Ocean Pancake Podcast

Why are giant kelp forests so important to our ecosystems? What can we do to help protect them? Dr Scott Bennett shares his insights as one of the founders of the Great Southern Reef foundation and a Marine Scientist at the University of Tasmania.

Did you know we live in Kelp country? That you can eat all kelp? That Giant Kelp is the home to thousands of species yet 95% of the Giant Kelp Forests have gone missing in Tasmania. In this mini series featuring Tasmania's Giant Kelp, Dr Aaron Eger shares a snippet of his knowledge. We also now have a Youtube Channel!

Great White Sharks have gripped the pop culture mindset since the release of JAWS. Now they're the most feared and revered apex predators in our ocean. Doctor Heather Bowlby has been studying Great White Shark life cycles, mortality, and populations in Canada for the past several years. What is a Great White Shark Lifeline? What are the Mortality rates? How do we study Great White Sharks? Why are they crucial to our ocean ecosystems.

Growing coral from fragments to mature corals that are reproductively viable is one of the core missions of Reef Restoration Foundation. How do they choose what corals they will grow in their nurseries? How do they know where to outplant them? How can people join in and contribute? Ryan, the CEO of Reef Restoration Foundation joins us for a special episode to discuss the first-ever coral spawning on the Great Barrier Reef from corals that have been grown and outplanted by Reef Restoration Foundation. Building resilience on our reefs to protect them from future bleaching events is one of the key goals of RFF.

What makes someone passionate about removing plastic from our production chains? Is it possible to create sustainable alternatives to plastic? Why is plastic so ubiquitous in our world? How do different countries deal with plastic? Are we really recycling it? These are just some of the many questions Katt from Ocean Pancake and Tom from Honest Ocean discuss in todays episode. The Ocean Plastic Recovery has a long way to go, but Honest Oceans is dedicated in creating a cyclical industry with more transparency in consumer products. Removing Ocean Plastic from the sea is really hard, and Tom explains all the costs and steps to cleaning up our seas.

How is scientific illustration different from creative art? What animal in the ocean is the most inspirational for artists? How to become a scientific illustrator with Janavi Kramer? How does someone become an ocean storyteller? How does art help up protect our oceans?

Why are coral reefs so crucial to the health of our planet? How does coral restoration help remote communities? What are the problems facing our reefs? What is being done to protect and bring back healthy reefs? In this episode of Ocean Pancake Podcast, Patricia Zwolinski is a Master's student and an eager ocean conservationist chats about all things coral reefs in the Philippines and Florida. Patricia believes in education and collaborating between different individuals to strengthen our understanding and connection with the ocean. Learn all about NGOs and how outreach can help our world's marine systems.

How does Tiktok help with marine conservation? How can creating connections with our audience help bring people to scuba diving? How does someone get involved in Aquarium aquaculture? Are Aquariums a positive thing for conservation? How Olivia from Fully Submerged joins the Ocean Pancake Podcast to share her experience as an Aquarium Safety Diver and a Staff Instructor. Katt and Olivia chat about all things instructor life, what it's like quitting the dive industry and scuba diving for fun.

How do polar regions impact our climate? What microorganisms are hiding beneath the surface? How come polar tourism has increased so much in the past few years? and What jobs can you do to help our planet that are not science? Emily Chen joins us today taking a break from her PHD work at the Ocean Institute in Poland to discuss her passions for mixing social and hard sciences. She is an advocate for collaborative thinking in face of the wicked problems of marine conservation and climate change. She shares her experience on her academic journey, the fascinating project she is working on and some insights into polar science.

How does freediving contribute to conservation? How does community work together to boost sustainability? How does tickling seagrass help replant seagrass meadows? Tania Douthwaite from Blueback Freediver and Yoga, Ozfish Seeds for Seagrass and the Fremantle Film festival joins us on Ocean Pancake to share her knowledge and wisdom about how the community is key to building sustainable marine systems.

How much waste do we really create? Can we live in modern society in a concious manner? How do we tackle consumerism and climate grief? Laura in Waterland used to be a shoppaholic. Could you believe that? I hardly could. After some soul searching and research, she transformed her view of materialism to become a concious consumer. Now she is a driver of change and an ocean activist that reminds us every day, that little things when combined can make a difference. In this episode, we catch up with Laura (she was on episode 8) and what she has been working on for the past few years.

Do you love walking and talking about Science? Scott Chavi took the quarantine situation in the UK and turned it into a country wide Non for Profit. The Plover Rovers is an organization that has scientists and science students walk the coast of the United Kingdom to raise awareness and community knowledge about our coasts/ With the four prong approach, Plover Rovers focus on Heritage and Storytelling, Science Communication, Art and Emotion, in addition to activism. Learn how you can get involved and use the collaboration between individuals to protect our coasts.

Women Mind the Water is an organisation to high light the stories of women and the ocean. Pam Ferris used her many skills and connections to build a community of ocean loving women to promote our seas. Through stories, art, and collaboration Pam highlights the amazing work female ocean activists do in their own communities to share the love for the ocean. With designs featuring famous sea animals, Women Mind the Water is a podcast and place to bring people with the same mission together.

