NOC Into the Blue Podcast

Phytoplankton, or marine algae, form the basis of the marine food chain and help to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by using it to grow then being eaten or dying and falling as organic matter to the seafloor. Professor Meric Srokosz joins the podcast to take a look at a particular phytoplankton 'bloom' off the coast of Madagascar that occurred in late 2019 to early 2020 and how i...

Observations of our ocean and climate have been recorded for hundreds of years, but compared to the methods of today, the process looks very different—but is the data collected by historical methods as accurate as it seems? NOC's Dr Elizabeth Kent MBE tells us all about the history of sea surface temperatures and how her research has helped answer questions surrounding an early 20th century co...

The ocean acts as the planet's largest carbon reservoir and it's fundamentally important in regulating climate systems and atmospheric carbon dioxide. Dr Chris Pearce joins Dr Zoe Jacobs to learn more about the process, implementation and importance of marine carbon dioxide removal and how it's vital in the ongoing protection of our oceans, including some exciting projects currently underway. Lear...

In 2024, representatives from the Royal College of Art (RCA) joined the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) on an expedition from Greenland to Iceland onboard Royal Research Ship James Cook, but what exactly was an art school doing in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean? In this collaborative episode, Into the Blue Podcast and the Royal College of Art Podcast join together to explore the critical role...

In 2018 a team of scientists, including some from NOC and the University of Sao Paulo, were studying the seafloor around a volcanic plateau known as the Rio Grande Rise when they made an incredible discovery. One of those experts, Professor Bramley Murton, joins the podcast to tell us all about the discovery and gives us the lowdown on what this mystery island might have looked like. Learn more ab...

In June 2023, an intense marine heatwave hit the shores of the UK, and while it only lasted two weeks it indicated that these events may be more frequent in the future. NOC's Dr Zoe Jacobs switches roles and takes the hot seat to discuss her recently published paper on the possible effects of marine heatwaves in the UK and the possible consequences to fisheries marine life if we don't research the...

While there are many natural hazards endangering the population of the planet, none are more destructive than flooding, with a quarter of the worlds population being exposed to flooding at some point in their lives. The University of Southampton's Professor Ivan Haigh and NOC's Professor Jenny Brown join Dr Zoe Jacobs on Into the Blue to discuss the risks flooding poses to coastal communities in p...

Next year professional sailor and NOC ambassador Dee Caffari MBE is taking on the Trophee Jules Verne, a speed record around the world, with an all-female crew - but has climate change made the record impossible to break? Dee sits down with NOC's Dr Ben Moat to pose some of the questions she has over the challenges the ocean will pose while attempting to break the record. Find out more about the F...

Our oceans are teeming with marine life, especially in areas like the mysterious Twilight zone, but did you know that they play a vital part in our climate? NOC's Dr Adrian Martin and Dr Zoe Jacobs unpack the role they play in key climate systems like carbon storage and what the short and long term effects are in taking advantage of the benefits. Learn more about the twilight zone here - https://n...

NOC is equipped with some of the most technologically advanced pieces of equipment in the world to carry out our groundbreaking science and at the forefront of this is our Remotely Operated Vehicle, or ROV. Emre Mutlu, a Software Engineer and one of NOC's ROV pilots, joins the podcast to give us the lowdown on the vehicles capabilities, some adventures at sea and why it's one of the most important...

He's conquered Everest, he's rowed the Atlantic Ocean solo, he's cycled and flown around the world... and now he's going to sail around the world! NOC ambassador James Ketchell is the ultimate adventurer, and now he's joined Into the Blue to lift the lid on his incredible life and briefs us on his biggest adventure yet as he bids to become the first person to circumnavigate the globe by air, land...

Are the decisions surrounding rivers made inland intrinsically tied to coastal and ocean health? NOC PhD student Hannah Muir will aim to answer this question and more on her bikepacking adventure tracing the Rhine from it's source in the Swiss Alps to the North Sea in the Netherlands. In the first episode of the third season of NOC's award-winning podcast, Hannah talks us through the journ...

First deployed in 2004, the RAPID-AMOC 26°N array has revolutionised the understanding of the AMOC’s variability and documented its impacts on our long term climate and seasonal European weather. In the final episode of our mini-series focusing on the AMOC, Dr Zoe Jacobs is joined by NOC's Chief Scientist Professor Penny Holliday to discuss the array's impact and other methods we use to measure th...

Over the past few years there have been many reports of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) collapsing completely within the next few years... but could it actually happen? University of Liverpool's Dr Hemant Khatri and NOC's Dr Zoe Jacobs examine whether the scenes depicted in the movie 'The Day After Tomorrow' could actually become and reality plus some common misconceptions s...

Ocean models enable us to observe multiple ocean parameters and give us a more complete picture of the health of our ocean, including the health of the AMOC. NOC's Dr Tillys Petit and University of Oxford Postdoctoral Researcher Dr Margarita Markina join NOC's Dr Zoe Jacobs to discuss how and why we create models of the ocean and how it's steering us into making educated decisions. Learn more abou...

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is one of the most important systems to our climate and has been identified as a major climate tipping point... but how does it work? University of Oxford Research Student Ollie Tooth joins NOC's Dr Zoe Jacobs to give an introduction to AMOC, how it controls our climate and what it's future looks like. Find out more about the RAPID array - htt...

The vital research marine science undertakes in our ocean is underpinned by intricate and detailed policy and global governance frameworks to enable sustainable use and support the protection of the ocean. NOC's Head of Marine Policy, Alan Evans, joins the podcast in our season finale to talk about the significance of policy and laws - including the historic High Seas Treaty, amongst other ocean g...

The release of carbon is one of the reasons why we are seeing temperature increases across our planet every year... but what role does the ocean play in absorbing it? Dr Socratis Loucaides, Head of Analytical Sciences at NOC, tells us all about the importance of monitoring carbon in our ocean and some of the exciting projects that are enabling this. More about GEORGE - https://george-project.eu/ M...

Autosub Long Range, famously known as Boaty McBoatface, had a busy 2023 and is set to continue to be at the forefront of autonomous ocean exploration this year. ALR Operations Engineer Stewart Fairbairn joins the podcast to tell us about the ALR's recent successes and the exciting missions it will undertake in 2024 and beyond. Learn more about Boaty McBoatface - https://noc.ac.uk/facilities/marine...

The oceans are often a place where man-made structures and functions meet with the incredible marine ecosystem - but how do both these contribute to how loud it is beneath the surface? DHI's Frank Thomsen joins the podcast to tell us all about underwater sound and the impacts it has on ocean life. Learn more about Frank and DHI - https://www.dhigroup.com/careers/dhi-people-stories/frank-thomsen-of...

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in society in recent years has given us a glimpse into the future - but how does it help us monitor and learn more about our ocean? Professor Sara Bernardini and Dr Fatma Jebri tell us more about how we currently use AI in NOC's research and how they see it progressing in the future. The latest story relating to NOC's work with AI - https://noc.ac.uk/n...

Dreaming of a white Christmas? In the ocean's twilight zone it's a reality every day! In our first Christmas special, Dr Chelsey Baker and Dr Zoe Jacobs learn all about what marine snow is and how important it is in feeding and maintaining the marine ecosystem. Go under the surface and discover more about the twilight zone - https://noc.ac.uk/under-the-surface/twilight-zone Learn more about the BI...

The temperature of our ocean has been increasing with records being broken across the world in 2023, but what is causing this? Dr Joel Hirschi and Dr Zoe Jacobs sit down to discuss why this might be happening, and how the 'El Niño' climate phenomenon may be playing a key part in these changes. Check out our under the surface page on marine heatwaves - https://noc.ac.uk/under-the-surface/marine-hea...

How can everyone help towards fighting plastic pollution in the ocean across the world? Will Pearson, Co-Founder of Ocean Bottle, tells us the inspiration behind setting up the company, the extent of the damage caused by plastic pollution across the world, and how buying a reusable ocean bottle can make a real difference in coastal communities. Find out more about Ocean Bottle and how to buy one -...

It's important for science and industry to work together to build knowledge and understanding of the world’s oceans to create a sustainable marine future. NOC Innovations' Phil Bishop and Subsea7's Liz James discuss the inception and successes of the BORA Blue Ocean Research Alliance® and what it's future holds. Discover the BORA Blue Ocean Research Alliance® - https://www.blueoceanresearchallianc...