Seaweed People

🧑‍🎨🪸 Welcome to Part 2 of our conversation for HoldFast! You’ll like this episode if you’re curious about the thermal tolerance of kelps and a vision of the near future from a molecular ecologist, if you want a first-hand account of managing a coral restoration project during a cyclone, if you find the word ‘hydrocommons’ alluring. We hear from Leza Howie, Josephine Johnson and Nicole Steenhoff, three WA-based artists who have organised the HoldFast exhibition in Walyalup (Fremantle). We hear stories from Norway from Dr. Antoine Minne, dip into coral restoration with Research Director of WAMSI, Dr. Jenny Shaw, and - last but not least - we get an insight into asparagopsis (beyond the methane story!) from Tom Puddy, managing director of SeaStock. Find out more about HoldFast here. Subscribe for updates or support the podcast at quietnightin.substack.com. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople. Links to guests and other stuff in this ep:Leza Howie - artistNicole Steenhof - artistJosephine Johnson - artistDr. Antoine MinneGecokelp Project - Kelp forests in the anthropoceneWhite Rock - short film by the Great Southern Reef FoundationBodies of Water, Human Rights and the Hydrocommons - Astrida NeimanisSeaStockSeaStock’s Asparagopsis red pigmentThis episode was recorded and produced on Gadigal & Bidjigal Country. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one’s for anyone who doesn’t want to consume 12kg of plastic, who likes the idea of the ocean as hero not victim, who’s into zines and radical imagination and composting. We're talking seaweed bioplastic! ♻️🦋Sway is a material innovation company scaling compostable solutions for plastic made with seaweed. Their products match the performance of conventional plastics and plug into existing infrastructure - but unlike conventional plastics, Sway’s materials are made from regenerative seaweed and can be composted after use. Alyssa Pace, Sway’s Head of Marketing and Comms, is here to tell us all about it.  You can find Sway at swaythefuture.com on or socials @swaythefuture, and Alyssa on LinkedIn. Subscribe for updates or support the podcast at quietnightin.substack.com. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople. Links to other stuff in this ep:Leah Thomas (Greengirl Leah - Intersectional environmentalism)Four wings of movement collaboration (the butterfly) - Christine Tyler HillLeah Penniman - Soul Fire FarmCreating a New Sargassum Value Chain in Puerto Rico | NewlabRegenerative organic certificationSeaTreesNative ConservancySway - Impact & guiding principles Macro Oceans Sway x Umaro Foods - extracting proteins from seaweed and turning them to foodsSeaweed Stories film (Rewild/Lonely Whale)HOPE! documentary (Javier Peña)This episode was recorded and produced on Gadigal & Bidjigal Country. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You are going to love this conversation if you dream of spending a week greeting the sun with seaweed songs, having seaweed baths after saunas, if you’re into seaweed tattoos, if you’re a student or a teacher and you wanna go diving, and generally if you’re into the idea of regenerating underwater forests 🤿🛀🏽Along with the team and communities behind Love Rimurimu, Zoe Studd is doing all of these things. Zoe is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Mountains to Sea Wellington Trust, where she manages both marine and freshwater education programs and citizen science programs, working with schools and communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. We talk about starting kelp restoration projects in schools, regenerating coastlines with science and cultural knowledge, and running a kickass seaweed festival.Follow the Love Rimurimu project here and on their socials. Subscribe for updates or support the podcast at quietnightin.substack.com. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople. Links to other stuff in this ep: Seaweeds of Wellington (video ID)Mountains to Sea WellingtonExperiencing Marine Reserves community programNew Zealand approves first special permit to remove kina barrensProject Baseline WellingtonKelp Forest Alliance website (or listen to Episode 11 with Aaron Eger)Green Gravel GroupLove Rimurimu’s Seaweed Restoration ToolkitSeaweed Fest 2025Hot tubs, seaweed soaks & saunas in IrelandThis episode was recorded and produced on Gadigal Country. