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Artwork for Seaweed People
Seaweed People · Apr 4, 2025 · 33 min

Solar-powered seaweed-sucking seaslugs with Nicole Mertens

This one’s for you if you’re into nudibranchs, sea grapes, solar power, butterflies, citizen science and tongues with teeth(!?) 🌱🐛 Nicole Mertens is a marine ecologist with a passion for sacoglossans, a science communicator and the Nature Stewards Coordinator with the Victorian National Parks Association. Nicole is passionate about using citizen science as a platform for evidence-based conservation, and helping people connect with their local environment. You can find Nicole and the VNPA team here and on socials @vicnationalparks. Subscribe for updates or support the podcast at quietnightin.substack.com. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople. Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: Seaslug census Facebook group (Australia) iNaturalist - sacoglossans of Victoria (good pics) Nudibranchs - videos + freaky facts Shaun the Sheep internet famous nudi Keep your head: the self-decapitating sea slugs that regrow their bodies – hearts and all Solar-powered sea slugs VNPA ReefWatch citizen science programs This episode was recorded and produced on Gadigal/Wangal and Larrakia Country. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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transcript

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show notes

This one’s for you if you’re into nudibranchs, sea grapes, solar power, butterflies, citizen science and tongues with teeth(!?) 🌱🐛


Nicole Mertens is a marine ecologist with a passion for sacoglossans, a science communicator and the Nature Stewards Coordinator with the Victorian National Parks Association. Nicole is passionate about using citizen science as a platform for evidence-based conservation, and helping people connect with their local environment. 


You can find Nicole and the VNPA team here and on socials @vicnationalparks

Subscribe for updates or support the podcast at quietnightin.substack.com. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople. 


Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: 


Seaslug census Facebook group (Australia)

iNaturalist - sacoglossans of Victoria (good pics)

Nudibranchs - videos + freaky facts

Shaun the Sheep internet famous nudi

Keep your head: the self-decapitating sea slugs that regrow their bodies – hearts and all

Solar-powered sea slugs 

VNPA ReefWatch citizen science programs


This episode was recorded and produced on Gadigal/Wangal and Larrakia Country. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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