The Marine Biologist Podcast

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  The Power of Plankton 21.07.2026 25min

  Plankton are the foundation of life on Earth, evolving and shaping the planet over billions of years.In this episode, Vincent Doumeizel, author of The Power of Plankton: How Plankton Made Life On Earth Possible and Why It’s Key To Our Future, talks about plankton and why it is fundamentally important for the survival of life on Earth as we know it. We talk about some of the engaging stories in the book, for example, why did Alain Bombard cast himself adrift in the Atlantic Ocean in rubber dinghy with only a plankton net? Are we Martians? And why hope will play such an important role in the fight to protect ocean biodiversity. The Power of Plankton, the new book from Vincent Doumeizel, bestselling author of The Seaweed Revolution, is published by The Book Social.Thanks for listening!Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  Microplastics in a changing environment 15.06.2026 33min

  Microplastics are present in the water we drink, the food we eat, and the air that we breathe. In this episode we meet Dr Alice Horton, Senior Research Fellow at the Marine Biological Association and an expert in aquatic microplastic pollution. We have been leaking plastic into the environment for the last 60 or so years and the amount entering the ocean is predicted to triple by 2040. But, as Alice explains, we still understand little of the long-term implications for ecosystems and human health. Alice's research at the MBA is specifically focusing on how microplastics interact with the diverse and complex mix of chemical and climate stressors and how different species will respond under changing global environmental conditions.We also discuss what scientists and policy-makers are doing to tackle microplastics and what we as individuals can do to reduce our exposure. MBA Members get exclusive early access to the video episode. Become a Member today to watch the full podcast first and unlock exclusive member-only benefits.mba.ac.uk/membershipText us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  Small-scale is beautiful: building relationships for a sustainable inshore fishing fleet 13.05.2026 1godz 8min

  In this episode, we meet social scientist Sarah Coulthard, and fishermen George Lamplough and Bally Philp who discuss issues facing small-scale fishers.Over 30% of global marine catch comes from small-scale fisheries, contributing to global food security, livelihoods, and resilient communities, and yet the UK's highly valued inshore fishing fleet is in decline.Is this "the last chance saloon for the small-scale fishing industry" ?Sarah, Bally, and George explore the reasons for the decline, discuss fishers' lived experiences, fisheries management and public perceptions. They also discuss the priorities for actions to help ensure a viable future for the fleet.The podcast follows on from the special edition of The Marine Biologist magazine which focuses on inshore and small-scale fisheries.Our guests are involved in the Inshore and Small-Scale Fisheries consortium (ISSF), a group which aims to identify the drivers of decline in the UK fleet, identify what can be done to support fishing lives, and support fishers to be active partners in decision-making.Find out about the work of the ISSF Consortium here. See the press release which details the national symposium for inshore and small scale fisheries, held in February 2026 in Newcastle. ISSF_Symposium_Press_Release.pdf - Google DriveText us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  An illusion of protection? Marine Protected Areas with Professor Callum Roberts 24.04.2026 37min

  "We need to consider what an area of sea is capable of when given real protection."Professor Callum Roberts is a world authority on marine protected areas (MPAs). In this podcast, we talk about marine protected areas both in national waters and the high seas.What needs to change in the UK's current approach to marine protected areas (MPAs), and how can the network support healthy and productive fisheries, producing gains, not just costs for the fishing industry? To have a vision for future seas, we have to look back: this is where the conversation turns to shifting baselines and a fascinating look at the momentous changes that have been wrought on the seabed of the Northeast Atlantic over the past 200 years.We also discuss the growing awareness of seabed carbon and the role of MPAs in supporting climate regulation.Callum is also an author, perhaps best known for The Unnatural History of the Sea (Island Press) which charts the effects of 1,000 years of exploitation on ocean life.See also:convexseascapesurvey.comThe Convex Seascape Survey project is dedicated to filling knowledge gaps on how the ocean and climate are connected, to inform effective action against the climate crisis. Text us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  The latest octopus update with Dr Bryce Stewart 28.01.2026 5min

