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NOAA Ocean Podcast

National Ocean Service

From corals to coastal science, connect with NOAA experts in our podcast series that explores questions about the ocean environment.

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  • 112 episodes
  • Updated Jul 22, 2024

Episodes112

Newest first
  • Feb 20, 2020 · 12 min

    Bringing Wetlands to Market

    Money does not grow on trees, but it could be growing in our coastal salt marshes and sea grass beds. A team of researchers is working at Waquoit Bay Research Reserve on Cape Cod in Massachusetts on the Bringing Wetlands to Market project to study the connections between coastal wetlands, carbon dioxide uptake and storage, and the global carbon trading economy. Wetlands have the potential to serve as valuable assets in carbon trading markets – but only if we protect them, and don't dig up the treasure! Episode permanent link and show notes

  • Jan 23, 2020 · 12 min

    The Nurdle Patrol: Citizen Scientists Fight Pollution, One Pellet at a Time

    Nurdles are small plastic pellets that are causing a big problem. But citizen scientists are fighting back. In this episode, we talk with Jace Tunnell, Director of the Mission Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, about how the Nurdle Patrol is taking on these problematic pellets, and how you can get involved. Editor's Note: The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is a network of 29 coastal sites designated to protect and study estuarine systems. NOAA provides funding and guidance to Mission Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, and the site is managed by the University of Texas Marine Science Institute. The Nurdle Patrol, which is run by Mission Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, is not directly affiliated with NOAA. Episode permanent link and show notes

  • Dec 17, 2019 · 11 min

    After a Hurricane Hits: NOAA’s Emergency Response Aerial Imagery

    Since the early 1900’s the National Geodetic Survey has been taking photographs from airplanes to capture the Earth below. We talk with two NOAA experts about their role in emergency response imagery collection after hurricanes, and what it provides for the public. Episode permanent link and show notes

  • Oct 23, 2019 · 4 min

    The Nautical Origins of 10 Popular Phrases

    Did you know many phrases that we use today have nautical origins? Lots of these terms derive from the Age of Sail — the period of time between the 16th and 19th centuries when masted ships ruled the seas. Episode permanent link and show notes

  • Aug 7, 2019 · 9 min

    NOAA's Disaster Preparedness Program

    In this episode, Kate Wheelock, Chief of NOAA’s Disaster Preparedness Program, explains how her team facilitates internal communication, coordination, and preparation for all types of unforeseen disasters. Episode permanent link and show notes

  • Jul 11, 2019 · 10 min

    Meteotsunamis: State of the Science

    Meteotsunamis occur all over the world — including the Great Lakes — but scientists are just beginning to better detect and understand them. In this episode, NOAA oceanographer Greg Dusek talks about new research that advances what we know about these little known, but surprisingly common, weather-driven events. Episode permanent link and show notes

  • Mar 21, 2019 · 6 min

    Making it Count

    In this episode, Cindy Among-Serrao from Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary talks about how citizen scientists help monitor and promote awareness about marine life — particularly humpback whales — during the annual Sanctuary Ocean Count. Episode permanent link and show notes

  • Feb 28, 2019 · 6 min

    Lionfish Invasion

    In this episode, a NOAA ecologist discusses how invasive lionfish have become established across the Southeast U.S. and Caribbean. How did the fish get to the Atlantic? While the exact cause is unknown, it's likely that humans provided a helping hand. While NOAA researchers have concluded that invasive lionfish populations will continue to grow and cannot be eliminated using conventional methods, efforts continue to control populations. Episode permanent link and show notes

  • Dec 4, 2018 · 8 hr 52 min

    Fa’a Samoa: The Samoan Way (Part One)

    This is the first half of a two-part interview with NOAA’s Hideyo Hattori. In this episode, we talk about the many ways that American Samoa is an amazing place, unlike anywhere else in the United States. Episode permanent link and show notes

  • Dec 4, 2018 · 8 hr 12 min

    Fa’a Samoa: The Samoan Way (Part Two)

    This is the second part of our interview with NOAA’s Hideyo Hattori about American Samoa. In this episode, we focus on Hideyo’s work with conserving the bountiful corals that surround the islands of this remote archipelago. Episode permanent link and show notes

  • Nov 14, 2018 · 12 hr 52 min

    All About HABS: Uncovering the Mystery of Harmful Algal Blooms

    Harmful algal blooms (HABS) ... it's a term that many people became familiar with in 2018 due to a persistent "red tide" event along the Gulf Coast of Florida. In this podcast, we uncover what HABS are, what they aren’t, and how we can learn to minimize their effects on our daily lives. Episode permanent link and show notes

  • Oct 24, 2018 · 12 hr 52 min

    Remote Control

    With the use of unmanned systems, NOAA is reducing operational costs and manpower requirements, while increasing the type and quality of data that NOAA collects. In this episode, Rob Downs from NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey explains the past, present, and possible future of unmanned systems at NOAA. Episode permanent link and show notes

  • Aug 29, 2018 · 8 min

    Ocean Noise

    Many marine organisms, including marine mammals, sea turtles, fish and invertebrates, rely on sound and hearing for their survival. Over the last century, increases in human activity within our ocean have led to increasing levels of noise. This increasing amount of noise from human sources is a rising concern for the health and well-being of marine organisms and ecosystems. In this episode, we talk with NOAA marine ecologist Dr. Leila Hatch about her work to better understand the ocean soundscape by developing programs that can establish baselines, detect changes in noise levels, and support the design of methods to reduce noise impacts. Episode permanent link and show notes

  • Jun 28, 2018 · 14 min

    Breaking Down Barriers: Natural Infrastructure

    Natural infrastructure provides effective solutions for minimizing coastal flooding, erosion, and runoff, but it has other benefits as well. In this episode, Kim Penn from NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management explains the environmental, economic, and recreational benefits of natural infrastructure. Episode permanent link and show notes

  • May 24, 2018 · 6 min

    National Ocean Service's Role in Hurricane Prep, Response, and Recovery

    June 1 is the start of the Atlantic hurricane season. Are you prepared? To help, learn the many ways the National Ocean Service responds to hurricanes, as well as easy steps you can take to be ready for whatever the season brings. Episode permanent link and show notes

  • Apr 26, 2018 · 19 min

    Motion in the Ocean: Tides and Currents

    Understanding how the ocean moves is no easy task. In this episode, we hear from a NOAA oceanographer who studies the physics of how the ocean moves to better understand and predict how tides and currents shape our coastal environment. Episode permanent link and show notes

  • Mar 22, 2018 · 10 min

    Garbage Patches: How Gyres Take Our Trash Out to Sea

    How the gyres that circulate our ocean waters also accumulate plastics. Find out what a garbage patch is and isn't, and what we can do about this ocean-sized problem. Episode permanent link and show notes

  • Feb 22, 2018 · 18 min

    Dealing with Dead Zones: Hypoxia in the Ocean

    When water runs off of farmland and urban centers and flows into our streams and rivers, it is often chock-full of fertilizers and other nutrients. These massive loads of nutrients eventually end up in our coastal ocean, fueling a chain of events that can lead to hypoxic "dead zones" — areas along the sea floor where oxygen is so low it can no longer sustain marine life. In this episode, we're joined by NOAA scientist Alan Lewitus to explore why dead zones form, how the problem of hypoxia is growing worse, and what we're doing about it. Episode permanent link and show notes