Our Ocean

Seaful | Cal Major
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Bringing to life the Ocean's most pressing and beautiful stories to Deepen Ocean Insight and Empower Ocean Citizenship. Brought to you by Seaful, the UK charity dedicated to connecting people to our ocean.

  1. 11H AGO

    How can we make Marine Protection fair? Just Transitions and the Equitable Use of Our Seas

    What is a 'Just Transition'? It's a term that gets banded about a lot when talking about protecting areas of the ocean from certain types of destructive fishing. In fact, one of the demands of the Our Seas coalition, who we heard from in last week's episode, is 'The return of a modern seaward limit on bottom-towed fishing, via a just transition'. Although the science shows that protecting our ocean, in particular fragile habitats, from overexploitation is essential for the recovery of fish stocks, and by extension to support local fishing fleets, there may well be people who fish in those areas currently who are displaced. How can transitioning to a better future for our seas be done in a way that is fair, who has the right to have a say, and what does the 'equitable use of our seas' actually mean. We're delighted to be joined by Blue Marine Foundation's Joe Richards, to guide us through this nuanced subject with empathy and insight. You can learn more about the Our Seas coalition, and sign the petition, here: Our Seas need your help - ask your politician to protect at least 30% Huge thanks to Highlands and Islands Environment Foundation for supporting this series. The Our Ocean podcast is brought to you by Seaful, the UK charity dedicated to connecting people to our ocean. To donate, please visit our website. For more information about Seaful, please visit our Website, Instagram or Facebook. For questions or suggestions, please email us - podcast@seaful.org.uk. You can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.

    41 min

  2. APR 8

    The Our Seas Coalition - More Protection, More Fish, More Jobs

    This episode is full of hope. 165 organisations and over 15,000 people stand together in Scotland for better protection of its inshore waters from the most damaging forms of fishing. These people are from different backgrounds, sectors and walks of life, but they are all demanding the same thing from the Scottish government, in the name of a thriving ocean. This is the Our Seas coalition, of which Seaful is a member. We are delighted to share the stories of several other members from an event in Holyrood, Scottish parliament, in June 2025. We'll hear from fishermen, NGOs, community groups, businesses, MSPs and children as to why this matters to them. To learn more about the Our Seas coalition, head to ourseas.scot Add your voice here to the call to protect at least 30% of Scotland's inshore seabed, the fragile cradle of life for our ocean. The Our Ocean podcast is brought to you by Seaful, the UK charity dedicated to connecting people to our ocean. To donate, please visit our website. For more information about Seaful, please visit our Website, Instagram or Facebook. For questions or suggestions, please email us - podcast@seaful.org.uk. You can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.

    51 min

  3. MAR 25

    The Mad Scientist of Electric Boats - sailing For One Ocean

    Wayne Peters is a self proclaimed 'Mad Scientist of Electric Boats', and his passion for creating cleaner sailing, in consideration and harmony with the very ocean which brings him so much joy, is both inspiring and infectious. It was a pleasure to chat with Wayne on a sunny beach in North Devon in September 2025, to reminisce about an incredible challenge he took undertook to race the first electric boat in the infamous Fastnet race. Wayne takes us on a journey through his beautiful, connecting ocean adventures, and we hope you're as inspired to experience and protect our ocean as we are after listening to our his stories. More information about For One Ocean - an Adventure Sailing Team here. The Our Ocean podcast is brought to you by Seaful, the UK charity dedicated to connecting people to our ocean. To donate, please visit our website. For more information about Seaful, please visit our Website, Instagram or Facebook. For questions or suggestions, please email us - podcast@seaful.org.uk. You can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.

    48 min

  4. MAR 18

    The astounding power of Youth Advocacy - with Young Sea Changers Scotland

    Youth Advocacy - what, why, when, where and how? This episode dives deep into young voices, and the positive impact, in sometimes surprising ways, that this supportive organisation, Young Sea Changers Scotland, is having both on marine policy, and on the young people involved. What a pleasure to speak to Alan Munro, Issy Jeffrey and Louis Macmillan - to hear about their journeys into giving a voice to our ocean, and you might be pleased to hear that this doesn't just belong in parliament buildings or involve writing to elected representatives! Here are the links to some of the things we mentioned: Youth Manifesto For Scotland's Seas Youth Ocean Action Fund Scottish Elections Youth Climate Hustings Marine Policy Jargon Buster (and other resources) Our Seas need your help - ask your politician to protect at least 30% The Our Ocean podcast is brought to you by Seaful, the UK charity dedicated to connecting people to our ocean. To donate, please visit our website. For more information about Seaful, please visit our Website, Instagram or Facebook. For questions or suggestions, please email us - podcast@seaful.org.uk. You can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.

