SAMS Ocean Explorer

Scottish Association for Marine Science
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SAMS Ocean Explorer

The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in Oban, Scotland researches various elements of our marine environment, from algae to oceanography. In this podcast, we meet staff and students from SAMS to learn more about our vast and mysterious ocean.

  1. FEB 21

    Dark Oxygen: a deep sea discovery

    A discovery in the dark depths of the Pacific Ocean has been challenging the scientific consensus of how oxygen is produced and has even called into question how life on Earth began. Photosynthetic organisms like plants and algae use energy from sunlight to create the planet’s oxygen. But new evidence published by Prof. Andrew Sweetman and collaborators, including his former PhD student Dr Danielle de Jonge, has shown how oxygen is also produced in complete darkness at the seafloor 4,000 metr...

    43 min

  2. 11/27/2024

    Plankton: Earth's hidden hero

    From creating the atmosphere that led to life on Earth, to providing food for the entire ocean food web, plankton have been pivotal to the world we know today. Indeed, by absorbing vast quantities of carbon dioxide, they have been protecting us from the worst effects of global warming. But do plankton get the credit they deserve..? Find out from guests Prof Paul Tett and Dr Callum Whyte why plankton are the planet's hidden heroes and why we don't know enough about them. What is the ocean rea...

    36 min

  3. 10/14/2024

    Flapper skate: the little known giant of the sea

    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. Hea...

    35 min

  4. 08/26/2024

    Poetic sampling: when art and science collide

    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 scient...

    34 min

  5. 06/13/2024

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

    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...

    37 min

  6. 06/08/2024

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

    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 preval...

    31 min

  7. 03/04/2024

    CSI Cetaceans: Investigating whale strandings

    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 ep...

    39 min

  8. 02/08/2024

    Weighing up the wonders of seaweed farming

    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 epis...

    33 min
See All (13)

About

The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in Oban, Scotland researches various elements of our marine environment, from algae to oceanography. In this podcast, we meet staff and students from SAMS to learn more about our vast and mysterious ocean.

Information

  • Creator
    Scottish Association for Marine Science
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 SAMS Ocean Explorer
  • Show Website
    SAMS Ocean Explorer

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