SAMS Ocean Explorer
Scottish Association for Marine Science
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.
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Top 10 SAMS Ocean Explorer Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best SAMS Ocean Explorer episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to SAMS Ocean Explorer for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite SAMS Ocean Explorer episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
The Nick Owens interview (part two): Antarctica and beyond
SAMS Ocean Explorer
06/13/24 • 37 min
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 institute 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.
Whales of the west coast
SAMS Ocean Explorer
12/20/23 • 44 min
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 institute 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.
Weighing up the wonders of seaweed farming
SAMS Ocean Explorer
02/08/24 • 32 min
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 institute 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.
Flapper skate: the little known giant of the sea
SAMS Ocean Explorer
10/14/24 • 35 min
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 institute 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.
Underwater sounds
SAMS Ocean Explorer
06/01/23 • 38 min
Introducing the new Ocean Explorer podcast from the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research institute and partner of UHI based in Oban.
In this episode, part of our #WhaleTalk campaign, host Euan Paterson speaks to marine mammal experts Dr Denise Risch and Dr Nienke van Geel to find out how they listen to whales and dolphins, what they can learn from the sounds, and how the arts can help to communicate their science.
We also find out what inspired them to begin a career in marine mammal research - and even hear some impressions of whale sounds!
The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research institute 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.
Unpicking the problem of whale entanglement
SAMS Ocean Explorer
07/25/23 • 36 min
A typical image of a whale is a majestic creature cruising through the deep and vast ocean. But our coastal seas contain unseen hazards, including creel lines, in which they can become entangled.
Continuing our #WhaleTalk series, we meet Susannah Calderan and Dr Steven Benjamins to discuss the extent of the whale entanglement problem and reveal how a collaboration between researchers and fishermen may have come up with the solution.
The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research institute 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.
Feeling the heat: Marine heatwaves on the rise
SAMS Ocean Explorer
09/18/23 • 41 min
Marine heatwaves are becoming more common and more intense.
They can have devastating effects on ocean life, particularly corals and other species that are fixed in one location.
This year, large parts of the ocean have been at a state of near permanent heatwave, with one particular heatwave off northern UK, lasting 237 days, from August 2022 to April 2023.
To learn more, we speak to Prof Mike Burrows, part of the research team that defined the term 'marine heatwave', and oceanographer Dr Sam Jones.
The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research institute 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.
SIMBA: Using technology to predict ice melt, avalanches and floods
SAMS Ocean Explorer
09/29/23 • 29 min
It's all contained within a yellow case, the size of a small suitcase, but the SIMBA instrument is revolutionising the way scientists measure ice melt rate and thickness and, more recently, how they assess avalanche and flood risk.
SIMBA, or Snow Ice Mass Balance Apparatus, is developed and built by SAMS Enterprise and now has a number of applications. The research and development into this technology, spearheaded by senior engineer Phill Thompson, has seen it been deployed by avalanche forecasters in the Scottish mountains and on ice roads in northern Canada.
In this episode, we speak to Dr Mark Hart and Craig Livingstone from the SIMBA team to find out more about the instrument and why SIMBA will be going to the International Snow Science Workshop in Oregon, USA.
The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research institute 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.
CSI Cetaceans: Investigating whale strandings
SAMS Ocean Explorer
03/04/24 • 39 min
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 institute 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.
The Nick Owens interview (part one): generational change and climate change
SAMS Ocean Explorer
06/08/24 • 30 min
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 institute 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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FAQ
How many episodes does SAMS Ocean Explorer have?
SAMS Ocean Explorer currently has 11 episodes available.
What topics does SAMS Ocean Explorer cover?
The podcast is about Life Sciences, Earth Sciences, Podcasts and Science.
What is the most popular episode on SAMS Ocean Explorer?
The episode title 'Underwater sounds' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on SAMS Ocean Explorer?
The average episode length on SAMS Ocean Explorer is 36 minutes.
How often are episodes of SAMS Ocean Explorer released?
Episodes of SAMS Ocean Explorer are typically released every 54 days, 5 hours.
When was the first episode of SAMS Ocean Explorer?
The first episode of SAMS Ocean Explorer was released on Jun 1, 2023.
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