Finance – Protecting The Ocean

Ocean Matters is getting down to business. That’s the business of investing in the ocean, its future as well as the communities that rely on it. There are lots of existing financial tools that make the world go round, so how can we use them to protect the ocean without reducing it to a number on t…

Learning from Indigenous Fisheries

There are several stories in this series which explore the connectivity between species, but how often do we consider the connectivity between a species, people, land and culture? Take the Pacific Salmon, for example. This is just one example of a “culturally significant fish” and are at the heart…

Ecosystems – Land, Marine, and The “In Between”

Bizarrely, when it comes to ecology – marine systems and land systems are studied separately. But we need to better understand the “in between”. Travelling from vast rainforests, all the way to the sandy shores of remote atolls, join oceanographer Helen Czerski as she explores the power of a healt…

Eels – Are you in the fan club?

The more you find out about eels, the more fascinating they become... Even on the scale of the surprises that nature can throw at us.  The European eel starts its life way out in the open ocean, far, far away from land, out in saltwater. It then migrates back thousands of miles towards estuaries, …

BONUS – People Power

In episode 12, we heard about the changes our ocean has faced in recent years and why it’s important to remain ‘ocean optimists’ in the fight against climate change. One ocean optimist is Sebastian Yancovic Pakarati, who is from an indigenous community – the Rapa Nui - on Easter Island. In 2014 the…

Witness for a Changing Ocean

Everyone who studies the ocean recognizes that many parts of it are in a state of flux – always changing.  That is the natural state of things.  But sometimes changes become extreme or too frequent, and that is when problems arise. In 2015 and 2016 a massive El Nino event impacted coral reefs aroun…

BONUS – The Future of Coral Reefs

With COP26 having been and gone, one thing is clear - we need positive climate action. But while climate change has been edging its way into the public consciousness, scientists, innovators, communities and campaigners have been building an strong foundation for change.  We are not starting from sq…

COP26 – Fighting for our Ocean

COP26 is taking place in Glasgow, with the eyes of the world on the decisions being made, and climate change is finally getting the serious attention that scientists and campaigners have been demanding for a long time. But it’s only relatively recently that the public debate has really started to i…

BONUS - Turtles in Culture, Past and Present

There’s no doubt that turtles are well-loved animals that have had a huge impact on cultures around the world and throughout history. But there’s a fine line between celebrating a species and taking it for yourself. Series Producer Izzie Clarke spoke with JC Niala, acting keeper of anthropology at …

Turtles – Survivors, Navigators, Voyagers

Turtles are survivors, navigators, voyagers: criss-crossing Earth’s seas while continents moved and oceans grew and shrunk.  But the modern ocean is presenting them with more challenges than ever. This month, oceanographer Helen Czerski will be swimming with Earth’s turtles, meeting the different …