SAMS Ocean Explorer

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

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 year

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 Atla

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

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 effect

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

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 ca

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 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

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 resul

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

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

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 IU

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 fores

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 pres

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 Ow

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 h

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

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

SIMBA: Using technology to predict ice melt, avalanches and floods

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 thick