algae – The Loh Down On Science

All About Algae

October 16, 2024 Elaine Lai

Pee-yew! Is that the smell of…. greenhouse… GAS?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Fertilizer’s stink comes from nitrogen. When plants can’t get enough of this nutrient from the air, we help them. But Tyler Coale and team from the University of California, Santa Cruz

Risky Red Tide

February 15, 2024 Paul Levine

Could the new AA be algae-holics anonymous? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with The Loh Down On Science. Harmful algal blooms, or red tides, are bad news for everyone. Toxic red algae grow out of control. They poison shellfish and the people who eat them. Tiny shrimp-like creatures called copepods

All-Powerful Algae

October 14, 2022 Rachel Alevais

Don’t forget to water your … computer?!? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Most of the electricity we use comes from fossil fuels. . . and that’s not good for our warming planet. Is there another way? Indeed! For truly GREEN energy, how about plants?

Green Power

June 9, 2022 Emily Tom

Airplanes powered by… ALGAE? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Algae are microbes that can turn sunlight into energy that’ is then stored as oil. Algae’s other superpower? Fighting rising gas prices – as BIOFUELl! But this process is inefficient and costly. How can we

Amazing Sight

August 12, 2021 Stella Moon

Up-close black and white image of an adult man

Amazing Grace, how sweet the…sight?! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. When light enters the eyes, the light-sensitive cells send signals to the brain. Let there be sight! But the disease Retinitis Pigmentosa, or RP, can cause loss of vision. José-Alain Sahel at Sorbonne University,

Vampire Bacteria

December 4, 2019 Brenna Biggs

I VANT to suck your… biofuel? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Algae can be made into a biofuel that’s greener than gasoline – literally! But a mysterious killer has been sucking its life out. What causes these healthy aquatic creatures to become a rotting

Pink Snow

March 26, 2019 Loh Down Staff

We all know to avoid yellow snow. But what about PINK snow? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with The Loh Down On Science. Pink snow forms when the surfaces of glaciers and ice sheets melt. Red algae grow in the meltwater and color the snow beneath. Scientists from the University

Risky Red Tide

February 15, 2019 Paul Levine

Coral Conundrum

October 1, 2018 Kellen Kartub

An up close image of coral underwater. The coral in the foreground is bleached white while the coral in the background is brown. Small fish swim in the background.

Could fun in the sun – mean grief in the reef? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The sun’s ultraviolet rays cause suntans, sunburns… and an increased risk of skin cancer. Sunscreen protects our skin by using chemicals like oxybenzone to absorb harmful U-V rays.

Rainbow Roll

July 10, 2018 Priyam Patel

Chameleons and kelp – what do they have in common? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Chameleons change colors to hide or to express their feelings — like living mood rings! But seaweed doesn’t change color… or does it? Meet Heather Whitney from the University