NOAA: Making Waves - podcast cover

NOAA: Making Waves

National Ocean Serviceoceanservice.noaa.gov
From corals to coastal science, catch the current of the ocean with our audio and video podcast, Making Waves
Last refreshed:
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

The New NOAA Ocean Podcast

The Making Waves podcast has retired, but have no fear! We combined our Making Waves, Ocean Shorts, and Diving Deeper pods into one NEW podcast called NOAA Ocean. Subscribe in your favorite podcatcher so you never miss an episode. Just search for "NOAA Ocean." If you are looking for an older Making Waves episode, head to oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcast to view our archive.

Jul 17, 201727 sec

Subscribe to the New NOAA Ocean Podcast

The Making Waves podcast has retired, but have no fear! We combined our Making Waves, Ocean Shorts, and Diving Deeper pods into one NEW podcast called NOAA Ocean. Subscribe in your favorite podcatcher so you never miss an episode. Just search for "NOAA Ocean." If you are looking for an older Making Waves episode, head to oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcast to view our archive.

Feb 03, 201727 sec

ANNOUNCEMENT: New NOAA Ocean Podcast

The Making Waves podcast has retired, but have no fear! We combined our Making Waves, Ocean Shorts, and Diving Deeper podcasts into one NEW podcast called NOAA Ocean. Subscribe to the new podcast in your favorite podcatcher so you never miss an episode. Just search for "NOAA Ocean." If you are looking for an older Making Waves episode, head to oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcast to view our archive.

Jan 09, 201727 sec

Listen up: What you need to know about ocean noise. (Episode 138)

What is ocean noise and what is NOAA doing to reduce this threat in our national marine sanctuaries? Many marine organisms, including marine mammals, sea turtles, fish and invertebrates, rely on sound and hearing for their survival. Over the last century, increases in human activity within our ocean have led to increasing levels of noise. This increasing amount of noise from human sources is a rising concern for the health and well-being of marine organisms and ecosystems. In this episode, we ta...

Dec 08, 201614 min

Bringing Wetlands to Market: the Power of Blue Carbon in a Changing Climate (Episode 137)

Money does not grow on trees, but it could be growing in our coastal salt marshes and sea grass beds. A team of researchers is working at Waquoit Bay Research Reserve on Cape Cod in Massachusetts on the "Bringing Wetlands to Market" project to study the connections between coastal wetlands, carbon dioxide uptake and storage, and the global carbon trading economy. Wetlands have the potential to serve as valuable assets in carbon trading markets – but only if we protect them, and don't dig up the ...

Aug 04, 201613 min

Charting New Waters: Video

Boaters rely on NOAA's nautical charts for depth measurements so they don't accidentally ground on sandbars or other underwater obstructions. Take three minutes out of your day to hear Captain Shepard Smith of the NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson discuss how nautical charts are updated—and how NOAA is using promising new technology (ocean robots!) that will add shallow depths to nautical charts. Episode permanent link and show notes...

May 23, 20164 min

Connecting the Dots Between Corals and Humans (Episode 135)

Coral reefs are under intense pressure from climate change, pollution, and unsustainable use. So what can we do about it? To answer that question, we need to better understand the main threat to our reefs. Humans. Episode permanent link and show notes

Mar 24, 201616 min

Alaska: Marine Debris in the Wilderness (Episode 134)

Alaska—the largest and most remote state in the United States—is filled with wilderness and beauty, and unfortunately with marine debris. With a longer coastline than all the other U.S. states combined, Alaska finds itself with the greatest concentration of marine debris in our country. In this episode, we learn just how challenging the issue of marine debris can be in the vast wilderness of this state, how the NOAA Marine Debris program is working to solve this problem, and how the key to beati...

Jan 28, 201616 min

Data Makes a Difference (Episode 133)

Take a virtual journey to Penobscot Bay, Maine, to see how harbor pilots use U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) data for real-time ocean and weather conditions. This information is critical for safe navigation as pilots carefully move tankers and other vessels often carrying dangerous cargo safely in and out of port. IOOS coastal and marine data (e.g., water temperature, water level, currents, winds, and waves) are collected by many different tools including satellites, buoys, tide g...

Nov 19, 20154 min

Vertical Mapping and Atomic Clocks (Episode 132)

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, are developing atomic clocks that are so accurate that the effects of the general theory of relativity come into play. That means if two of these clocks are at slightly different elevations—even a few centimeters—the higher clock runs noticeably faster. In this episode, find out why this is a problem for NIST, how the National Geodetic Survey helped to solve this problem, and how these amazing atomic clocks may someday pl...

Sep 24, 201513 min

World Ocean Day (Special Feature)

What do you know about our ocean? We bet you'll learn something new in this short video. Episode permanent link and show notes

Jun 08, 20152 min

Trash Talk (Special Feature)

Ocean Today is premiering this 15-minute TRASH TALK special feature for World Ocean Day. It is specially designed to be part of your World Ocean Day festivities and beyond. In addition to the video, we have a pre-recorded 10-minute webinar for educators that provides fun activities that you can organize after the film! A perfect event for museums, zoos, aquariums, learning centers and schools. Enjoy! Please note that this movie is a large file (260 MB). Episode permanent link and show notes...

