A vivid exploration of life in the world's oceans with Professor Sean K. Todd; the latest research on marine-mammal intelligence, from the beginning of life on Earth to the state of the oceans today; communication, bioluminescence and so much more.
EPISODE 1
Water: The Source of Life
So much of what people take for granted about the world is a direct cause of the structure and polarity of H2O; learning how those specific properties make water the essential ingredient for life as it is known.
EPISODE 2
Ocean Currents and Why They Matter
No matter where you live, your climate, weather, and even available foods are determined to a great extent by ocean circulation. The uneven heating of the Earth by the Sun and the Coriolis effect result in vast circulation cells of air above the Earth, the movement of huge water masses in the oceans, and resultant "hot spots" of marine life.
EPISODE 3
The Origin and Diversity of Ocean Life
How and where did life begin on Earth? The existence of both photosynthetic and chemosynthetic food chains points to the possibility that life could have originated through two different paths. While many questions remain unanswered, two things seem certain: Life began in the oceans, and bacteria are the most successful organisms on the planet.
EPISODE 4
Beaches, Estuaries, and Coral Reefs
Beach organisms exist with the constantly changing winds, waves, and tides (sometimes underwater, sometimes fully exposed to the air). Life in estuaries, where rivers meet the oceans, face constant fluctuations in environmental salinity. And hard corals are continually pummeled by wave action. Yet each of these physically challenging environments can be diverse and fecund ecosystems.
EPISODE 5
Life in Polar and Deepwater Environments
Phytoplankton form the base of almost all marine food chains, including that of the blue whale, the largest animal known to have ever existed. But far below the penetration of sunlight, a very different and only recently discovered food web relies solely on the chemosynthetic ability of bacteria.
EPISODE 6
Phytoplankton and Other Autotrophs
When we think of healthy marine ecosystems, we should be thinking about phytoplankton. In many ways, we owe our existence to these diatoms, dinoflagellates, green algae, cyanobacteria, and others. Not only do scientists believe they are the ancestors of terrestrial plants, but phytoplankton continues to produce about half of all the oxygen available in our atmosphere today.
Sean K. Todd
