Short Wave

The Great Antarctic Food Web Puzzle


Listen Later

Tourists to Antarctica are fueling research on some of the tiniest, most influential organisms on Earth: phytoplankton. These itty bitty critters make their own food and are the base of the food web in most of the ocean, but tracking how well they're doing is historically tricky. So, researchers with the program FjordPhyto are using samples collected by these tourists to understand how the balance of power in the Antarctic food web could be shifting — could ripple across the food web of the entire ocean.

Want to hear more community science at work or about polar ecosystems? Let us know by emailing [email protected]! We're also always open to other story ideas you have. <3

Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Short WaveBy NPR

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

5,955 ratings


More shows like Short Wave

View all
Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,046 Listeners

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! by NPR

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

38,465 Listeners

Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,925 Listeners

This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,380 Listeners

Planet Money by NPR

Planet Money

30,850 Listeners

Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,121 Listeners

TED Radio Hour by NPR

TED Radio Hour

22,021 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,343 Listeners

Science Vs by Spotify Studios

Science Vs

11,701 Listeners

Up First from NPR by NPR

Up First from NPR

56,140 Listeners

The Indicator from Planet Money by NPR

The Indicator from Planet Money

9,520 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

15,801 Listeners

Life Kit by NPR

Life Kit

4,323 Listeners

Consider This from NPR by NPR

Consider This from NPR

5,970 Listeners

Unexplainable by Vox

Unexplainable

2,103 Listeners