A program of the Lawrence Hall of Science that seeks to increase ocean literacy through informal and formal education initiatives

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WHOI News

Study reveals how fishing gear can cause slow death of whales

Using a “patient monitoring” device attached to a whale entangled in fishing gear, scientists showed for the first time how fishing lines changed a whale’s diving and swimming behavior. The monitoring revealed how fishing gear hinders whales’ ability to eat and migrate, depletes their energy as they drag gear for months or years, and can result in a slow death.

Scientists Explore Roots of Future Tropical Rainfall

How will rainfall patterns across the tropical Indian and Pacific regions change in a future warming world? Climate models generally suggest that the tropics as a whole will get wetter, but the models don’t always agree on where rainfall patterns will shift in particular regions within the tropics.

New Robotic Instruments to Provide Real-Time Data on Gulf of Maine Red Tide

A new robotic sensor deployed by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Gulf of Maine coastal waters may transform the way red tides or harmful algal blooms (HABs) are monitored and managed in New England. A second such instrument will be launched later this spring.

The Black Sea is a Goldmine of Ancient Genetic Data

When Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) marine paleoecologist Marco Coolen was mining through vast amounts of genetic data from the Black Sea sediment record, he was amazed about the variety of past plankton species that left behind their genetic makeup (i.e., the plankton paleome).

'Dark Oxidants' Form Away from Sunlight in Lake and Ocean Depths, Underground Soils

Breathing oxygen... can be hazardous to your health? Indeed, our bodies aren't perfect. They make mistakes, among them producing toxic chemicals, called oxidants, in cells. We fight these oxidants naturally, and by eating foods rich in antioxidants such as blueberries and dark chocolate. All forms of life that breathe oxygen—even ones that can't be seen with the naked eye, such as bacteria—must fight oxidants to live.

The Banana Slug String Band [with Podcast]

Click play button to listen to the title track now:

The Banana Slug String Band logoThe renowned children’s music group, The Banana Slug String Band, has released a new album, Only One Ocean! This disc of 14 songs is entirely focused on the content found in Ocean Literacy: The Essential Principles of Ocean Sciences K–12.

The CD is produced with financial contributions from ten Centers in the National COSEE Network, the National Marine Educators Association, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in partnership with the NOAA Office of Exploration & Research, and the Lawrence Hall of Science.

Banana Slug String Band: Only One OceanThe CD features several well-known guest artists, including:

  • BeauSoleil
  • Victor Wooten
  • George Winston
  • and many, many more

Banana Slug albums have won 16 state and national awards for excellence. Thousands of Banana Slug CDs are sold each year through eight distributors such as Amazon.com, Acorn Naturalists and Kaplan Early Learning, and as downloads through iTunes and other MP3 sites.

In addition, the band plays over 20 major concerts and dozens of smaller shows each year. Only One Ocean will bring the importance of the ocean to a large audience of parents and children not previously reached by the Ocean Literacy Campaign.

Listen to the title track above celebrating this new children’s music CD! You may sample other songs on The Banana Slug String Band's web site.

Read an article about the CD from the Howtosmile.org Blog. 

Check out the latest podcast on the Banana Slug String Band! The Slugs talked with Ari Daniel Shapiro about their latest CD, Only One Ocean, which recently won a Parents Choice Award. Listen to their Ocean Gazing podcast, part of an audio series initiative of COSEE NOW.