Advertise on podcast: Ocean Matters

In episode 12, we heard about the changes our ocean has faced in recent years and why it’s important to remain ‘ocean optimists’ in the fight against climate change. One ocean optimist is Sebastian Yancovic Pakarati, who is from an indigenous community – the Rapa Nui - on Easter Island. In 2014 the Rapa Nui lobbied the Chilean government to create a marine protected area in the waters around Easter Island. Four years later their campaign was successful and the MPA is now one of the world’s largest.   Sebastian speaks with producer Izzie Clarke about creating positive change, the important role indigenous communities play in ocean conservation, and shares his advice for listeners wanting to make a difference.    Ocean Matters will be taking a short break to bring you season two. In the meantime, do listen and share the series so far. You can also visit the Bertarelli Foundation’s website marine.science, as well as @Marine_Science on Twitter to share your ocean enthusiasm.   Ocean Matters is a Fresh Air Production for the Bertarelli Foundation. Follow or subscribe now for free, wherever you get your podcasts, and we’ll be back in spring 2022. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone who studies the ocean recognizes that many parts of it are in a state of flux – always changing.  That is the natural state of things.  But sometimes changes become extreme or too frequent, and that is when problems arise. In 2015 and 2016 a massive El Nino event impacted coral reefs around the world. This week, presenter and oceanographer Helen Czerski is joined by four scientists who experienced this event and its consequences, but who still see reasons for ocean optimism.   With special thanks to our panel: Dr. Catherine Head, a postdoctoral researcher at the Zoological Society of London and the University of Oxford; Dr. Mark Meekan, Principal Research Scientist at the Australian Institute of Marine Science; Prof. Jessica Meeuwig, from the Marine Futures Lab at the University of Western Australia; and Prof. Heather Koldewey, Head of the Bertarelli Marine Science Programme.   Ocean Matters is a Fresh Air Production for the Bertarelli Foundation. Follow or subscribe now for free, wherever you get your podcasts, so you never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With COP26 having been and gone, one thing is clear - we need positive climate action. But while climate change has been edging its way into the public consciousness, scientists, innovators, communities and campaigners have been building an strong foundation for change.  We are not starting from square one. In this bonus episode of Ocean Matters, Helen Czerski meets one of those scientists. Dr Gareth Williams, from the University of Bangor, models climate change to better understand its impact on coral reefs and what may happen to them in the future.  Follow and subscribe to Ocean Matters now for free, so you never miss an episode.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

COP26 is taking place in Glasgow, with the eyes of the world on the decisions being made, and climate change is finally getting the serious attention that scientists and campaigners have been demanding for a long time. But it’s only relatively recently that the public debate has really started to include the ocean, and a much deeper appreciation of the connection between our global ocean and Earth’s climate. This month, Helen Czerski explores a changing climate is affecting our ocean, and how a changing ocean is affecting our climate. And what policies would really make a difference for Earth’s vast blue heart? With thanks to Professor Margaret Leinen, Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Professor Steve Simpson, from the University of Bristol, and Lord Deben, a former Environment Secretary described as the “Environment Secretary against which all others are judged”. Ocean Matters is a Fresh Air Production for the Bertarelli Foundation. Follow or Subscribe now for free so you never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s no doubt that turtles are well-loved animals that have had a huge impact on cultures around the world and throughout history. But there’s a fine line between celebrating a species and taking it for yourself. Series Producer Izzie Clarke spoke with JC Niala, acting keeper of anthropology at the Horniman Museum and Gardens in London, about some of the museum’s turtle artefacts. See them for yourself here… 19th Century Comb: https://www.horniman.ac.uk/collections/object/56261/ Tortoiseshell Spectacles: https://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/2.117/ Ocean Matters is a Fresh Air Production for the Bertarelli Foundation. Follow or subscribe now for free, wherever you get your podcasts, so you never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Turtles are survivors, navigators, voyagers: criss-crossing Earth’s seas while continents moved and oceans grew and shrunk.  But the modern ocean is presenting them with more challenges than ever. This month, oceanographer Helen Czerski will be swimming with Earth’s turtles, meeting the different species, spying on their lifestyles and seeing the ocean through their eyes. How do they manage their incredible feats of navigation?  