Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley This episode answers listeners’ questions about estuaries, the zone in a river where it meets the sea. The influence of tidal flows and differing densities of water are discussed relative to the mixing of fresh and salt water. Organisms that can live in the wide range of salinities typically found in estuaries are briefly discussed.  About the host: Sarah O’Malley is an ecologist, naturalist and science communicator passionate about deepening her listeners’ experiences with the natural world. She teaches biology and sustainability at Maine Maritime Academy and is currently collaborating on a guide book to the intertidal zone in the Gulf of Maine.

The post The Essential Rhythm 9/10/23: Where Fresh Water Meets the Sea first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley This episode explains where the salt in the ocean comes from, and outlines in simple terms the balance of inputs and outputs that result in relatively steady state salinity in ocean water. About the host: Sarah O’Malley is an ecologist, naturalist and science communicator passionate about deepening her listeners’ experiences with the natural world. She teaches biology and sustainability at Maine Maritime Academy and is currently collaborating on a guide book to the intertidal zone in the Gulf of Maine.

The post The Essential Rhythm 8/27/23: All the Salt in the Sea first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley This episode describes the history of the northwest Atlantic/Canadian maritime population of walruses, including their historic range and reasons for extinction. About the host: Sarah O’Malley is an ecologist, naturalist and science communicator passionate about deepening her listeners’ experiences with the natural world. She teaches biology and sustainability at Maine Maritime Academy and is currently collaborating on a guide book to the intertidal zone in the Gulf of Maine.

The post The Essential Rhythm 8/13/23: Charismatic Megafauna – Northwest Atlantic Walruses first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley This episodes describes the unique ocean going fish Mola mola. It includes a physical description, behavioral characteristics and how to differentiate the fin of a Mola mola from that of a shark.  About the host: Sarah O’Malley is an ecologist, naturalist and science communicator passionate about deepening her listeners’ experiences with the natural world. She teaches biology and sustainability at Maine Maritime Academy and is currently collaborating on a guide book to the intertidal zone in the Gulf of Maine.

The post The Essential Rhythm 8/6/23: Meet Mola Mola, the Ocean Sunfish first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley This episode explains the origins of the sandy beaches of maritime Canada, as related to the erosion of sandstone formed as a result of the erosion of the ancestral Appalachian mountains. About the host: Sarah O’Malley is an ecologist, naturalist and science communicator passionate about deepening her listeners’ experiences with the natural world. She teaches biology and sustainability at Maine Maritime Academy and is currently collaborating on a guide book to the intertidal zone in the Gulf of Maine.

The post The Essential Rhythm 7/23/23: Beach Daze first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley This episode describes the ecological of horseshoe crabs as species that transfer energy to many different threads in the food web, including migratory shore birds and fish. About the host: Sarah O’Malley is an ecologist, naturalist and science communicator passionate about deepening her listeners’ experiences with the natural world. She teaches biology and sustainability at Maine Maritime Academy and is currently collaborating on a guide book to the intertidal zone in the Gulf of Maine.

The post The Essential Rhythm 7/2/23: The Crab that Feeds Everyone first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley This episode explains why horseshoe crabs’ blood is blue as well as the critically important substance found in it. Limulus amoebocyte lysate is isolated from horseshoe crab blood and used to test the sterility of medical equipment and vaccines, and as of yet has no approved synthetic alternative in the United States. About the host: Sarah O’Malley is an ecologist, naturalist and science communicator passionate about deepening her listeners’ experiences with the natural world. She teaches biology and sustainability at Maine Maritime Academy and is currently collaborating on a guide book to the intertidal zone in the Gulf of Maine.

The post The Essential Rhythm 6/25/23: Blue Blood first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley This episode describes the state of horseshoe crab populations as well as the challenges to understanding population levels in the absence of data.  About the host: Sarah O’Malley is an ecologist, naturalist and science communicator passionate about deepening her listeners’ experiences with the natural world. She teaches biology and sustainability at Maine Maritime Academy and is currently collaborating on a guide book to the intertidal zone in the Gulf of Maine.

The post The Essential Rhythm 6/18/23: How Are They Doing It? It’s Complicated… first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley This episode describes some key anatomical features of Limulus polyphemus, American horseshoe crabs and explains the mating behaviors that can be seen when the animals visit the intertidal zone. About the host: Sarah O’Malley is an ecologist, naturalist and science communicator passionate about deepening her listeners’ experiences with the natural world. She teaches biology and sustainability at Maine Maritime Academy and is currently collaborating on a guide book to the intertidal zone in the Gulf of Maine.

The post The Essential Rhythm 6/4/23: Horseshoe crabs in Maine first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley This episode summarizes the findings of Johnston et al (2023) showing that commercial rockweed harvest as practiced in Maine results in on average reduced height but pre harvest levels of biomass one year post harvest. Different implications based on management perspectives are noted.  Johnston, Elliot et al 2023 Bed-scale impact and recovery of a commercially important intertidal seaweed, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 561:151869 About the host: Sarah O’Malley is an ecologist, naturalist and science communicator passionate about deepening her listeners’ experiences with the natural world. She teaches biology and sustainability at Maine Maritime Academy and is currently collaborating on a guide book to the intertidal zone in the Gulf of Maine.

The post The Essential Rhythm 5/21/23: Does rockweed harvest damage intertidal ecosystems? first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.