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Antarctic tourism is at an all-time high, growing from less than 7000 people in the early 90s, to upwards of 120,000 visitors in the 2025-2026 season. This rapid growth has been accompanied by tensions around the sustainbility of the sector, which few are more exposed to than Antarctic  tour guides. Elizabeth Cooper, from the University of Gronigen in the Netherlands, speaks to Tessa Campisi about her study of guides who have decided to leave the sector over ethical concerns, and what needs to happen to minimise environmental harm to the great southern continent.  Elizabeth's study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738326001222Artwork by Tessa Campisi

In this interview, Dr Jacqui Pocklington spoke about a range of topics, including her childhood and the major influencers on her career, and discusssed a number of her different research interests and experiences.

Members of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) have been meeting in Jamaica to discuss regulations on seabed mining in the High Seas, as Canadian-based firm The Metals Company and its subsidiaries attempt to circumvent international laws and conventions whilst pushing for further exploration approvals.But to whom do the ocean's resources belong? And is it possible to regulate such an industry in international waters? In this rebroadcast, Ellycia Harrould-Kolieb from the University of Melbourne demystifies the governance of the High Seas. Image: Greenpeace Ellycia's research: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X23005006Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative: https://www.dosi-project.org/

Humans are undoubtedly noisy creatures. However, since our hearing aparatus evolved on land, we can't even hear the half of the noise that we make underwater.Boating, shipping, mining - all these activities have complex impacts on the behaviour of marine biota. On today's show, PhD Candidate Jack Manera joins us in the studio to share his research on the impact of boat noise on the curious mutualistic realtionship between a sand goby and a snapping shrimp. Jack's Website: www.jackmanera.com/https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article/36/5/araf110/8266905?login=false

Nudibranchs, or sea slugs, are arguably the most charasmatic invertebrates to grace our oceans - but you have to find them first. Tessa dons her gumboots and joins in on the winter sea slug census run by Victorian National Parks Association, a citizen science program that has been running for almost a decade, documenting the dazzling diversity of the epistobranch community. Join the census: https://vnpa.org.au/programs/sea-slug-census/

Tessa campisi speaks to Jack Manera, who studies behavial ecology and ecotoxicology at Monash University, to talk about some of his ~amazing~ experiments investigating the impacts of pharmaceutical contaminants on how fish think. Read up on Jack's other research: www.jackmanera.comDonate to Out of the Blue this radiothon!www.givenow.com.au/cr/outoftheblue2026 Image credit: Jack L. Manera, Eleanor R. Moore, Jake M. Martin, Michael G. Bertram, and Bob B. M. Wong, Environmental Science & Technology 2026 60 (14), 10640-10650. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6c00552

In this episode, Andrew Christie has a chat to Jayne Burton (who is a graduate student of the Bachelor of Agriculture & Technology degree program of Melbourne Polytechnic, specialising in aquaculture) of Native Fish Australia. Jayne has a wealth of experience in keeping ornamental fish, and discusses her love of fish and the parasites that sometimes stalk them! She tells our listeners what it is like to work at the largest wholesaler of aquarium fish in the southern hemisphere, and chats about the various species on the go in the Native Fish Australia hatchery in Bundoora.

In this episode, Andrew Christie has a chat to Chiara Wuller, a PhD student originally from Germany, who is now studying in the Netherlands, who has come to Australia as part of a study tour, and who has wasted no time in establishing some excellent networks amongst various marine conservation groups throughout Victoria and Australia. Chiara is studying her PhD on communication science and how people use data in their day-to-day lives.

In this episode, Andrew Christie has a chat to Phil Watson, who is a very well-regarded aquatic photographer who loves getting in the water in a plethora of locations, and whose work has delighted many enthusiasts for years. Phil generously gave his time to provide some insights into photography in the underwater world, including a number of tips for beginners and experienced photographers alike.

Woven from seaweed, scultped from sand and carefully blown into bubbles, fish nesting and parental care is breathtaking in its diversity, and offers a glimpse inside the minds of our little finned friends. On today's show, Tessa Campisi speaks to Professor Bob Wong of the school of Biological Sciences at Monash University about the breathtaking nest building behaviours of fish.Bob's Lab: www.bobwonglab.org Image: An illustration of the nine-spined stickleback weaving a nest (attribution: Emil Walter)

In this episode of Out of the Blue, Andrew discussed the recent spate of shark attacks in NSW and what people can do to avoid unfortunate accidents.

On today's show, Tessa speaks with Dr Maina Talia, Tuvalu's Minister for Climate Change, Environmnent and Home Affairs.They talk about activism, theology, and what it means to be good geopolticial neighbours in the context of climate change.Dr. Maina's PhD can be found here: AM I NOT YOUR TŪ/AKOI? A TUVALUAN PLEA FOR SURVIVAL IN A TIME OF CLIMATE EMERGENCY - Charles Sturt University Research OutputImage: 'Iesu Fafine', painted by Tenene Nelu, as mentioned in Dr Talia's PhDMusic from bluedot.sessions

We love talking about marine science on Out of the Blue, especially when it brings good tidings for our ocean ecosystems.  Translating scientific nuance into news stories, however, can be a minefield for misinformation.In this episode, Tessa Campisi speaks to Dr Gabi Mocatta, senior research fellow in climate communication at the University of Tasmania, to unpick how research findings indicating increased coral cover in the great barrier reef unwittingly provided fodder for climate denial in the news media. Link to research: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44168-025-00235-4Image credit: Australian Insititue of Marine Science (AIMS)

In this episode, Andrew Christie has a chat about the recent influx of jellyfish to Port Phillip Bay, most notably bluebottles and lion’s mane jellyfish, and what you can do to avoid being stung, and what to do for first aid in a worst-case scenario. He also pays tribute to an amazing researcher and person, Vice-Chancellor Professor Emma Johnston AO, who sadly passed away after a battle with cancer at the age of only 52. RIP Emma; you will be very sorely missed.

From European invasion to convict transportation to World War II, Australia's history is a history of the seas. It's a queer history too - from Edward De Lacy Evans to Matthew Flinders, Australia's maritime history is filled with a cast of queer characters.Dr Graham Willett from the Australian Queer Archives is uncovering the Australia's fascinating queer maritime history. He talks to Out Of The Blue about the detective work behind uncovering these surprising stories. Image: Charles Demuth, Dancing Sailors, 1917, Cleveland Museum of Art.