Ocean Matters

There are several stories in this series which explore the connectivity between species, but how often do we consider the connectivity between a species, people, land and culture? Take the Pacific Salmon, for example. This is just one example of a “culturally significant fish” and are at the heart of indigenous communities in British Columbia. By understanding the biology of salmon we can better understand the complex interrelationships between fish, people and place. But what is the current state of wild salmon? Join oceanographer and host Dr Helen Czerski with scientist and citizen and member of the Nisga’a First Nation Dr Andrea Reid, as they explore the importance of the Pacific Salmon to indigenous communities. Andrea is the Principal Investigator at the Centre for Indigenous Fisheries in the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at the University of British Columbia. Ocean Matters is a Fresh Air production for the Bertarelli Foundation. The producer is Izzie Clarke.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The more you find out about eels, the more fascinating they become... Even on the scale of the surprises that nature can throw at us. The European eel starts its life way out in the open ocean, far, far away from land, out in saltwater. It then migrates back thousands of miles towards estuaries, up the estuaries, into the freshwater system. It’s an extraordinary achievement but, as it travels, this is a species that encounters all the water based problems that we humans create. Join oceanographer and host Helen Czerski as she discovers the eel’s impressive journey, the threats they face, and whether she can find an elusive eel at the banks of Hampton Court in London. With special thanks to Marine and Freshwater Conservation Programme Manager, Dr Matt Gollock at Zoological Society London and Phoebe Shaw Stewart from their monitoring programme. Follow or subscribe now, for free, wherever you get your podcasts so that you never miss an episode. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The tourist brochures are clear about what we should expect from a remote tropical island: bright blue water, white sand, some exotic shells and the odd coconut tree. But the reality is usually a little bit more complicated. In Ocean Matters, Helen Czerski explores these small, remote islands - distant specks of land that are dwarfed by the vast ocean around them. How do they form? What makes both the islands and their inhabitants so distinctive? And why are they disappearing? With special thanks to Dr Ines Lange and Professor Chris Perry from the University of Exeter, Professor Carl Jones from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, and James Michel, Former President of the Seychelles. Come on this adventure. Subscribe now, wherever you get your podcasts, so that you never miss an episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we look up at the night sky, we can see the cosmos in all its glory; the constellations are familiar friends that we learn as children.  But even though the deep ocean is far closer, it is far more mysterious. Whilst it is hard to get to, it certainly isn’t empty or featureless. In Ocean Matters, join oceanographer and physicist Helen Czerski as she explores the deep sea: what’s in it, why it matters, and how the top of the ocean is inextricably connected to the bottom.  With special thanks to Professor Kerry Howell from the University of Plymouth, Dr Sylvia Earle, and Professor Alex Rogers from REV Ocean. Come on this adventure. Subscribe now, wherever you get your podcasts, so that you never miss an episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So often, the ocean’s problems are invisible, but plastic pollution in the ocean has rocketed up public consciousness in the past few years precisely because it, and the damage it does, is so visible. Once you start looking, it’s everywhere. Over 40% of plastic manufactured every year will only be used once. In Ocean Matters, join oceanographer and physicist Helen Czerski as she explores the impact plastic is having on ocean wildlife, the scale of single-use plastic bottles in London, and an exciting solution found in nature - enzymes that eat plastic.  Want to be a Citizen Scientist? Track plastic pollution in your area and help expand a shared global database with the Debris Tracker App available at your app store or at https://debristracker.org/. Come on this adventure. Subscribe now, wherever you get your podcasts, so that you never miss an episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seabirds are an incredibly versatile group of animals - they roam freely on land, soar majestically through the air and are equally at home underwater. They’re critically important if we are to maintain a healthy ocean, but half of all seabird populations are declining, and one in three is threatened with global extinction. In this episode of Ocean Matters, physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski explores the vital link between seabirds and the sea, discovers how can seabirds help the ocean recover, and crucially, how can we help the seabirds. Come with us on this scientific adventure. Subscribe now, wherever you get your podcasts, so that you never miss an episode of Ocean Matters. Ocean Matters is a Fresh Air Production for the Bertarelli FoundationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.