  A new report on the 2025 octopus bloom has just been published. Here, Dr Bryce Stewart, Senior Research Fellow at the MBA and and Associate Professor at the University of Plymouth, talks about the causes and consequences (particularly for the fishing industry) of the octopus bloom, and what the future might hold.The report was funded by Defra, Plymouth City Council, Devon County Council. It is led by the Marine Biological Association with partners at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, University of Plymouth and independent consultant Dr Simon Thomas.The new report is available here.Stewart, B.D., Thomas, S., Smyth, T.J., James, M.K., Sullivan, E., Hall, A.E., Osmond, T. and Sheehan, E.V. 2026. Common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) blooms off the Southwest of the UK: History, trends, causes and consequences. Report on Work Package 1: History, causes and consequences of octopus blooms. Marine Biological Association, 104pp.Text us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  Life on the rocks, part 2: The seashore as a window on the ocean 12.01.2026 28min

  Join us for a fascinating journey through marine science with experimental ecologist Professor Stephen Hawkins.The seashore is most people’s window on the ocean. In this episode, Professor Hawkins reviews the main threats to coastal seas, and asks, how do predictions of impacts on rocky shores hold up a quarter century on?The Marine Biologist podcast goes deeper into topics covered in The Marine Biologist magazine. This episode expands on the article, Looking back looking shoreward, which appeared in the October 2025 edition.Text us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  Life on the rocks, part 1: Six decades of rocky shore ecology with Professor Stephen J. Hawkins. 24.10.2025 20min

  Podcast Summary (100 words): Join us for Six Decades of Rocky Shore Ecology, a fascinating journey through marine science with experimental ecologist Professor Stephen Hawkins. From his first limpet studies on the Isle of Man to pioneering work on climate change, biodiversity, and eco-engineering, Prof. Hawkins reflects on the evolving story of our coasts. As former Director of the Marine Biological Association, he shares insights into keystone grazers, shifting species, and the power of long-term research. With humour, history, and a deep love for rocky shores, this episode celebrates a lifetime uncovering the hidden dynamics of the intertidal world.Text us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  An interview with Dr Bryce Stewart, scientific consultant on the film Ocean with David Attenborough 20.05.2025 32min

  In this episode, we’re talking with Dr Bryce Stewart about the power of community-driven marine conservation. Bryce is a Senior Research Fellow at the MBA and Associate Professor at the University of Plymouth. His work on marine protected areas (MPAs) has contributed to world-renowned examples of participatory marine conservation and management, notably around the Isle of Man and the Isle Arran.A productive ocean benefits everyone. Listen in to find out how we can not only have our marine biodiversity but eat it too.For more information about Bryce’s research, visit the MBA website. Become a member of the Marine Biological Association and be part of a global community advocating for the ocean. You'll receive four copies a year of our beautifully produced magazine, The Marine Biologist, and a host of other benefits.For a limited period, you can save 25% on MBA membership. To join, visit www.mba.ac.uk/our-membership/ This offer is valid until the 31st of May, 2025 and applies to the monthly payment option only. Text us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  Communities and turtle conservation in Sierra Leone with Edward Aruna, winner of the Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa 17.12.2024 25min

  In this episode we are glad to bring you the warmth of West Africa!For his achievements in turtle conservation and with the coastal communities of Sierra Leone, Edward Aruna has won the 2024 Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa. This is a stunning achievement and we are delighted to bring this conversation to you. Edward outlines the many environmental challenges facing Sierra Leone but this small, West African country inhabited by "lovely, welcoming, and peaceful people" is full of promise. By listening to the needs of local people and encouraging them to listen to conservation law, Edward has achieved turtle conservation wins and brought real benefits to numerous coastal communities. His message is: "The environment doesn't need us, but we need the environment", and Edward invites NGOs and volunteers to help in his beautiful country.Listen in: there is much to learn from Edward's patient and sincere approach to his work.Edward Aruna was the 2024 recipient of the The Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa, sponsored by Defender. Established in 2013 in partnership with Ninety One and in conjunction with H.R.H The Prince of Wales, the awards recognise cutting-edge conservation leaders and their positive impacts on wildlife conservation and local communities across Africa. For over a decade, The Tusk Conservation Awards have served as a springboard for these guardians of biodiversity, who have risen to the top of their fields, scaling their work and amplifying conservation impact across the continent.[goog_892001139]www.tuskawards.com@Tusk_orgText us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  Ocean love with Raghda Ezzeldin 26.07.2024 27min

