The Essential Rhythm

Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley

The episode discusses recent sightings of lion’s mane jelly fish on the coast of Maine and recounts the generalized dimorphic life cycle of jelly fish.

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Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley

This episode describes the unusual eating mechanism of slipper shells, a most unusual snail. Instead of foraging by grazing on microalgae and biofilms, they suspension feed, using mucous to transport food from their gills to their mouths.

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Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley

This episode compares the digestive systems of two groups of early marine animals: Cnidarians (anemones and jelly fish) with Ctenophores (comb jellies)

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Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley

This episode discusses the phenomenon of marine biofouling and the strategies sponges have evolved to prevent being overgrown by other marine organisms.

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Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley

This episode introduces some of the basic characteristics of sponges as animals, and talks about their use as natural collectors of eDNA.

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Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley

This episode recounts a personal story of seeing an eagle take a gull for a meal. It also discusses times of the year when eagles and gulls ignore each other for easier to catch prey.

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Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley

This episode discusses gulls as predators of other birds, especially their impact on colonial sea birds, and the problem this poses for wildlife managers.

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Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley

This episode discusses top down and bottom up ecological pressures that may be impacting sea gull population levels in the Gulf of Maine.

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