How do you catch Z’s. . . in the sea? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. All animals need sleep, even ocean-dwellers. But how do seafaring animals sleep safely from predators? Jessica Kendall-Bar from the University of California, Santa Cruz and team
Continue readingTag: marine life
Valley Girl Whales
Valley girls and whales unite! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Certain whales use echolocation clicks to catch prey. Despite being an important skill, scientists weren’t really sure how they made the sound. What’s the source of the clicking? Peter Madsen from Aarhus University
Continue readingMarine Mucus Shelter
Hate cleaning house? Here’s a fun new solution! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Larvaceans are ocean creatures that resemble tadpoles. Every day they build a three-foot long mucus shelter that also traps food. To eat, the larvacean pumps and filters seawater through this gooey
Continue readingHigh Tide
Is there a 4:20 in the afternoon. . . for fish? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Headaches, depression, diabetes – our medicine cabinets are FULL of pills! And unfortunately, our bodies don’t fully absorb all the medications we take. The leftovers end up….um, in
Continue readingDeep Conversations
Who amongst you speaks Spanish, French…Dolphin? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with The Loh Down on Science. Dolphins are thought to be the second smartest animal in the world. They form close relationships with family and friends and mourn their dead. But can they speak to one another? Dr. Ryabov
Continue readingMercury Madness
I’ll have the seafood platter – hold the mercury! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Coal power plants and paper mills spew pollution – including mercury — into the atmosphere and ocean. It can be nasty stuff, and dangerous, too! But double trouble happens when
Continue readingPuffa Fish
Now, for some breathtaking research on puffer fish! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Puffer fish famously inflate into spiky spheres that are difficult for predators to eat. To do so, they swallow huge amounts of water. Their super-stretchy stomachs expand like water balloons. It’s
Continue readingRobofish
The catch of the day is….robots? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Luckily, robotic fish won’t be on menus any time soon. But they are making a splash in exploring the ocean— considered, by many, the last frontier on earth. Scientists have tried using robotic
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