  We are delighted to welcome Raghda Ezzeldin, record breaking freediver, maths teacher, and ocean activist with OceanLove, a global non-profit ocean conservation initiative.Raghda tells us about her intimate connection with the ocean and putting her passion into action for change.We also cover philosophy, marine life encounters in remote parts of the Red Sea and the OceanLove Innovation awards.We interviewed Raghda and OceanLove founder, Ilco van der Linde, in the April 2024 edition of The Marine Biologist magazine. You can find out more about @Ocean Love @oceanlovenews or on www.oceanlove.news Text us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  Inspiring women: crossing an ocean for the ocean 18.03.2024 35min

  We are joined in this episode by Noelle Helder, marine ecologist, and member of the four-woman Salty Science rowing team that crossed the Atlantic to make a positive contribution to inclusivity in marine science.  Representing three generations of marine scientists, Isabelle Côté, Chantale Begin, Lauren Shea, and Noelle rowed 3,000 miles across the Atlantic in an 8.5 m boat. Noelle describes how she and the team prepared for this epic of endurance, kept their morale high, and worked as a team under the most extreme conditions. They not only won the women's division and came 7th out of 37 boats that finished the race.  On the way they endured days of 20-foot waves, encountered sharks, tuna, and flying fish, and tried not to think about the consequences of a marlin strike. Noelle’s description of the sometimes hair-raising journey is refreshingly deadpan – perhaps unsurprising for a self-confessed lover of ‘type II fun’. But beyond testing themselves in the open ocean, the reason the team took on the challenge was to raise support for marine conservation education, and support access for less privileged people to enter careers in marine science. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as Lize and I did.https://saltyscience.org/https://www.worldstoughestrow.com/the-atlantic/Text us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  Exploration vs exploitation of the deep sea 09.01.2024 34min

  What is so special about the deep sea? What are the impacts of human activities there and which areas are particularly important?In this episode, we are joined by deep-sea ecologist Dr Amelia Bridges. Following on from an article that Amelia wrote for the October edition of The Marine Biologist magazine, we will be discussing the pros and cons of exploration and exploitation in the deep sea. Dr Amelia Bridges is a Research Fellow at the School of Biological and Marine Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering), University of Plymouth. She specializes in spatial ecology in the deep sea and how science can help policy-makers make informed decisions. @Amelia_Bridgeshttps://www.plymouth.ac.uk/staff/amelia-bridgesText us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  First to the feast - when open ocean hunters converge 20.10.2023 29min

  A shoal of sardines comes under attack from all sides as some of the ocean's most spectacular predators converge to take their fill.But which species do best and how do they interact with their competitors? How can scientists even study such a dynamic and ephemeral event? Alicia Burns joins us to talk about the challenges and rewards of getting up close and personal with feeding aggregations in the clear waters off Baja California, Mexico.The purpose of this exciting research is to understand the hunting success of individuals, specifically, of blue marlin and sea lions and other predators in open ocean multi-predator aggregations. Learning how resources are shared helps understand this extremely productive ecosystem and the threats it faces through exploitation and climate change.Alicia is a behavioural biologist whose research interests include the mechanisms driving animals' social organization. She is part of an international and multi-disciplinary collaboration with scientsist from Departamento de Pesquerías y Biología Marina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR-IPN), La Paz, Baja California Sur, 23096, Mexico led by Jens Krause, Head of the department of Fish Biology, Fisheries and Aquaculture at Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology andInland Fisheries (IGB).Text us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  Why inspiration is the ocean's greatest untapped resource 24.07.2023 37min

  Ever since humans began making things, we have been looking to nature for inspiration: Leonardo Da Vinci designed flying machines inspired by birds, and burs (seeds covered in hooks) inspired the invention of velcro. Marine natural compounds are three to four times more likely to yield successful drugs compared with terrestrial ones.In 2022, there were over 17,000 new marine natural products discovered.Leading marine biologist Robert Blasiak joins us to discuss the magical ingredients of marine biomimetics. With an emphasis firmly on learning from nature and extracting only ideas, Robert and colleagues from the Stockholm Resilience Centre take us on a fascinating exploration of the deep sea, how we must value it, and why the benefits of exploration may outweigh those of extraction. With thanks to Robert, Tilde Krusberg (MSc student and Research Assistant), and Lova Schildt (MSc student).Text us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  Slow-motion speed dating and other shark matters with Professor David Sims 31.03.2023 54min

