Sam Andrews

Apparently today is International Podcast Day, which seems as good an excuse as any to talk about ocean podcasts! There are so many good ones out there, covering everything from marine science and conservation to life at sea, ocean careers, history, policy... there's even comedy ocean podcasts!

In fact, there are so many good ones that I’ve been collecting them in the Ocean Podcast Directory over at @oceanopportunities.org If you fancy adding something ocean-related to your listening queue, have a browse here 👇 champ.ly/EzBKTfuo

Almost every ocean science paper has one. A sentence, or sometimes a whole paragraph, near the end stating that the findings have important implications for policy or management. Image credit: Thomas Lohmann (Unsplash)

A manager responsible for a fisheries decision or a protected area boundary needs something more specific. Does this research tell me something useful about the decision I’m actually facing?

Almost every ocean science paper has one. A sentence, or sometimes a whole paragraph, near the end stating that the findings have important implications for policy or management. Image credit: Thomas Lohmann (Unsplash)

The research probably does have implications, but more often than not, what those implications are for policy isn’t made explicit.

The IMO’s Net-Zero Framework could help move zero- and near-zero-emission shipping fuels from early adoption towards the mainstream, but a lot depends on how the incentives are designed.

One option is reverse auctions, where companies bid for the level of support they need. Another is a fixed reward for using cleaner fuels. Both offer advantages. Both come with trade-offs.

Down in the depths of the ocean, metal supports life. Like for this nodule crown coral (Deltocyathus zoemetallicus), a stony coral that lives attached to polymetallic nodules on the seafloor. Image credit: @nhm-london.bsky.social and the University of Gothenburg

At depths of around 4,000 metres, conditions make it difficult for corals to build and maintain their skeletons. This nodule crown coral is one of the few to do so. As far as we know, the corals are dependent on the nodules - the very same that deep-sea mining enterprises hope to target.

Ever wondered whether microplastics could affect the ocean carbon cycle? New research suggests they may interfere with the growth of phytoplankton - microscopic algae that play an important role in absorbing and moving carbon through the ocean.

The good news is that, globally, the estimated impact on the carbon cycle is small. But some phytoplankton communities may be more affected by microplastics than others. That means the impacts on carbon sequestration could be greater in some regions than others.

Ever heard of an "energy harvesting ship"? It's a pretty neat concept from @drift-energy.bsky.social. Autonomous wind-powered ships create electricity as they sail, using underwater turbines that work a little like propellers in reverse.

Making it work means bringing together sailing technology, turbines, electrolysers, hydrogen storage, autonomous navigation, and some very clever weather routing - and all on a relatively small vessel.

Ever heard of an "energy harvesting ship"? It's a pretty neat concept from @drift-energy.bsky.social. Autonomous wind-powered ships create electricity as they sail, using underwater turbines that work a little like propellers in reverse.

"Significant changes." "Substantial impacts." "Considerable variation." These phrases show up constantly in ocean communication, and they're almost always less useful than they seem. Image: A fisher in seagrass (Bali). Credit: Ben Jones / Ocean Image Bank

Vague language feels like it's making data more accessible. What it's actually doing is obscuring it. "A 40% decline in seagrass cover over twenty years" is clearer, more honest, and harder to misinterpret than "significant losses of seagrass habitat."

There's an assumption about ocean science communication that I’ve been hearing a lot this summer. If we explain the science clearly enough, people will care. That understanding leads to engagement, engagement leads to support, support leads to change. Image credit: Jeong yunji (Unsplash)

I don't think this means science communication that focuses on knowledge isn’t important - there is a real value in sharing knowledge in its own right.

There's an assumption about ocean science communication that I’ve been hearing a lot this summer. If we explain the science clearly enough, people will care. That understanding leads to engagement, engagement leads to support, support leads to change. Image credit: Jeong yunji (Unsplash)

It's a tidy model. The problem is that it doesn't quite match how people actually respond to information, especially information about things that feel large and distant.

Sometimes, new species aren’t found in the wild, but in plain sight. This is the Darth Vader supergiant isopod (Bathynomus vaderi) and it was “discovered” in seafood markets in Vietnam, where giant isopods have become somewhat of a delicacy. Image credit: Nguyen Thanh Son