SAMS Ocean Explorer

11 Episodes

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Flapper skate: the little known giant of the sea

2024-10-1435:13

They are giants of the sea in northern Europe, yet not many people have heard of them, let alone seen any...The flapper skate, considered critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, is faring relatively well within a Marine Protected Area off the west coast of Scotland, but the future for the wider population looks more bleak.In this episode, we speak to experts Dr Steven Benjamins of SAMS and Dr Jane Dodd of NatureScot to find out more about this secretive skate. Hear a...

Poetic sampling: when art and science collide

2024-08-2633:42

We've all heard creepy noises in the forest, but you probably haven't heard one like this...In this episode, we hear an artist's take on what a kelp forest looks like below the water surface and listen to a 'creepy' sound from the beneath waves as host Euan Paterson meets SAMS artist-in-residence Helena Hunter and marine ecologist Alasdair O'Dell.We discuss how science helps art, and vice-versa, and find that although they have very different methods of collecting 'data', artists and scientis...

The Nick Owens interview (part two): Antarctica and beyond

2024-06-1337:12

In part two of our season-opening episode, SAMS Director Prof. Nick Owens talks to host Euan Paterson and guest co-host Ross Lupton about his time as Director of the prestigious British Antarctic Survey.He also shares his thoughts on the future of the ocean and how a change at boardroom level could make the environmental outlook a little better. We also get answers to the big questions of the day, like: which sea creature would he ride into battle?!The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by th...

The Nick Owens interview (part one): generational change and climate change

2024-06-0830:44

To kick off season two of the Ocean Explorer podcast, host Euan Paterson and guest co-host Ross Lupton, an undergraduate student at SAMS, quiz SAMS Director Prof. Nick Owens on how marine science has changed over the decades.In this part one of our interview, we ask Prof. Owens: how does his student experience compare, how has academia changed and did his generation of scientists not see climate change coming?!We also discuss the effect of climate change on young scientists and how prevalent ...

CSI Cetaceans: Investigating whale strandings

2024-03-0439:08

Whether it's an attack by another marine creature, or disorientation in a noisy ocean, there are various reasons for marine mammals to wash up on the shoreline.So how do we find out the cause of each stranding?The Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) undertakes forensic investigations into strandings around the Scottish coast. Its work complements marine mammal research at institutes like SAMS and helps to piece together what's happening in the unseen underwater world.In this episo...

Weighing up the wonders of seaweed farming

2024-02-0832:35

A superfood, a sustainable source of fuel and an overall environmentally-friendly industry; there's plenty to like about seaweed farming!But following some recent unsuccessful planning applications in the UK, it seems that 'green' credentials alone may not be enough to ensure industry growth. As seaweed farmers grapple with issues of scaling up and cost in the UK and Europe, will the industry ever realise its full potential? And what else should be done to win public approval?In this episode,...

Whales of the west coast

2023-12-2044:44

Can whales be famous? Are they becoming more of less common in our coastal waters? How are they affected by climate change and pollution?Despite being among the largest creatures on the planet, whales can be difficult to monitor, given the distances they travel and the time they spend below the sea surface.In this episode, we welcome Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust Director Alison Lomax to talk about the organisation's crucial survey work in Scotland's west coast waters and how this matters...

SIMBA: Using technology to predict ice melt, avalanches and floods

2023-09-2929:50

It's all contained within a yellow case, the size of a small suitcase, but the SIMBA instrument is revolutionising the way scientists measure ice melt rate and thickness and, more recently, how they assess avalanche and flood risk.SIMBA, or Snow Ice Mass Balance Apparatus, is developed and built by SAMS Enterprise and now has a number of applications. The research and development into this technology, spearheaded by senior engineer Phill Thompson, has seen it been deployed by avalanche foreca...

Feeling the heat: Marine heatwaves on the rise

2023-09-1841:22

Marine heatwaves are becoming more common and more intense.They can have devastating effects on ocean life, particularly corals and other species that are fixed in one location.This year, large parts of the ocean have been at a state of near permanent heatwave, with one particular heatwave off northern UK, lasting 237 days, from August 2022 to April 2023. To learn more, we speak to Prof Mike Burrows, part of the research team that defined the term 'marine heatwave', and oceanographer Dr ...

Unpicking the problem of whale entanglement

2023-07-2536:16

A typical image of a whale is a majestic creature cruising through the deep and vast ocean. But our coastal seas contain unseen hazards, including creel lines, in which they can become entangled. Continuing our #WhaleTalk series, we meet Susannah Calderan and Dr Steven Benjamins to discuss the extent of the whale entanglement problem and reveal how a collaboration between researchers and fishermen may have come up with the solution.The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish A...

Underwater sounds

2023-06-0138:30

Introducing the new Ocean Explorer podcast from the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research institute and partner of UHI based in Oban. In this episode, part of our #WhaleTalk campaign, host Euan Paterson speaks to marine mammal experts Dr Denise Risch and Dr Nienke van Geel to find out how they listen to whales and dolphins, what they can learn from the sounds, and how the arts can help to communicate their science.We also find out what inspired them to begin a...

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