Paramount Importance

On this episode I speak to Bee expert Kit Prendergast about Australia’s native bees. We are all familiar with the honey bee but Australia is home to many native bees that are vitally important to our ecosystem. I chat to kit discussing her studies on native bees finding out some fascinating and bizarre facts. Along the lines of what places sting the most, where and why native bees are important, how to increase native bees in your area, bee hotels, Bee social structures and is the exploding occupation of honey from Honey Bee detrimental to our native bees and their environment.

On this episode I speak to Great White Shark expert Oliver Jewell. Oliver has been researching Great Whites for over 10 years around the world, tagging, tracking and learning to understand their behaviour, he recently published the first findings of the great whites hunting in Kelp forests that has grabbed the attention across the globe. The great White sharks generate a lot of media hype with many mixed opinions on the Apex Predator, a lot without valid information. Aiming to broaden the understanding of these magnificent creatures Oliver and I discuss many controversial topics that surround the great white like culling, drum lines, cage diving and safety as well as learning about the research involved in the sharks behaviour, hot spot areas, distribution, reproduction and answering questions from the public.

Ross McGibbon is a wildlife photographer who specializes in reptiles, a public educator in reptile awareness and conservation, as well as a career firefighter. He previously worked as a professional snake handler and has now had articles and photographs published in Australian Geographic, and chased some of the most venomous snakes in the world. Reptiles are an important part of our ecosystem playing major roles and in cases are keystone species. They are often objectified as dangerous and vicious creatures often putting a lot of fear in people.Ross explains the importance of these lovely creatures and why they aren’t a big threat to us and why we shouldn’t be scared if we come into contact, as well as dropping some very interesting stories and facts along the way.

Building a civilisation on Mars is not a far fetch idea with international organisation Mars One aiming to land the first humans in 2032, Josh Richards has dedicated his life to this mission and be one of the first humans to live on Mars.Josh has been an explosives engineer, picking up booby traps with the Australian army, slogged through mud with the British commandos, been a science adviser to the richest artist in the world, a tech/ cave diver, performed comedy around the world, a graduate of physics and psychology and now on the one way mission Mars One. A man that might seem to not have any fear, shares with me his scariest moment in his life, his time in the army, the mars one mission and those intimate questions you want to find out. 

Steele spent 8 years in the Australian army which he shares some interesting stories finding unexplored chemical warfare relics within Australia and how his life’s experiences led to the start of the Surf Meal co. Big wave surfer Henry Davies and myself discuss nutrition and the relation to fitness, surfing, health and keeping a healthy mind. 

Shark scientist Michael Heldsinger, Marine scientist Lachie Ramm and myself (Kurt Krispyn) discuss sharks and all things about sharks, we start with discussing Michaels study on the Seven Gill Shark over in New Zealand, as well as shark hot spot areas, is there an increase in shark population, shark attacks and encounters, methods of safety to the public, shark shields, some interesting facts you may not have known while sharing some of our favourite moments in the water.

Professor Charitha Pattiaratchi of the University of Western Australia for over 30 years, is a highly regarded Professor on Oceanography and has been published in more than 300 journals including over 100 peer-reviewed international journals. His research entails climate change effects and how it links to ocean currents, wind and wave climate, sea level variability, coastal flooding, beach stability and in recent years the ocean currents to determine where the plane wreckage of flight MH370 might be. Big wave surfer Henry Davies and I (Kurt Krispyn) joined Professor Pattiaratchi at the Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre discussing and discovering the underlying science about waves, tides, climate change, rising sea level and the wreckage of flight MH370.