Jun 08, 201515 min

Mapping an Ocean Ecosystem (Episode 131)

Creating a habitat ecosystem map of the seafloor is a tricky process, but it's a key tool that scientists use to better understand our ocean. Learn more in this two-minute video. Episode permanent link and show notes

May 20, 20152 min

Exploring the Unknown (Episode 130)

Join us for an interview with oceanographer Tim Battista about mapping coral reef ecosystems in the U.S. Caribbean. Episode permanent link and show notes

Apr 01, 201521 min

Shipwreck Detectives (Episode 129)

A NOAA "shipwreck detective" talks about a two-year study to locate and document shipwrecks in Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and the surrounding area. Episode permanent link and show notes

Jan 15, 201520 min

Measuring Water Levels with Microwaves (Episode 128)

In this episode, we visit a research station perched at the end of a long pier in Duck, North Carolina, to get a close-up look at the microwave radar water level sensor--a revolutionary step forward in how NOAA measures water levels around the nation. Episode permanent link and show notes

Oct 01, 20145 min

Arctic Shield (Episode 127)

As sea ice continues to shrink in the Arctic, we’re likely to see more shipping, more oil exploration, more tourism, and more fishing. And all of this activity means that in the future, we’ll probably going have to deal with an oil spill in this remote region. So how do we prepare for that? The Coast Guard cutter Healy, a 420-foot-long icebreaker, is now heading north in answer to this question. The mission: an annual exercise called Arctic Shield led by the U.S. Coast Guard’s Research and Devel...

Oct 01, 201411 min

Great Pacific Garbage Patch (Episode 126)

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is one of many areas in the ocean where marine debris naturally concentrates because of ocean currents. In this episode, an expert from the NOAA Marine Debris Program explains what a garbage patch is and isn't, what we know and don't know, and what we can do about this ocean-sized problem. Episode permanent link and show notes

Jun 26, 20149 min

Storm Surge (Episode 125)

This is Making Waves from NOAA's National Ocean Service. Hurricane season runs from June 1 - November 30. You know that powerful winds are destructive and can be deadly during a hurricane. But did you know that the greatest threat to life actually comes from the water — in the form of storm surge. See for yourself with this video from NOAA's Ocean Today. Episode permanent link and show notes

May 29, 20143 min

Coastal Blue Carbon (Episode 124)

Coastal Blue Carbon. Heard of it? A NOAA environmental scientist explains how certain small coastal areas play an outsized role in reducing climate change. Episode permanent link and show notes

May 08, 201413 min

Motion in the Ocean (Episode 123)

You know about ocean tides, but how much do you know about ocean currents? Watch our three-minute video podcast to learn what puts the motion in the ocean. Episode permanent link and show notes

Apr 24, 20143 min

The Exxon Valdez, 25 Years Later (Episode 122)

Prior to the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Exxon Valdez was the largest spill to ever occur in U.S. coastal waters. In this episode, we talk with NOAA marine biologist Gary Shigenaka to find out how marine life is faring today in Prince William Sound, Alaska. We also look at lessons we might learn from this environmental disaster in light of growing oil exploration and shipping traffic in the Arctic. Episode permanent link and show notes...

Mar 21, 201415 min

SoundScapes (Episode 121)

How do we use sound to 'see' the sea floor? Our latest podcast explains how sonar works and includes a great visualization that shows how sound data is used to make nautical charts. Episode permanent link and show notes

Mar 06, 20143 min

Underwater but Unforgotten (Episode 120)

In this video episode: two Civil War-era sailors lost over 150 years ago aboard the U.S.S. Monitor are laid to rest. Don't miss this moving three-minute video brought to you by NOAA's Ocean Today. Episode permanent link and show notes

Feb 10, 20143 min

'Hooked on Sharks' from NOAA Fisheries (Episode 119)

It's Shark Week! Tune in to hear 'Hooked on Sharks,' the latest episode of 'On the Line,' a new podcast from our colleagues at NOAA Fisheries. 'On the Line' features interviews with NOAA scientists who study fish, marine mammals, and other ocean life. In 'Hooked on Sharks,' we hear about a research project to see if a special type of hook can help vulnerable populations of sharks to survive. Episode permanent link and show notes

Aug 08, 201311 min

The Social Side of Coral Reefs (Episode 118)

Coral reefs are under intense pressure from climate change, pollution, and unsustainable use. So what can we do about it? To answer that question, we need to better understand the main threat to our reefs. Humans. Join us for a discussion about the social side of protecting coral reefs with scientist Peter Edwards from NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program. Episode permanent link and show notes

Aug 01, 201311 min

Hurricane Survival (Episode 116)

It's hurricane season. Are you prepared? Find out with this video from NOAA's Ocean Today . Episode permanent link and show notes

Jun 13, 20134 min

Measuring Change in an Estuary (Episode 115)

How do we measure elevation changes in estuaries--marshy areas where land elevations are constantly shifting? How will sea level rise affect the flora and fauna that live in these places? See how National Geodetic Survey experts are laying the groundwork to help answer these challenging questions at Waquoit Bay in Mass. Episode permanent link and show notes

May 30, 20133 min

Ocean Acidification (Episode 114)

In this video podcast, learn what ocean acidification is, how it's affecting marine life, and how NOAA tools are helping people monitor and adapt to changes in ocean chemistry. Episode permanent link and show notes

May 02, 20132 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android