Podcasts: April 2009

Making Waves Episode 25: EstuaryLive; Where exactly is Four Corners? — April 29, 2009

Join us this week to learn about EstuaryLive, an annual event that allows students to take a virtual field trip to estuaries around the country. And we hear from Chief Geodetic Surveyor Dave Doyle on the recent controversy surrounding the position of the Four Corners monument, located at the point where the states of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona meet up. (12 minutes)

Diving Deeper: Estuaries — Apr. 22, 2009

Learn about estuaries in this special double interview with Sarah McGuire and Bart Merrick from the National Estuarine Research Reserve System. The discussion highlights why estuaries are important and more information on the Reserve System. (16:45 minutes)

Making Waves Episode 24: Bay Hydro II Joins the NOAA Fleet; Tropical Fungus Range Expands into Northern Waters — April 15, 2009

Join us this week to learn about Bay Hydro II, the newest addition to NOAA's fleet of hydrographic research vessels. We also take a look at a new NOAA-led study that finds a type of tropical fungus called lobomycosis is now infecting bottlenose dolphins off the coast of North Carolina. (9:43 minutes)

Diving Deeper: Tides — Apr. 8, 2009

Learn about tides in this interview with Steve Gill from the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services. This discussion highlights what causes tides, the factors that affect them, and why we study tides. (15:33 minutes)

Making Waves Episode 23: Ocean Glider Set to Attempt Atlantic Crossing — April 8, 2009

Undergraduate students from Rutgers University are finalizing preparations to launch an ocean glider on a journey from New Jersey to Spain. If the craft completes the trip, it will be the first unmanned underwater vehicle to successfully cross the Atlantic. We talk to Zdenka Willis, program director for NOAA’s Integrated Ocean Observing System, about the upcoming mission and the future of ocean observing. (10:30 minutes)

Making Waves Episode 22: Flame Retardants Found in U.S. Coastal Ecosystems Nationwide — April 1, 2009

A new NOAA report finds that man-made toxic chemicals used as flame retardants in consumer products are found in all U.S. coastal waters and the Great Lakes. The chemicals—Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers, or PBDEs—have generated international concern in recent years due to their global distribution and associated adverse environmental and human health effects. We talk with one of the authors of the report. (7:34 minutes)