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SAMS Ocean Explorer

Scottish Association for Marine Science

The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in Oban, Scotland is an ocean research charity and investigates 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.

Please consider supporting this important work https://www.sams.ac.uk/support-sams/

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S4 · E2
Friday · 34 min
The scientists saving seaweed!
Seaweeds have been on our planet for 1.6 billion years and are a nursery ground and haven for so many marines creatures. The crop also supports the livelihoods of more than six million seaweed farmers throughout parts of Asia and Africa. However, threats brought on by the effects of climate change mean many seaweed species are feeling the heat - quite literally - and even face the risk of extinction. In this episode of the SAMS Ocean Explorer podcast, Profs. Elizabeth Cottier-Cook of SAMS and Juliet Brodie of the Natural History Museum discuss their plans to help safeguard this underappreciated natural wonder. Through their respective research and conservation projects, backed by UK Research and Innovation and the Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate, they have produced the Seaweed Breakthrough, a briefing and call to action that they will present to COP31 in Turkey next month. Sign the Seaweed Breakthrough Pledge here: Seaweed Breakthrough – Part of the 2030 Ocean Breakthroughs The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S4 · E1
August 10 · 34 min
The biodiversity crisis: How do we halt the losses?
We're sadly all too familiar with the terms 'pollution' and 'climate crisis' when it comes to talking about the natural world. But what about the 'biodiversity crisis'? All around the world, we humans are making our mark in an often harmful way, placing a strain on other species. From deforestation to extinctions and the introduction of non-native invasive species, there's a lot to consider. So, why has the current situation been labelled a 'crisis' and what can be done about it? In this episode, host Euan Paterson sits down with marine ecologist Dr Clive Fox of SAMS and Dr Flavio Affinito, a consultant with the UN Convention on Global Biodiversity, to find out more. The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S3 · E8
May 25 · 32 min
Prof. Mike Burrows: A career in climate change
He is one of the world's most cited climate scientists and is part of the research collaboration that defined the term 'marine heatwave', but after 35 years at SAMS Prof. Mike Burrows is sailing into retirement. In this special episode, host Euan Paterson sits down with Prof. Burrows to find out how his research has been guided by the theme of climate change and why ocean temperature is changing the distribution of marine species. We also hear a confession of how he almost lost a new company vehicle while on fieldwork and the surprising influence that the movie Jaws had on his career choice... The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S3 · E7
April 14 · 33 min
The Ellett Line: Decades of ocean discovery and 30-metre waves!
You might not have heard of The Ellett Line, but it's one of the most important and influential projects in ocean science today. A series of data points in the Atlantic between Scotland and Iceland, The Ellett Line is visited by a research ship every two years to collect data from equipment at each of these points. More than 50 years since it was established, The Ellett Line has given scientists a foundation of knowledge and a unique insight into how large scale ocean currents are affected by climate change and other factors. This in turn has improved climate and weather forecasting and helped oceanographers studying Atlantic and Arctic waters to answer some of the biggest questions in marine science today. In this episode, recorded during the Ocean Sciences Meeting in Glasgow, guests Prof. Mark Inall of SAMS and Prof. Penny Holliday of the National Oceanography Centre discuss their own histories with The Ellett Line, what its future may hold - and what it's like being on a research ship in 30-metre waves! The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S3 · E6
March 6 · 42 min
The state of ocean science: politics, pressure, and what comes next
In a very special episode of the SAMS Ocean Explorer podcast, recorded at the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2026 in Glasgow, we discuss the current state of ocean research as it navigates reductions in funding while facing an urgent demand for new knowledge. We explore the impact of U.S. federal government cuts to environmental science and ask: Can scientists be political? What actions are needed to address the challenges of climate change? What might the future hold for ocean science? And, is Scotland really the centre of the oceanographic universe..?! Our guests are two leading figures in global marine science: Janice Lachance is Chief Executive and Director of the American Geophysical Union, a U.S. based international community supporting more than half a million advocates and professionals in the Earth and space sciences. She has previously held senior roles in the U.S. Government. Deborah Bronk is President and CEO of Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and has served in a number of senior roles across marine science. In 2020, she was recognized as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, for her substantial research advances on the marine nitrogen cycle and for her leadership in the ocean science research community. The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S3 · E5
February 17 · 33 min
Ocean carbon storage: how much is too much?
Like a giant carbon sponge, the ocean has been absorbing much of the excess carbon dioxide humans have produced - but for how long can that last? While we see the effects of climate change more clearly on land, the impact on our ocean is less obvious. In this episode, guests Dr Robyn Tuerena and Dr Clare Johnson of SAMS discuss how their latest research project, C-STREAMS, is measuring changes in the ocean carbon cycle and what this might mean for our climate. The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S3 · E4
Sep 24, 2025 · 35 min
The robots helping us to protect nature
The term 'robotics' is fairly wide reaching. From amateur enthusiasts to teams of developers working on the next ingenious idea, there are many applications too. Environmental scientists are excited about a new-found capability in environmental monitoring. Surveying an area of land or sea that would previously have taken days - even many weeks - can now be done in minutes, thanks to autonomous vehicles and their hi-tech payloads of cameras and sensors. In this episode, Dr Niall Burnside and Libby Smith from the Scientific Robotics Academy at SAMS, talk about how these systems can be used, why training the next generation of scientists in these systems is crucial, and what the future might hold. The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S3 · E3
