Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Ocean News Podcast

Coastal communities in New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, have been facing a growing environmental and public-health crisis since December 2025. Thousands of fish and other marine organisms have washed ashore dead, while hundreds of residents – many of them children – have fallen ill. Four months later, authorities have yet to identify the cause.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support relief efforts.

Once fully implemented, the designation will bring the total fully protected area in the region to 946,571km², making it the third largest fully protected marine area in the world, behind the Ross Sea and the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

In this episode, Eva Cahill examines a formal dossier of evidence submitted by Greenpeace International to the International Seabed Authority (ISA).

The evidence alleges that The Metals Company (TMC) has been operating in bad faith, utilising exploration data gathered under international licenses to bypass global frameworks for a unilateral U.S. mining permit.

Scientists have discovered ANCIENT CORALS and fragile deep-sea life on a previously unexplored seamount on Lord Howe Rise, confirming it as a Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem and strengthening calls for a permanent bottom trawling ban.

Listen to the concluding episode of our special mini series on Women in Marine STEM, celebrating International Women's Day on Sunday 8th March. In this episode, Eva Cahill sits down to talk with Dr Elvira De Eyto from the Marine Institute about her 20 year career in the marine science sector.

After Channel 4’s Dirty Business exposed the human toll of sewage pollution, public outrage has surged, with campaigners demanding urgent government action to reform Britain’s privatised water industry.

In 2022, a Russian whale researcher made a startling discovery on Bering Island off Russia’s Pacific coast: a severed killer whale fin marked with the teeth of another killer whale. Two years later, it happened again, just two kilometres from the original find. 

As climate change rewrites the rules of the ocean, one of the most iconic species on the US West Coast is facing a new and deadly challenge.

In this episode of the Ocean News Podcast, we dive into groundbreaking research recently published in PLOS Climate that explains why humpback whale entanglements are surging, even as their populations recover.

In this episode of the Ocean News Podcast, editorial assistant Eva Cahill sits down with PhD researcher Marianne Glascot for the second instalment of our Women in STEM series.

With a background in organisational development and a previous career at HSBC, Marianne brings a unique, late-career perspective to academia. She shares her journey from environmental physics to a PhD at the University of Sussex, offering a candid look at the evolving culture of science today.

For the first time in 180 years, giant tortoises are once again roaming the Galápagos, as 158 were released in Floreana Island this month – which conservationists say will strengthen the island’s land-sea ecosystems.

Sea Shepherd has launched its 2026 Antarctic campaign to document industrial krill fishing near key whale feeding grounds. The mission will gather scientific data, increase public scrutiny and inform international policy amid growing pressure on the Southern Ocean ecosystem.

“I've been asked so many times whether I was the assistant of the researcher. Even after explaining, no, that's me, I've been asked again: are you the assistant?” says George Short, a female Marine ecologist working with the Sussex Wildlife Trust.

Canada has unveiled a sweeping new plan aimed at reducing deadly whale entanglements while safeguarding the future of its coastal fisheries. Earlier this month, Fisheries and Oceans Canada released its Whalesafe Fishing Gear Strategy – a five-year national framework designed to lower the risk of entanglements.

Loggerhead turtles are successfully adapting to warming temperatures by breeding earlier, but depleting ocean productivity is causing a major decline in their reproductive capacity.

Jessica Rowe and Miriam Payne - the aptly named duo behind Seas the Day - have returned to the UK having completed their ocean odyssey - an unsupported and non-stop row across the Pacific Ocean. Hear their tale of inspiration and determination on the Ocean News Podcast.

A parliamentary bill introduced in Aotearoa New Zealand is seeking to fundamentally reshape how whales are protected in law, proposing that cetaceans be recognised as legal persons with inherent rights. It’s a move that could shape our approach to nature rights across the globe.

