Seaworthy Straws

Feeling di-STRAW-t over ocean pollution? Listen up. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Plastic straws degrade slowly in landfills and the ocean, far outliving their single use. Biodegradable straws have become more popular. But are they really ocean-friendly? Bryan James and team from Woods Hole

Continue reading

Deep-Sea Stress

Bad day? If you’re a Jellyfish, WATER you gonna do about it? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Yes, even deep-sea jellyfish get stressed out! Their habitats are changing. Buried sediments are getting stirred up from the ocean floor by deep-sea mineral mining. On top

Continue reading

Deep Sleep

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 reading

Reef Recycling

This ocean… what… a… dump. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Eight MILLION pieces of plastic enter the ocean DAILY. This poses a HUGE threat to marine life. Think dolphins trapped in plastic bags! Are we the only ones to reduce, reuse and recycle?   Enter

Continue reading

Glow-cean

Bioluminescence in the coast

  Under the sea, Under the sea, Down where it’s….BRIGHTER take it from me? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Some animals have a certain “glow”. It’s called BIOLUMINESCENCE! They use it to communicate in the ocean. But Séverine Martini and Steven Haddock from the

Continue reading

Coral Conundrum

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 UV rays.

Continue reading

Grandma’s Guidance

killer whale fins above ocean water

When times get tough…who won’t let you down? Grandma! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. What do humans and killer whales have in common? Menopause! Only a few species experience it. But why? Is there a reason that whale mamas stop reproducing? Meet Daniel Franks

Continue reading

Glowing Squids

photograph of a humboldt squid swimming in the deep ocean

A light in the darkness…what is it trying to tell us? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Welcome to the MIDNIGHT ZONE. Where strange creatures wander through a pitch black eternal night. But what’s that mysterious glow…?   Benjamin Burford’s team at Stanford University looked where

Continue reading

City Life

  Ah, the hustle and bustle of the city…under the sea! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Coral reefs aren’t just colorful. They are also LOUD! A healthy reef reverberates with munching fish and scuttling shrimp. But when reefs are damaged? Silence! Like hipsters flocking

Continue reading