Seaweed People

This one’s for aspiring seaweed farmers, kelp ladies and anyone who loves a good seaweed yarn. We’re talking seaweed babies, wild harvesting, kelp farming and Ecklonia radiata - the backbone of the Great Southern Reef, also known as common kelp, leather kelp, thorny kelp or golden kelp. Jo Lane has a background in marine science and sustainable coastal environments and is the owner of Sea Health Products, which make small-batch kelp products on the South Coast of NSW. She’s currently working on asparagopsis in South Australia as a research Lead with the Australian Sustainable Seaweed Alliance and, as a quite serious “side hustle”, she’s also developing kelp seedstock with a view to get kelp farming and restoration projects happening in Australia.You can find Jo on LinkedIn. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: Ecklonia radiata (Atlas of Living Australia)The story of Betty, the original “Kelp Lady”Marine heatwaves and proliferation of sea urchins on Australia’s east coastBiology and Ecology of the Globally Significant Kelp Ecklonia radiata Ecklonia - covers reproductive cycle (Wernberg et al, 2019)Churchill FellowshipGreenWave - global network of regenerative ocean farmersASSA Research to optimise propagation and growth of the red seaweed Asparagopsis Homeward Bound leadership program for women in STEMMThis episode was recorded and produced between Gadigal/Wangal land and Kaurna land. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ooh yes, today we are hearing all about oysters! Also seascape restoration, pseudo-mangroves, living seawalls and a good use for potato chip waste. This one’s for you if you’ve heard that 85% of global oyster reefs are degraded thanks to humans (yikes) and if you want to know how we can help bring them back 🦪👻Professor Melanie Bishop is a coastal ecologist who researches changes to temperate environments like coastal erosion, nutrient enrichment, and marine urban sprawl, as well as engineering interventions to create habitat and conserve native biodiversity in degraded seascapes. She co-leads the working group of the World Harbour Project as well as the Living Seawalls Program, which is part of the Project Restore with SIMS. You can find Melanie at Macquarie University. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: Living Seawalls with Project Restore The World Harbour ProjectBiodiversity benefits of scaling up marine eco-engineering (research)Variable effects of substrate colour and microtexture on sessile marine taxa in Australian estuaries (research)New York’s Billion Oyster ProjectOyster reef restoration around the world (The Nature Conservancy)Reef Builder - restoring oyster reefs in Australia BESE - potato waste products for oyster reef restorationThis episode was recorded and produced on Gadigal/Wangal land in Eora. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Macrocystis! This episode is for you if you’ve always dreamt of diving through the iconic giant kelp forests in Tasmania, and if you’ve heard that they’ve completely disappeared, but also and if you want to hear about divers and scientists coming together to revive them 🏥🌱 Mick Baron is an avid diver, storyteller, underwater videographer and co-owner of the Eaglehawk Dive Centre. He’s spent 20 years as a scientific observer on fishing vessels in sub-Antarctic to tropical waters, and is an active campaigner for local marine conservation. You can find Mick at the Eaglehawk Diver Centre. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: The Dead Sea - interactive feature/video by Guardian AustraliaSatellite images track Tasmania’s declining kelp forests Multi-decadal decline in cover of giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera at the southern limit of its Australian range (research paper)Sea urchins are wreaking havoc on Tasmania's kelp forestsRestoring Tasmania’s Giant Kelp forests Assessing the feasibility of restoring giant kelp forests in Tasmania (Report)Kelp forest restoration in Australia (review paper)Giant kelp forests on Tasman Peninsula survive marine heatwave (ABC)A field guide to the marine invertebrates of South Australia - Karen Gowlett-Holmes (book)Reviving Giants - short film by the Great Southern Reef FoundationKelp Forest Alliance KelpTracker 2.0 - record sightings in TAS, VIC & SAThis episode was recorded in teralina in lutruwita, aka Tasmania, and produced on Gadigal/Wangal land in Eora. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is for you if you like rivers and oceans, if you want to connect deeper to Sea Country, if you live in Australia or another country where the dominant narrative of the ocean stems from a colonial or European history. Maybe you’re an educator or social worker, or you just love being outside. Rhiannon Mitchell is a First Nations woman from the Mununjali people of Beaudesert, who grew up on Gumbaynggirr Country. She’s the founder of Saltwater Sistas, where she teaches young Aboriginal women and girls about the marine environment through mentoring, workshops, ocean conservation and connecting to Country. This episode briefly touches on land theft and other themes of colonisation, so please listen with care. You can find Rhiannon on socials @saltwater__sistas and read more about her programs and how you can get involved or support her work through her website. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: Yaam Gymbaynggirr Jagun - here is Gumbaynggirr CountryCoffs Harbour and District Local Aboriginal Land CouncilDonate to Saltwater SistasNSW SharkSmart AppPlastic CollectiveLakota Peoples’ Law Project Action Centre - NoDAPL CampaignThe #NoDAPL movement was powerful, factual, and Indigenous-ledAunty Bea BallangarryCommon Ground - amplifying First Nations knowledge, cultures and stories13-YARN - 24/7 crisis support for Indigenous AustraliansThis episode was made on Gadigal/Wangal land. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode’s for you if you’re into eating seaweed, sustainable food systems, Nitrogen cycles, how seaweed can heal burns, or if you’ve ever daydreamed about being a humble seaweed farmer 🧑‍🌾🍝Dr Pia Winberg is a marine ecologist who’s spent the past 25 years working in and researching sustainable marine development. In her words, she’s now in “the business of growing seaweed in a circular economy” and her main focus is developing systems to sustainably cultivate seaweeds in Australia. She runs two companies, Phycohealth and Venus Shell Systems, she has seaweed products on the shelves of supermarkets and she’s currently testing the wound-healing properties of seaweed cells. You can find Pia at Phycohealth or Venus Shell Systems and on social media @phycohealth. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: People in Europe ate seaweed for thousands of yearsYour Evidence Based Guide to Seaweed a Superfood for the GutIodine levels in seaweed and seaweed products in AustraliaThe Australian prawn farm raising the bar for sustainable aquaculture (not Sri Lanka, but same vibe)What Is the Nitrogen Cycle and Why Is It Key to Life?More on how Pia’s seaweed factory worksThe circular economy at sea Pia’s personal story of seaweed & wound healing Seaweed and skin - skincare and wound healinHarvesting seaweed to make skin from the seaThis episode was recorded and made on Gadigal/Wangal land. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You’ll like this episode if you’re interested in artists working with seaweed or teaming up with scientists, what cuttlefish look like when they mate, kayaks that play music, or if you’ve ever wondered whether humans will one day be able to carry sharks in their wombs🦈🤰🏻Lichen Kelp is an artist, performer and curator based in Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung country, in Naarm AKA Melbourne. Through her work she explores melting, subliming, fruiting, flowering, decomposing, bubbling and shapeshifting and she builds communities around marine algae and other ecologies. She also runs the Seaweed Appreciation Society International.You can find Lichen on socials and read more about her projects on her website or at Seaweed Appreciation Society International (@seaweed_appreciation_society). You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: Giant Australian cuttlefish breeding Dylan MartorellKayak Orchestra recording courtesy of Dylan & Jannah Quill Luna Mrozik Gawler - CARRYKIN - an interspecies surrogacy programFossils of earliest organisms that had sex are a billion years oldWhy does the sea smell like the sea?A list of ocean-based fearsLipstick kiss of deathSeaweed: A Global History by Kaori O'ConnerThe Portable Seaweed LibraryWhere is the Australian climate movement’s solidarity with Palestine?This episode was recorded and made on Gadigal/Wangal land. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’re into biodiversity hotspots, temperate reef ecosystems, protecting your local beach, collective action, or if you’re working in the media or education sector then this episode is for you 📣🦑Dr. Scott Bennett is a research scientist at the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania. He was born and raised on Tassie’s reefs, and he’s studied kelp forest ecosystems across Australia. He currently leads the scientific advisory panel of the Great Southern Reef Foundation and along with a very impressive team of cinematographers, scientists and local communities, he’s putting the Great Southern Reef on the map and building the science and stories needed for its protection. You can find Scott at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (UTAS) or the Great Southern Reef Foundation. You can find and contact me at @seaweed.people. Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: GSRF InstagramThe ‘Great Southern Reef’: social, ecological and economic value of Australia’s neglected kelp forests (research paper)Senate inquiry recommends $55-million investment into managing long-spined sea urchinSea Urchin Removal as a Tool for Macroalgal Restoration: A Review on Removing “the Spiny Enemies” (research paper)GSR Educators HubMarine heatwaves are damaging reef ecosystems around AustraliaThis episode was recorded and made on Gadigal/Wangal and muwinina land. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one’s for you if you want to know the difference between seagrass and seaweed, how crayweed reproduces, what reforestation looks like, or if you’re dreaming of becoming a marine scientist and just need a good role model. Professor Adriana Verges has researched temperate ecosystems and coral reefs around the world. She leads a research program that looks into the impacts of climate change on seaweed forests and seagrass meadows and restoration approaches for their conservation. She also leads restoration projects Operation Crayweed and Operation Posidonia. You can find Adriana at the University of NSW and Sydney Institute of Marine Science. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: Operation Crayweed @thetrueoperationcrayweedOperation Posidonia @operationposidoniaWestern Australian seagrass meadow found to be the world’s largest plant AlgaeBase: a global algal database of taxonomic, nomenclatural and distributional informationMichael Guiry (phycologist)Melinda Coleman - kelp scientist and geneticist Asparagopsis compounds reduce methane production in ruminants Tropicalisation of temperate reefs: Implications for ecosystem functions and management actions (Adriana’s research)Restoring WA seaweed after marine heatwavesSydney sewage stories Recycled wastewater could ease pressures on Sydney’s drinking water Project Restore (SIMS)This episode was recorded and made on Gadigal/Wangal land. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one’s for you if you want to know what seaweed is and what it does in the ecosystem, whether sinking it in the deep ocean is a legit climate change solution and what a kelp trumpet sounds like. Dr Catriona Hurd is a seaweed physiologist with nearly 30 years experience across the planet studying how seaweeds grow and how they cope with things like ocean acidification and climate change. Her recent research in forensic carbon accounting assesses the role that seaweeds can play in carbon sequestration. You can find Dr Catriona Hurd at the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Science (UTAS). Thanks also to Ben Gerstein for lending me the sounds of his kelp trumpet, check out his music and sound work here. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Some links to research and stories for your rabbit holes: Seaweed Ecology and Physiology (book)Svalbard Global Seed Vault24,000 year old Rotifers may enter the ecosystem once permafrost thaws 46,000 year old worm found in Siberian permafrostRegeneration of whole fertile plants from 30,000-y-old fruit tissue buried in Siberian permafrostUnderpinning the Development of Seaweed Biotechnology: Cryopreservation of Brown Algae (Saccharina latissima) GametophytesForensic Carbon Accounting: Assessing the Role of Seaweeds in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Removal (YouTube)Forensic carbon accounting: Assessing the role of seaweeds for carbon sequestration (research paper)Supplementing the diets of cows with AsparagopsisBiofuels from algae: challenges and potentialFollow the Algae Brick Road to Plant-Based BuildingsClimate Recovery Institute This episode was recorded and made on Palawa Pakana & Gadigal/Wangal land. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is this!? This is a podcast about seaweed and people. It's for you if you're interested in what seaweed is, how it works in ecosystems, whether it's a legit carbon sequestration solution, growing it for food, biodiversity and reforestation, etc etc. There'll also be some good seaweed-adjacent stuff. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.