    54 min

  5. MAR 4

    Election 101 - How To Make Your Voice Heard

    This is a special episode in the run up to the Scottish Government elections in May 2026, however, it retains relevance for any UK elections, and for engaging with politicians in general. This is one of the most crucial and effective ways to be an Ocean Citizen, and we're really grateful for the knowledge and insight from Rea Cris, Public Affairs Manager for the charity Open Seas. Rea passionately describes to us how democracy should really be a two way street, and how we can recover some of those conversations to influence what our elected representatives, and candidates who want to be our elected representatives, actually do for us when in office. We cover how to convey what matters to you to political candidates, Hustings, how the juicy bits of elections really start months before the ballot boxes, and some novel ways of engaging with MPs and MSPs (Members of Scottish Parliament). Here's a handy website where you can put in your postcode, and it brings up who your political candidates are and how to get in touch with them! https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/ You can sign the Our Seas petition here: https://www.ourseas.scot/ Mentioned in the podcast are Seawilding - restoring seagrass in Scotland Thanks to Orla from the Ullapool Sea Savers for her excellent Seagrass facts. This episode was recorded and edited by Adventurous Audio. The Our Ocean podcast is brought to you by Seaful, the UK charity dedicated to connecting people to our ocean. To donate, please visit our website. For more information about Seaful, please visit our Website, Instagram or Facebook. For questions or suggestions, please email us - podcast@seaful.org.uk. You can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.

    49 min

  6. FEB 20

    The Magic Science Making the Invisible Visible: eDNA

    Dr Kat Bruce is a scientist, adventurer and expedition leader, founder of NatureMetrics, and now working for the Protected Areas Foundation. In this episode, we're going on a journey from the depths of the Amazon to the Northwest Passage, via one and a half circumnavigations of the UK in a rowing boat! We're talking underwater magic with eDNA, or environmental DNA - the incredible scientific research technique being used around the world to monitor biodiversity, by making the invisible visible. Kat's recommendations: Book - Savages, by Joe Kane Film - Ocean with David Attenborough Other mentions: Ullapool Sea Savers - thanks to Hunter for his facts about Lumpsuckers! The Our Ocean podcast is brought to you by Seaful, the UK charity dedicated to connecting people to our ocean. To donate, please visit our website. For more information about Seaful, please visit our Website, Instagram or Facebook. For questions or suggestions, please email us - podcast@seaful.org.uk. You can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.

    1h 9m

  7. FEB 11

    The Ocean Citizens Award - a Fintastic Summer on the West Coast of Scotland

    We are delighted to be joined today by Megan Hamill, one of the recipient's of Seaful's inaugural Ocean Citizens Award in 2025. This incredible opportunity was generously created by Felix Appelbe, founder of Ocean Ambassadors, to support young people in their journey to becoming Ocean Citizens. Applications for the 2026 award are open until the end of February. It was a joy to catch up with Megan - an ocean advocate from the Isle of Arran, and hear all about her Fintastic summer on the West Coast of Scotland with the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, British Divers Marine Life Rescue and the Community of Arran Seabed Trust, and how the courses and experiences the award supported have helped her on her journey in marine conservation. We hear about Megan's search for cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), and hear about some surprising species which call Scotland's waters home, including a very unassuming apex predator! We also hear about Megan's love for seabirds, and the new islands she'll be journeying to this year. You can read more about Megan's journey here. Huge thanks to Felix Appelbe for supporting Seaful, for creating this award, and enabling young people on their journeys to be Ocean Ambassadors. Learn more about Young Sea Changers Scotland's Turning The Tide Course for 16-25 year olds. This episode was recorded and edited by Adventurous Audio. Manx Shearwater sound effect recorded by David Boyle, XC1023582. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/1023582 The Our Ocean podcast is brought to you by Seaful, the UK charity dedicated to connecting people to our ocean. To donate, please visit our website. For more information about Seaful, please visit our Website, Instagram or Facebook. For questions or suggestions, please email us - podcast@seaful.org.uk. You can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.

    34 min

  8. 12/10/2025

    Seals, seals, seals - pupping season at St Abb's Head

    Welcome back to Our Ocean! We've had a bit of a break, but are delighted to be back at St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve, with the amazing head ranger Ciaran Hatsell and his colleagues, from The National Trust for Scotland, just in time for seal pupping season! Every year, St Abb's goes through incredible seasonal transformations. We were last here in June (check out our episode 'Seabird Spectacle' if you haven't already!) when the cliffs were lined with noisy seabirds. The cliffs might be empty now, but the beaches are COVERED in newly born grey seal pups. And, in what we can only imagine is a global podcast first, we name one of the colony's most impressive bulls live on the podcast! A huge thanks to Ciaran and the National Trust for Scotland; you can learn more about St Abb's Head Nature Reserve here: https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/st-abbs-head Thank you to Isla and the Ullapool Nature Club! If you find an injured, thin or distressed seal pup outside of a colony, please call the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR): https://bdmlr.org.uk Seaful's 12 Days Of Christmas silent auction is here: https://uk.givergy.com/seaful/ The Our Ocean podcast is brought to you by Seaful, the UK charity dedicated to connecting people to our ocean. To donate, please visit our website. For more information about Seaful, please visit our Website, Instagram or Facebook. For questions or suggestions, please email us - podcast@seaful.org.uk. You can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.

    1h 9m
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About

Bringing to life the Ocean's most pressing and beautiful stories to Deepen Ocean Insight and Empower Ocean Citizenship. Brought to you by Seaful, the UK charity dedicated to connecting people to our ocean.

Information

  • Creator
    Seaful | Cal Major
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Our Ocean

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