And what do we need to do to make sure that these fabulous animals sail with us into the ocean’s future? With special thanks to Dr Graeme Hays from Deakin University, Holly Stokes, Dr Nicole Esteban from the University of Swansea, and Dr Liliana Colman from the University of Exeter. Ocean Matters is a Fresh Air Production for the Bertarelli Foundation. Follow or subscribe now for free, wherever you get your podcasts, so you never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 9, we discovered that plankton is a vital food source for manta rays so producer Izzie Clarke finds out more about these magnificent animals. What are the different species of manta ray? What’s their life history? And how do we protect them from current threats? Who better to speak to than Guy Stevens, CEO and co-founder of the Manta Trust. Visit mantatrust.org for more information on their work.  Ocean Matters is a Fresh Air Production for the Bertarelli Foundation. Follow or subscribe now for free, wherever you get your podcasts, so you never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s often said that small is beautiful, and that’s true in the ocean too. But in the huge blue expanses of our planet, the small aren’t just beautiful – they’re essential. The 'small' here are the plankton - the tiny and varied specks of drifting life that go wherever the ocean takes them. They’re the foundation for the entire ocean ecosystem, and the starting point for almost every story the ocean has to tell. In this episode of Ocean Matters, oceanographer and physicist Helen Czerski meets the magical world of plankton, learns why they’re important for larger organisms such as manta rays, and hears how the climate crisis is impacting this crucial part of the marine environment. With special thanks to Dr Jill Schwarz from the University of Plymouth, Dr Ines Lange from the University of Exeter, Joanna Harris from the Manta Trust, and David Johns from the Continuous Plankton Recorder. Come with us on this scientific adventure. Follow and subscribe now, wherever you get your podcasts, so that you never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"These crews are typically working 20 hours straight before they have maybe a two hour break" Fishing is having a huge impact on the lives of humans.  Slavery, abduction and even murders are taking place on fishing fleets around the world and with these crimes are being committed far from land, they are unknown or perhaps even unthinkable to most of us.  In this bonus episode, producer Izzie Clarke speaks with Ian Urbina, a journalist for the New York Times and the Director of the Outlaw Ocean project . In what began as an award-winning series in 2015 in The New York Times and a resulting book, the Outlaw Ocean is a non-profit journalism organization that produces high-impact investigative stories about lawlessness at sea and the diversity of environmental, human rights, and labour abuses occurring offshore around the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For most of us, fish come from a shop. They’re either laid out on ice in their full glory, neatly packaged in cans or hidden away inside fish fingers. An estimated 179 million tonnes of fish was removed from the ocean in 2018, and 87% of that ended up on our plates. But those fish have a backstory that’s far harder to see, but it all comes down to the fact that we’re taking too much.     Join Oceanographer and Physicist Helen Czerski, as she explore the extent of the problem, why people turn to illegal fishing, and how technology can help us better manage fisheries around the world.   With special thanks to Professor Callum Roberts from the University of Exeter, Dr Asha de Vos from Oceanswell, and Anna Sanders from Global Fishing Watch.    Follow or subscribe to Ocean Matters for free so that you never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Some of the most exciting discoveries are still out there.” - Dr Mark Meekan Sharks are incredibly adapted to life in the ocean, but scientists still have so much more to learn about these enigmatic animals. The more we understand about them and their behaviour, the more we can do to protect them and prevent their numbers from falling even further. But, what does life as a shark scientist involve? In this bonus episode of Ocean Matters, Izzie Clarke spoke to Dr Mark Meekan, Principal Research Scientist at the Australian Insititute Of Marine Science, to find out. Ocean Matters is a Fresh Air production for the Bertarelli Foundation.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we know of at least 1,200 species of shark, and we’re still finding more. Sharks are a critical part of life in the ocean. But the numbers don’t lie, these magnificent animals are seriously threatened. Since 1970, the global abundance of oceanic sharks and rays has declined by 71%.   In this episode of Ocean Matters, Helen Czerski explores how these masters of the ocean sense their world, why they’re not the “lone hunters” depicted by Hollywood, and why we need to protect them.    With special thanks Sarah Fowler from Save Our Seas Foundation, Dr David Jacoby from the Zoological Society of London, and Dr Al Dove from Georgia Aquarium.    Come with us on this scientific adventure. Follow and subscribe now, wherever you get your podcasts, so that you never miss an episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.