  What drives animals to go where they go?We are proud to welcome shark expert Professor David Sims for a conversation about basking shark speed dating and much more. David is a behavioural ecologist specialising in tracking the movements and behaviour of ocean predators to understand how they will respond to natural and human-induced change. In this podcast he talks about the detailed study of basking shark circling behaviour that he led off the West coast of Ireland.This podcast builds on David's article, 'Basking shark circles' that appeared in the January edition of The Marine Biologist, the magazine for members of the Marine Biological Association.It's always a pleasure to listen to David share his decades of knowledge about how and why sharks do what they do. So tune in, sit back and come away knowing a lot more about the lives of these magnificent predators.Professor David Sims is a Senior Research Fellow at the MBA where he leads the Movement Ecology and Conservation of Ocean Predators research group.Text us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  Time to talk about Marine Protected Areas 21.12.2022 44min

  Trawling in marine protected areas? What's that all about? Join us as we learn from experts why protecting areas of the sea is an essential tool for marine conservation, what some of the pitfalls are, and how MPAs help tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis. This is a huge topic to tackle but we are in safe hands. We are joined in this episode by Dan Laffoley who held the global honorary role as Marine Vice Chair for the World Commission on Protected Areas for 17 years and by Daniela Sturm, who wrote the article on large-scale marine protected areas which featured in the October edition of The Marine Biologist magazine. Text us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  Meet the gene genies! The Darwin Tree of Life project 22.09.2022 43min

  You have probably heard of Charles Darwin (he got there first with his theory of evolution by natural selection) and DNA. But few of us can explain what a genome is and why genomes are so important.In this podcast we ask Kes Scott-Somme, a Marine Biological Association scientist who works on the marine part of  the Darwin Tree of Life project (DToL), why so many people are interested in the genomes of marine organisms, and what is a genome, anyway? As part of a global drive to describe the genetic make-up of life on Earth, DToL is cataloguing the genomes of 70,000 species in Britain and Ireland.Kes also gets around to talking about careers in marine biology, taxonomy, and the importance of natural history.Join this engaging discussion and find out how building a vast catalogue of genomes is relevant to human health, and dealing with the climate and biodiversity crisis.Text us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  The fall of the great ocean farmers: blue and fin whales in the Southern Ocean 27.05.2022 51min

  The Antarctic blue whale is the biggest animal that has ever lived. In the 20th century, humans harvested 99 per cent of them. In this episode we welcome Matthew Savoca and Conor Ryan. Matt is interested in how animals might teach us about human impacts on the environment, and how we might reverse those impacts. Conor is a cetacean expert and photographer who describes the Southern Ocean as "the oceanic heartbeat of the planet". Both are hugely knowledgeable about how the Southern Ocean ecosystem works. If you ever wondered how many blue and fin whales there are now, how many were lost to whaling, and how that impacts us, listen on! This is a fascinating conversation with two young and engaging scientists.Text us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social
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  The Marine Biologist Podcast with explorer and broadcaster Paul Rose 30.03.2022 43min

  ‘One of the world’s most experienced divers, field science and polar experts’, Paul Rose has forged a career his own way. Today, he helps protect some of the most remote and untouched parts of the ocean as Expedition Leader for the National Geographic Pristine Seas expeditions. In our first podcast Paul joins Cathy Harshaw and Guy Baker of the Marine Biological Association to talk unconventional careers in marine biology, and expeditions to remote and wild places in the ocean. Text us your comments and feedbackThanks for listening!If you have any questions you can contact us at the Marine Biological Association here.Join the Marine Biological Association and receive four copies a year of The Marine Biologist, our prestigious and beautifully curated magazine. MBA membership comes with a host of other benefits. Follow us on social: www.facebook.com/thembaukwww.instagram.com/thembauk@thembauk.bsky.social