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one’s for you if you’re an artist, or a scientist or conservationist wanting to communicate in creative ways, and if you love the deep sea, the Great Barrier Reef and Kate Bush 🪸💎Kirsty Kross is an eco-feminist Australian artist currently based in Oslo, Norway, whose work is about finding ways of connecting diverse groups with issues around the climate crisis, often by embodying a vibrant coral trout. We talk about deep sea mining, mesopotamian deities, which countries are two-tit countries and a seaside collaborative opera performance 📣🪼You can find Kirsty at her website or on Instagram @kirstykrosss. Subscribe for updates or support the podcast at quietnightin.substack.com. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople. Deep sea mining links & stories touched on in this ep: Greenpeace AU petition to ban deep sea mining ahead of international ISA meeting in July 2025Pacific Blue petition to ban deep sea mining Blue Peril short film New battleground in critical minerals race is on Australia’s doorstepWhat We Know About Deep-Sea Mining — and What We Don’t Analysis of the implications of deep seabed mining for the global biodiversity framework and the sustainable development agenda (WWF report)Immortal jellyfish! National Treasure at Woollahra Gallery, RedleafThe Cult of Atargatis and Transgender PriestessesJack Halberstam on Queer Failure, Silly Archives and the WildThis episode was recorded and produced on Gadigal/Wangal Country. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one’s for you if you’re interested in how a class action case works, if you wanna hear about seaweed farmers taking on big oil companies or if you’re also a soil person 🌱🪱Freya Mulvey is a senior lawyer and environmental enthusiast who is passionate about implementing better soil and landscape regulation into policy and legal frameworks. She is a 2023 Churchill Fellow and a 2017 recipient of the Australian Lawyers Alliance Civil Justice Award for her work on the Montara Oil Spill. She is also a published author of the book Ground Breaking: Soil Security and Climate Change. We're also making a podcast together!You can find Freya on LinkedIn, subscribe to SOIL on Spotify here, find us on socials @soilpodcast or read more at thesoilpodcast.com. Subscribe for updates or support the podcast at quietnightin.substack.com. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople. Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: Indonesian seaweed farmers win class action over one of Australia's largest oil spillsInterview with Greg PhelpsPhil Mulvey, Environmental Earth Sciences InternationalGround Breaking: Soil Security & Climate Change (the book Freya co-authored with Phil Mulvey)SOIL - Pozible campaignSoil on SpotifySeaweed People is completely independent. You can support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople.This episode was recorded and produced on Gadigal/Wangal and Larrakia Country. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You’ll love this ep, I just know it 🐋🦅 It’s for you if you like baby seahorses and migrating whales, if you live in a coastal city, if you've heard about wildlife coming back into harbours during lockdowns, or if you want to know what a strong collaboration between Indigenous knowledge-holders and western science looks like. Robert Cooley is a Senior Ranger and leader of the Gamay Rangers, an Indigenous ranger team that cares for country on Gamay, or Botany Bay in Sydney, and on conservation land owned by the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council. Since 2019, the Gamay Rangers team have been regenerating coastal habitats, protecting marine mammals, providing food for vulnerable people during Covid lockdowns and connecting local communities to Sea Country in Australia’s biggest city. You can find Robert and the Gamay Ranger team on socials @gamayrangers. Subscribe for updates or support the podcast at quietnightin.substack.com. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople. Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land CouncilOperation Crayweed - restoring Sydney’s underwater forests Operation Posidonia - healing old wounds The Sydney Seahorse Project (SIMS/Gamay Rangers)SIMS Aboriginal Youth Ranger Program Wild Sydney Harbour - citizen science project Country Needs People - what are Indigenous Rangers?Indigenous Rangers (NIAA/gov)This episode was recorded and produced on Gadigal/Wangal and Bidjigal lands. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is maybe as seaweed peopley as it gets. It’s for you if you want an overview of kelp forests, if you’re into rewilding and sea otters, if you have any kind of skill and want to put it toward conserving kelp, if you like the sound of a national marine gardening day or if you just want to hear about a big, impressive enviro movement 🦦⚡Aaron Eger is the Founder and Program Director of the Kelp Forest Alliance, a global community of kelp restoration and conservation practices and research that evolved from his PhD. He was the lead author of the first ever kelp restoration guidebook and facilitated the creation of the Kelp Forest Challenge, a global mission to protect and restore 4 million hectares of kelp forests by 2040.You can find Aaron at UNSW or via the Kelp Forest Alliance website. Subscribe for updates or support the podcast at quietnightin.substack.com. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople. Links to stuff we talk about: Sunshine Coast Canada - Kelp ecosystem restoration Sea Otters Have Helped Bolster California’s Kelp ForestGlobal Rewilding AllianceGlobal kelp forest restoration: past lessons, present status, and future directions (Eger et al., 2022)The Race to Help Kelp (Google resource. Great pics)Kelp Restoration GuidebookKelp Forest Challenge The Kelp Forest Challenge: A collaborative global movement to protect and restore 4 million hectares of kelp forests (open access)Korean Kelp Restoration ManualGardening Marine Forests (film) - South Korean kelp restorationTips for finding & contacting your local MP (courtesy of the Australian Marine Conservation Society)This episode was recorded and produced on Gadigal/Wangal land. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one’s for aspiring seaweed farmers, kelp ladies and anyone who loves a good seaweed yarn. We’re talking seaweed babies, wild harvesting, kelp farming and Ecklonia radiata - the backbone of the Great Southern Reef, also known as common kelp, leather kelp, thorny kelp or golden kelp. Jo Lane has a background in marine science and sustainable coastal environments and is the owner of Sea Health Products, which make small-batch kelp products on the South Coast of NSW. She’s currently working on asparagopsis in South Australia as a research Lead with the Australian Sustainable Seaweed Alliance and, as a quite serious “side hustle”, she’s also developing kelp seedstock with a view to get kelp farming and restoration projects happening in Australia.You can find Jo on LinkedIn. Subscribe for updates or support the podcast at quietnightin.substack.com. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople. Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: Ecklonia radiata (Atlas of Living Australia)The story of Betty, the original “Kelp Lady”Marine heatwaves and proliferation of sea urchins on Australia’s east coastBiology and Ecology of the Globally Significant Kelp Ecklonia radiata Ecklonia - covers reproductive cycle (Wernberg et al, 2019)Churchill FellowshipGreenWave - global network of regenerative ocean farmersASSA Research to optimise propagation and growth of the red seaweed Asparagopsis Homeward Bound leadership program for women in STEMMThis episode was recorded and produced between Gadigal/Wangal land and Kaurna land. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Macrocystis! This episode is for you if you’ve always dreamt of diving through the iconic giant kelp forests in Tasmania, and if you’ve heard that they’ve completely disappeared, but also and if you want to hear about divers and scientists coming together to revive them 🏥🌱 Mick Baron is an avid diver, storyteller, underwater videographer and co-owner of the Eaglehawk Dive Centre. He’s spent 20 years as a scientific observer on fishing vessels in sub-Antarctic to tropical waters, and is an active campaigner for local marine conservation. You can find Mick at the Eaglehawk Diver Centre. Subscribe for updates or support the podcast at quietnightin.substack.com. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople. Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: The Dead Sea - interactive feature/video by Guardian AustraliaSatellite images track Tasmania’s declining kelp forests Multi-decadal decline in cover of giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera at the southern limit of its Australian range (research paper)Sea urchins are wreaking havoc on Tasmania's kelp forestsRestoring Tasmania’s Giant Kelp forests Assessing the feasibility of restoring giant kelp forests in Tasmania (Report)Kelp forest restoration in Australia (review paper)Giant kelp forests on Tasman Peninsula survive marine heatwave (ABC)A field guide to the marine invertebrates of South Australia - Karen Gowlett-Holmes (book)Reviving Giants - short film by the Great Southern Reef FoundationKelp Forest Alliance KelpTracker 2.0 - record sightings in TAS, VIC & SAThis episode was recorded in teralina in lutruwita, aka Tasmania, and produced on Gadigal/Wangal land in Eora. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode’s for you if you’re into eating seaweed, sustainable food systems, Nitrogen cycles, how seaweed can heal burns, or if you’ve ever daydreamed about being a humble seaweed farmer 🧑‍🌾🍝Dr Pia Winberg is a marine ecologist who’s spent the past 25 years working in and researching sustainable marine development. In her words, she’s now in “the business of growing seaweed in a circular economy” and her main focus is developing systems to sustainably cultivate seaweeds in Australia. She runs two companies, Phycohealth and Venus Shell Systems, she has seaweed products on the shelves of supermarkets and she’s currently testing the wound-healing properties of seaweed cells. You can find Pia at Phycohealth or Venus Shell Systems and on social media @phycohealth. Subscribe for updates or support the podcast at quietnightin.substack.com. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople. Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: People in Europe ate seaweed for thousands of yearsYour Evidence Based Guide to Seaweed a Superfood for the GutIodine levels in seaweed and seaweed products in AustraliaThe Australian prawn farm raising the bar for sustainable aquaculture (not Sri Lanka, but same vibe)What Is the Nitrogen Cycle and Why Is It Key to Life?More on how Pia’s seaweed factory worksThe circular economy at sea Pia’s personal story of seaweed & wound healing Seaweed and skin - skincare and wound healinHarvesting seaweed to make skin from the seaThis episode was recorded and made on Gadigal/Wangal land. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’re into biodiversity hotspots, temperate reef ecosystems, protecting your local beach, collective action, or if you’re working in the media or education sector then this episode is for you 📣🦑Dr. Scott Bennett is a research scientist at the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania. He was born and raised on Tassie’s reefs, and he’s studied kelp forest ecosystems across Australia. He currently leads the scientific advisory panel of the Great Southern Reef Foundation and along with a very impressive team of cinematographers, scientists and local communities, he’s putting the Great Southern Reef on the map and building the science and stories needed for its protection. You can find Scott at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (UTAS) or the Great Southern Reef Foundation. Subscribe for updates or support the podcast at quietnightin.substack.com. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople. Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: GSRF InstagramThe ‘Great Southern Reef’: social, ecological and economic value of Australia’s neglected kelp forests (research paper)Senate inquiry recommends $55-million investment into managing long-spined sea urchinSea Urchin Removal as a Tool for Macroalgal Restoration: A Review on Removing “the Spiny Enemies” (research paper)GSR Educators HubMarine heatwaves are damaging reef ecosystems around AustraliaThis episode was recorded and made on Gadigal/Wangal and muwinina land. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one’s for you if you want to know what seaweed is and what it does in the ecosystem, whether sinking it in the deep ocean is a legit climate change solution and what a kelp trumpet sounds like. Dr Catriona Hurd is a seaweed physiologist with nearly 30 years experience across the planet studying how seaweeds grow and how they cope with things like ocean acidification and climate change. Her recent research in forensic carbon accounting assesses the role that seaweeds can play in carbon sequestration. You can find Dr Catriona Hurd at the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Science (UTAS). Thanks also to Ben Gerstein for lending me the sounds of his kelp trumpet, check out his music and sound work here. Subscribe for updates or support the podcast at quietnightin.substack.com. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople. Some links to research and stories for your rabbit holes: Seaweed Ecology and Physiology (book)Svalbard Global Seed Vault24,000 year old Rotifers may enter the ecosystem once permafrost thaws 46,000 year old worm found in Siberian permafrostRegeneration of whole fertile plants from 30,000-y-old fruit tissue buried in Siberian permafrostUnderpinning the Development of Seaweed Biotechnology: Cryopreservation of Brown Algae (Saccharina latissima) GametophytesForensic Carbon Accounting: Assessing the Role of Seaweeds in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Removal (YouTube)Forensic carbon accounting: Assessing the role of seaweeds for carbon sequestration (research paper)Supplementing the diets of cows with AsparagopsisBiofuels from algae: challenges and potentialFollow the Algae Brick Road to Plant-Based BuildingsClimate Recovery Institute This episode was recorded and made on Palawa Pakana & Gadigal/Wangal land. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.