July 16 - July 31, 2007

Mon., 7/16       Sargassum rafts: Found in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, these large mats of seaweeed are a floating ecosystem that is home to many creatures.         

Tue., 7/17       Bioprospecting new drugs: The ocean offers scientists a range of extreme conditions in which to look for novel new drugs.         

Wed., 7/18     Ocean energy: Wind speeds are often much faster over the ocean than on land, making it a logical location for electricity-generating wind turbines.       

Thu., 7/19       Build a better enzyme: Many of the products that we use every day contain enzymes produced by ocean fish or microbes.         

Fri., 7/20        Coral Banding: Scientists can find volumes of information about ocean temperature, salinity, and pollution levels by studying the rings produced by growing coral.       

Mon., 7/23      Laying down the bones: Scientists analyze ear bones to learn about the health and age of the fish.            

Tue., 7/24        Bioluminescence: Many marine organisms are capable of producing light, sometimes making the surface of the ocean appear to glow.  

Wed., 7/25      Lights, camera, ocean: A new underwater camera mimics a jellyfish and is capturing images of things never before seen.                  

Thu., 7/26       Algae invasion: Scientists believe over-fishing, sewage run-off, and global warming are all factors in some coral reefs being overrun with algae. 

Fri., 7/27         Lake Erie dead zone: This dead zone appears every year because there are too many nutrients running off the land and into the lake.

Mon., 7/30         No Ballast-on-board vessels and invasive species: Ships carrying extra cargo as ballast are spreading invasive species in the Great Lakes.

Tue., 7/31         Sponging dolphins: Scientists say bottlenose dolphins use sponges to protect their snouts when digging in the mud and muck for prey.