logo
episode-header-image
May 2019
24m 18s

How Do Mussels Get Their Shells?

Vermont Public
About this episode

We're heading to the coast of Maine to learn a little bit about why the sea is salty and how mussels get their shells with Zach Whitener, a research associate at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland, Maine.

We also get an answer to a question to how you get a ship in a bottle from Colorado-based ship-in-bottle builder Daniel Siemens in this encore episode from 2016.

Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript | Ship In Bottle Plans

Up next
Jun 27
Why do some people like spicy food?
Ever wondered why some spices burn your throat while others tickle your nose? Or why some of us live for spicy foods while others sweat at the mere thought of a habanero? How do pickles stay crunchy if they’re sitting in brine for weeks on end? And why do we have such different f ... Show More
28m 28s
Jun 13
Why do we need to use sunscreen?
It’s summer and that means slathering yourself with sunblock before you’re allowed to go run around outside. Not everyone loves that ritual: sunscreen can be cold or sticky. Sometimes it gets in your eyes, and it always feels like it’s time to reapply JUST as you’re about to jump ... Show More
22m 15s
May 30
Are horseshoe crabs…crabs?
How did horseshoe crabs get their names? Are they even crabs? And did they really exist before the dinosaurs? Early spring presents a unique opportunity to see these living fossils up close as they scuttle up to the shoreline along the Atlantic coast of the United States to mate ... Show More
34m 11s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2022
Conviértete en un explorador marino
¿Quieres explorar los tesoros ocultos de las aguas profundas del océano? Te invitamos a bordo del Nautilus, un barco que estudia el fondo marino con la ayuda de…  ¡robots submarinos! Nuestra guía es Taylorann Smith, una científica que ya está en su tercera expedición en este buqu ... Show More
14m 21s
Dec 2016
Lighting the way for sea turtles at Gulf Islands National Seashore
We don’t know much about the long life of a sea turtle, since it’s mostly spent in the ocean. When they do come ashore to lay their eggs, we know the babies use the moon and stars to guide them back to sea. But what happens when hotels and houses and streetlights compete for thei ... Show More
15m 37s
Jun 2024
Salt Mysteries: Unraveling Why the Sea Is Salty
Dive into a salty adventure with "English for Kids"! In this exciting episode, we're joined by Dr. Marina, a marine biologist, to explore the intriguing question: Why is the sea salty? From the journey of minerals from rocks to our vast oceans, to the crucial role salt plays in m ... Show More
5m 34s
Dec 2014
Kale of the Sea
Call off the search for the new kale: we’ve found it, and it’s called kelp! In this episode of Gastropod, we explore the science behind the new wave of seaweed farms springing up off the New England coast, and discover seaweed’s starring role in the peopling of the Americas. The ... Show More
38m 56s
Dec 2023
What’s going on with sargassum seaweed?
Sargassum seaweed was recorded as far back as the 15th century when Christopher Columbus wrote in his expedition diaries about miles and miles and miles of dense seaweed as he crossed the Atlantic Ocean. In 2011, a great mass of this seaweed emerged, stretching from West Africa t ... Show More
23 m
Sep 2022
Should we mine the deep sea?
The first license of its kind has been granted for deep-sea mining. It will be used to run early tests to see whether the seabed could be good place to harvest rare earth materials in the future. These earth minerals are what powers much of our modern technology, and the demand i ... Show More
26m 33s
Feb 2021
What's behind the waves and tides?
In this encore episode, we answer the questions: How does the moon control the tides? Where do waves come from? And what’s it like to live in a tide pool? Sir Isaac Newton drops by and drops some knowledge. He helps explain why the tides ebb and flow. Then, an oceanographer/surfe ... Show More
27m 36s
Jan 2024
How do fish get into lakes?
Here at Moment of Um, we love fishing for questions, and the one we’re answering now is a great catch. It comes from Marc, in Miami Florida: When lakes form, how do fish get in them? Associate Professor Megan McPhee from the University of Alaska Fairbanks helps us get to the bott ... Show More
3m 2s
Feb 2023
The Science of Ocean Sounds
Explore the sounds of ocean science on a sound scavenger hunt! Tune in as oceanographer Amy Bower takes us to the sea, to show us how she uses sound to study ocean currents and make ocean science accessible for blind and visually impaired people. Listen up and help us search for ... Show More
22m 45s
Feb 2022
Why can you hear the ocean in a seashell?
The sounds of the ocean are so relaxing… the waves crashing on the sand, the gentle roar of the surf. And if you pick up a big seashell and put it to your ear, you can almost hear the ocean there too! One of our listeners wanted to know why, so we asked physicist Steve Errede to ... Show More
3m 25s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami