The Marine Biologist Podcast

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 A...

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...

"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...

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 le...

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...

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 Biologi...

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...

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 sma...

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 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...

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...

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...

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 dis...

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 bas...

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 honorar...

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 geno...

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 &quot...

‘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...