Short Wave

What Are Flies Doing In The Middle Of The Ocean?

October 3, 2025

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • Hoverflies migrating across the North Sea were found carrying pollen from over 100 plant species, suggesting they play a significant, previously unstudied role in long-distance pollination over water. 
  • Trees in the Amazon rainforest have increased in size over the last three decades, likely due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide, though this resilience is threatened by ongoing deforestation and climate change impacts like drought. 
  • Marine biologists are developing methods using underwater microphones coupled with 360-degree video to create sound libraries for fish, allowing for non-intrusive population censuses and environmental health assessments of coral reefs. 

Segments

Sponsor Messages and Introduction
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: NPR is operating without federal funding for the first time, relying on listener support.
  • Summary: The episode opens with sponsor messages from Shipbob and a note about NPR operating without federal funding for the first time. Hosts Regina Barber and Burley McCoy introduce West Coast host Elsa Chang for a science news roundup. The planned topics include flies on oil rigs, Amazon findings, and coral reef sounds.
Flies Migrating Over Ocean
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(00:02:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Hoverflies migrating hundreds of miles over the North Sea carry substantial, diverse pollen loads.
  • Summary: Engineer Craig Hannah observed thousands of hoverflies landing on a North Sea oil rig. These flies, important pollinators, were found by researchers to be carrying pollen from over 100 plant species, some originating over 300 miles away in places like the Netherlands. This research suggests hoverflies may introduce new genes to faraway plants, potentially aiding adaptation to climate change.
Amazon Tree Growth Study
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(00:05:23)
  • Key Takeaway: Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide has caused Amazon trees to grow larger, though deforestation and drought remain major threats.
  • Summary: A study in Nature Plants revealed that Amazon trees have increased in size by about 3% per decade due to higher levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. While this shows the forest’s capacity to tolerate climate change for now, researchers stress that deforestation and climate-linked drought could severely limit the forest’s ability to store carbon in the future.
Fish Sounds in Reefs
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(00:07:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Fish use teeth, fins, or swim bladder vibrations to produce sounds used for communication and environmental monitoring.
  • Summary: Fish create sounds using various methods, such as vibrating swim bladders (like the long-spined squirrelfish) or rubbing teeth (like the three-spot damselfish). Researchers are building sound libraries, combining underwater microphones with 360-degree video, to match specific sounds to fish species. This acoustic monitoring can help marine biologists assess reef health, fish populations, and migration patterns without intrusive capture methods.
Closing Credits and Sponsors
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(00:09:21)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode concludes with acknowledgments for production staff and final sponsor messages.
  • Summary: The hosts thank Elsa Chang for joining the science news roundup. Production credits are listed for writing, editing, audio engineering, and fact-checking. The episode ends with final sponsor messages from Mint Mobile and Edward Jones.