Aug 25, 2025 · 34 min
Marine restoration: why it's everyone's business
Marine restoration is the helping hand that nature needs in the battle against biodiversity loss and also a way to offset human impacts in the ocean. But the benefits can be more than ecological. In this episode, we welcome Peter Watson of SSEN Transmission, the company responsible for laying new power cables on our seabed as part of the de-carbonising of our energy grid. There's much more it wants to do, beyond rebuilding the energy infrastructure, with a little help from science. Peter and Prof Adam Hughes of SAMS discuss what benefits marine restoration can bring, the challenges such projects face and how a children's television programme can influence the direction of an entire company... The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S3 · E2
Aug 5, 2025 · 36 min
Ten years of ACES: Training aquaculture's future leaders
With a global human population in excess of eight billion, governments and planners are looking to aquaculture to provide food security in a sustainable way. But this is a diverse global industry that comes in many forms, with various societal and ecological challenges. In this episode, two of the academics behind a highly-rated aquaculture Masters Degree, ACES, reflect on 10 years of the programme, designed to train the industry and academic leaders of the future. Profs. Elizabeth Cottier-Cook and Laurent Barille also highlight the challenges and opportunities within global aquaculture and reflect on how they too have learned from their international programme. The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S3 · E1
Jul 4, 2025 · 38 min
A new wave of ocean exploration
Oceanographers spend a lot of time exploring the deep sea, but what is it really like taking measurements in the middle of the ocean and how is it done? In this episode real-life Octonauts, Drs Neil Fraser and Lewis Drysdale, explain to Euan how detailed ocean observations give us an insight into the changing climate. They also describe how the latest technology has become a game changer in the quest for more data, more quickly as we seek more accurate climate forecasts. The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S2 · E7
Apr 22, 2025 · 35 min
Drowning in plastic pollution
Images of a seahorse clutching a cotton bud, or a marine mammal choking on a plastic bag provoke shocking and saddening reactions - but how much change is made as a result? As they discover a new plastic threat to mangrove habitats on the Ghanaian coast, SAMS scientists Prof. Bhavani Narayanaswamy and Dr Geslaine Lemos Concalves explain the extent of plastic pollution in our ocean and what we can do to mitigate some of the worst impacts. Find out how plastic has reached every corner of the ocean environment and how it is beginning to impact on our own health. The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S2 · E6
Feb 21, 2025 · 42 min
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 metres below the ocean surface, where no light can penetrate. Now Prof. Sweetman is returning to the Pacific with custom-built equipment, thanks for funding from The Nippon Foundation, to find out how this phenomenon is occurring. In this episode Prof. Sweetman and Dr de Jonge share their experience of making the Dark Oxygen discovery and the 'rollercoaster' they've experienced as their research paper continues to make global headlines. The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S2 · E5
Nov 27, 2024 · 36 min
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 really like at the microscopic level, how is technology helping us see this in a different way, and what would be the cost (literally) of losing plankton from our seas..? Find out more about UK research on plankton here: https://planktonandpeople.org/ View The Plankton Manifesto here: https://unglobalcompact.org/library/6242 The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S2 · E4
Oct 14, 2024 · 35 min
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. Hear about their their world-first discovery about the species, and their assessments of what the future might hold for its survival. The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S2 · E3
Aug 26, 2024 · 33 min
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 scientists seek to achieve a similar goal: to help us better understand the world around us. So, are they all that different? The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S2 · E2
Jun 13, 2024 · 37 min
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 the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S2 · E1
Jun 8, 2024 · 30 min
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 prevalent climate anxiety is among Generation Z and younger. Look our for part two soon! The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S1 · E7
Mar 4, 2024 · 39 min
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 episode, we meet Dr Andrew Brownlow of SMASS and Prof Ben Wilson, a marine mammal expert at SAMS, to discuss how investigations are carried out and why strandings might happen. They also reveal the surprising culprit behind the disturbing 'porpicide' events that see badly injured harbour porpoises wash up on beaches around the world. The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S1 · E6
Feb 8, 2024 · 32 min
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 episode, we unpick these issues and explore the future of seaweed farming with SAMS social scientist Dr Suzi Billing and Rhianna Rees of the Scottish Seaweed Industry Association. The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.
S1 · E5
Dec 20, 2023 · 44 min
Whales of the west coast
Can whales be famous? Are they becoming more of less common in our coastal waters? How are they affected by climate change and pollution? Despite being among the largest creatures on the planet, whales can be difficult to monitor, given the distances they travel and the time they spend below the sea surface. In this episode, we welcome Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust Director Alison Lomax to talk about the organisation's crucial survey work in Scotland's west coast waters and how this matters further afield. She is joined by SAMS PhD student Tim Awbery, who is finding out more about the often seen, but less understood minke whale. We also discuss how the power of citizen science is being harnessed to provide some of the world's best data on whale spottings and movements. The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research charity and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.

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