A UK government consultation wants to secure the "long-term viability" of fish stocks to "protect coastal economies", but environmental groups like Oceana have warned government proposals are INADEQUATE, and have done little to “deliver REAL CHANGE for our seas”

Scientists in Colombia - in partnership with NatGeo Pristine Seas - have documented and photographed some of the ocean's most ancient residents... ctenophores, an ethereal species as old as the ocean and as equally hypnotic.

In this episode, Eva Cahill speaks with Philippe Cousteau Jr., grandson of Jacques Cousteau, about his new mission to move coral restoration from a charitable endeavour to a global commercial success.

As the CEO of VoyaSea ReGen, Philippe explores why the current "one square kilometre" pace of restoration is insufficient and how emerging technologies like 3D printing and AI can rebuild reefs as critical coastal infrastructure at an industrial scale.

 

Photo by EarthEcho International

In this episode, Editorial Assistant Eva Cahill, dives deep into a new study that shows the efficacy of regulations, and calls for new legislation to limit the growing use of new PFAS.

Photography by Vincent Kneefel

 

Supermarket giant, Tesco has suspended salmon supplies from Bakkafrost's Portree farm after footage captured in Skye was released, showing diseased fish being dumped in the sea while live salmon were left to suffocate before being shredded.

In this episode, Eva Cahill takes us to Shoreham Port on Britain's south coast, where a groundbreaking "living sea wall" is transforming artificial structures into thriving marine habitats.

We hear from University of Brighton researcher Isaac Doyle about how textured panels and "vertipools" are boosting biodiversity by creating ecological niches for local species.

In this episode, Oceanographic's Community Editor Rob Hutchins sits for a chat with musician Richard Walters and Blue Marine Foundation's Louise MacCallum to talk all things music, art, conservation and - of course - the voice of Jeremy Irons.

In this episode, Eva Cahill explores the high-stakes mission to collect first-of-its-kind data on a glacier that, if it collapses, could raise global sea levels by 65 centimetres. With thanks to the British Antarctic Survey Team for all additional audio clips in this podcast, to see the full video, head to their website.  

In this episode, we explore the hushed release of a critical report from the UK government that makes clear - in no uncertain terms - that global biodiversity loss is a threat to national and international security around the world.

In this episode, we explore a new scientific report detailing a climate-driven octopus surge off the southwest UK and how, as warming seas facilitate transport across the English Channel, these highly intelligent predators are reshaping local marine ecosystems.

In this episode, Eva Cahill dives into news that campaigners have called recent reports into the Alaskan Pollock Industry into stark question, claiming that their 2025 report failed to account for the fishing industry’s negative environmental impact, while overstating the economic benefits for everyday Alaskans.

     

In this episode of The Ocean News Podcast, Editor Rob Hutchins chats with Valentina Crast, a Danish animal rights activist who has worked for more than a decade on ending the Faroese grindadráp.

In this episode, Editorial Assistant Eva Cahill covers the landmark upcoming expedition led by Professor Andrew Sweetman of the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), set to launch in April 2026. The mission focuses on "dark oxygen" oxygen produced on the seafloor in total darkness, which was first detected in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone; an area now being sized up for deep-sea mining.

 

In this episode, Rob Hutchins explores a new report by Oceana that identifies at least 105 large-scale fishing vessels owned by EU citizens and companies but registered under "flags of convenience".

 

In this episode, Editor Rob Hutchins dives into the news surrounding the long-awaited High Seas Treaty - otherwise known as the BBNJ.

This law establishes a legal framework to protect biodiversity in international waters. NGOs have celebrated it coming into effect. But, is it time to set their sights on turning the legal milestone into concrete action?

 

 

In this episode, Oceanographic Magazine editor, Rob Hutchins, sits down with Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year, Ben Thouard, a french underwater and ocean photographer with a keen focus on capturing the energy and action of ocean adventure found in surfing.

In this episode, Rob Hutchins sits down with Aaron Sanders, who, at just age 25, has been crowned Young Ocean Photographer of the Year.

We sit down with Aaron to talk about the creative process, his journey of capturing life below the surface, and what this award means for his career. Discover how one young photographer is using his lens to inspire global ocean awareness.

