea?
Shows how recent DNA research has cast doubt on the theory that sponges were the first animals to branch off the “Animal Tree of Life,” a kind of family tree for all living and extinct animals on earth. Recently, some scientists are suggesting that ctenophores, also known as comb jellies, are an older lineage.
#802: Manatees: Conserving a Marine Mammal
Every winter, hundreds of manatees aggregate at Crystal River, Florida. This sanctuary is also a treasure for scientists, who take advantage of these manatee gatherings to study them. From decades of visual ID studies to the most cutting-edge DNA research, experts hope that science will help conserve this beloved marine mammal.
#803: Maug’s Caldera: A Natural Laboratory a co-production with Open Boat Films.
This episode takes viewers into an area of the remote Pacific, the islands of Maug. Formed by an ancient volcano, shallow hydrothermal vents are found close to coral reefs inside the submerged caldera. These vents emit levels of CO2 that can be expected in the world’s oceans by the end of the century, making these waters a natural laboratory for scientists studying the impacts of ocean acidification on coral reefs.
#804: Beneath the Bridge
The Blue Heron Bridge in Riviera Beach, Florida is known as one of the best shore dives in the United States. Even though at first it appears as an unlikely dive site, it is home to a rich variety of marine life, ranging from tiny nudibranchs to manta rays. Underwater photographers are documenting what lives beneath the bridge, and a scientist is studying how two species of octopus co-exist there.