Oceanographic Magazine Editor Rob Hutchins sits down with Swiss eco-adventurer Noam Yaron to discuss his most ambitious challenge yet: swimming more than 180km across the Mediterranean, from Corsica to Monaco, without ever leaving the water. As Noam prepares for this record-breaking feat, he shares the physical, mental, and environmental motivations behind the journey that’s captivated audiences worldwide.

In this special edition episode, Editor Rob Hutchins sits down with Clare Brook, CEO of Blue Marine Foundation, to discuss key outcomes from UNOC, the latest marine protected area (MPA) developments in the UK, and the crucial findings from the newly released Blue Finance Gap report.

Editor, Rob Hutchins, sits down with Alexandra Cousteau, ocean advocate and environmental leader, to explore her inspiring legacy and urgent mission to restore the world’s oceans amid escalating ecological threats and global climate challenges.

Editor, Rob Hutchins, dives deep into the concerning findings and growing pressures faced by reef manta rays - a filter feeding species - now at growing risk of ingesting microplastics and suffering the, as yet, not-fully-determined physical consequences.

 

 

Social Media Manager, Ben Hartley, dives deep into a new analytical report from Oceana, showing that more than 100 bottom-trawling vessels appeared to spend over 17,000 hours fishing within France's protected areas, the equivalent to one vessel fishing non-stop, 24-hours-a-day for two years straight.

  Original article by Rob Hutchins

Social Manager, Ben Hartley, dives into new research led by the University of Durham and the University of Bristol, which argues that the suggested target limit of global temperature rises ought to be closer to 1°C if we are to save the world’s ice sheets and prevent a further acceleration in sea level rise.

Editor Rob Hutchins and Social Media Manager Ben Hartley take a seaside stroll along the Solent as they share their thoughts on the newly released Ocean with David Attenborough, offering a fresh review, reflections, and their hottest takes.

Editor Rob Hutchins dives into the 400-year-old mystery of historical documents, eyewitness reports, and centuries-old diary entries all alluding to the 'Milky Seas' phenomenon.

Using modern satellite imagery, Justin Hudson and Steven Miller, researchers at Colorado State University, have compiled the most comprehensive database to better understand ‘milky sea’ events.

 

 

News Editor, Rob Hutchins, chats with Mara Fischer, a PhD student at the University of Exeter and lead author of the study, as they discuss a process known as bioturbation.

News Editor, Rob Hutchins, and report author, Rosie Williams deep dive into today's story to find what was has been infecting dolphins across the UK coastline.

News Editor, Rob Hutchins, interviews PhD student and author Jeremy Day about a new study casting doubt over belief that large predators such as are the primary control species of the long-spined sea urchin - a species mostly responsible for the spread of 'barrens' in New South Wales.

Social Media Manager, Ben Hartley, and Community Editor, Rob Hutchins, dive into the top ocean news stories of the last week.

News Editor, Rob Hutchins interviews leading author and PhD student Zoe Storm to explore the correlations between sharks populations and coral reef health. 

News Editor, Rob Hutchins, investigates a historic 'unusual mortality event' in which 8% of Florida's Indian River Lagoon bottlenose dolphins starved to death.

 

 

 

 

Rob Hutchins, raises fears over the safety of marine life in areas along the south coast of the UK after a study found "worrying" levels of chemicals derived from pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and recreational drugs within the waters at two UK harbours.

 

 

News Editor, Rob Hutchins, deep dives into the world of microplastics. After shockingly high levels have been discovered in the vital organs of both male and female loggerhead sea turtles, with the highest concentrations found in the male reproductive system. It's a discovery scientists say "could spell disaster" for the population.

 

 

News Editor, Rob Hutchins investigates the Sussex Kelp Recovery Project and the introduction of the Sussex Nearshore Trawling Byelaw, as researchers and locals are celebrating the encouraging signs of local marine life and seabed ecosystems now on the mend.