Why is seagrass crucial for our planets natural carbon cycle? How do we protect the biodiversity of seagrass? How is seagrass affected by fertilizer? What can we do to help protect our coastal environments? In todays episode with Mark Parry who is the Development Officer at the Ocean Conservation Trust, we chat about all things seagrass. This has been one of the head projects that focuses on education, conservation, and collaboration. Seagrass has recently gained some notoriety and is finally getting the attention it deserves. While it may not be as topical or well known within conservation as Coral Reefs, the Ocean Conservation trust has worked with scientists and divers to create citizen science projects and improve our knowledge and understanding of the sea.

This podcast is a repost from the Youtube channel Ocean Pancake. I wanted to share my thoughts on the recent documentary named Seaspiracy that has been making waves since it has appeared on Netflix. Did the documentary accurately present facts? Did it put blame on the correct parties? Did it provide achievable solutions to the problems facing our oceans? This podcast is the problem with Seaspiracy from an ocean activist. As a conclusion the problem is it's very nuanced and cannot be solved by one solution. We should all start by not eating fish and continue to vote for the future we want to live in.

How do you find work in ocean conservation? Are there internships and job opportunities available? How should people get involved if they want to help the sea? These are just some of the topics we cover with Abbey Hine from Wise Oceans. This incredible woman has built a business in ocean conservation and has dedicated the past 10 years of her life to help others do the same. With her projects spanning the world and encompassing education, coral plantations, and science communication her work is exactly what we need more of. Even in a Covid world, there are still chances for you to get involved and learn from people like her.

Janina is a self-proclaimed activist that has turned her passion for art into action for the ocean. Do you love reading ocean-inspired books to your children? Or admiring mesmerizing fine art? Because Janina Rossiter's journey includes self-published books for children, working together with schools, and spreading the plight of our oceans through social media. Her Instagram is a snapshot of the beauty she creates and her love for the ocean is palpable through her drawings.

Have you considered your carbon footprint? We may look at our driving habits, our food consumption, our plastic use, or purchasing history. However, why is it that so many of us refuse to look at the footprint caused by our travel? Earthwandress decided to ask herself that question, and now lives what she preaches. For the past several years any travel she has undertaken, she has organized by land. Buses, trains, bikes, and abstaining from overseas holidays is how she achieved this. Today we talk about what brought her to this decision, how she does travel, and how else she minimises her carbon footprint. This is an absolute must listen to episode!

Did you know that improving herbivore numbers on reefs can significantly boost coral reef health? Horse shoe crabs are one of these key species, and they can boost coral growth 3 to 5 times! Samantha Glover takes us through her research and experience with Coral Reefs and Fisheries. In this weeks episode we chat about all things fisheries laws, conservation strategies, and breeding horse shoe crabs!

Brenda Cox has been running humpback whale swims for over 14 years in the pristine waters of Vava'u Tonga. In that time she has taken part in creating marine protected areas, gathering data on humpback whale numbers, and giving thousands the joy of experiencing whale encounters. Unfortunately, social media and the rise of selfies has put humpback whales in danger. The large amounts of boats and inappropriate behaviours in the water has caused a decrease in residential whales and altered migratory patterns for mothers and their calves. In this podcast we discuss proper humpback whale interaction etiquette, when things began to change, and how Covid-19 is playing a role.

How was the Covid-19 pandemic affected dive businesses? Should people still get certified online? Why is youtube such a great tool for divers? What can people do to help dive tourism thrive? Is it a good time to become a diving instructor? These some of the questions Ocean Pancake's host Katt Andryskova discusses with Azul Unlimited's Sarah Miller. Azul Unlimited is a brand, community, and dive store based in the beautiful Komodo National Park in Indonesia. Sarah shares how she transformed her passion for the ocean to a thriving dive shop, and how covid quarantines and laws have put the country at a standstill. What is diving without tourism? What kind of future can we expect? In this uncertain time, all we know is that we need to keep positive and working together for our oceans and people.

What can we do to slow the degredation of coral reefs systems? How can we get more people involved in coral restoration? Why is planting trees so easy, while planting coral so difficult? When did coral bleaching become massive issue for our oceans? How is animal agriculture connected to coral reefs? and What does climate change mean for our oceans? These are just some of the topics we dive into with Joylon from Counting Coral. Jolyon Collier is an artist, philanthropist, ocean conservationist, and founder of the non-profit Counting Coral. Merging art, engineering and a passion for reef restoration. Together with Katt Andryskova, they go on many tangents about our oceans, reef, Jacques Cousteau, vegetariasm, and more!

Why does the covid-19 vaccine require shark squalene? Can this ingredient be made out of plants? What is the goal of Shark Allies? Where did the 5,000 shark killed number come from? and How can people protect sharks? These are just some of the topics we disucss with Stefanie Brendl who is a shark advocate and the executive director of NGO Shark Allies. Through her many years of experience in the field, she shares her love of sharks through various campaigns, dedicated individuals, and fantastic imagery. Learn all about the shark fin trade, covid vaccinations, and sharks here!

What makes sunscreen reef safe? Why are some chemicals damaging coral reefs? How to spot Reef Safe Sunscreen? Are the lables on sunscreen accurate? These questions are just some of the topics we get into with Tom Hiney who is half of the duo behind Sunbutter Skincare. Tom and Sacha founded Sunbutter after finding there was no plastic-free and reef-safe sunscreen in Australia. Due to increasing demand to protect our reefs, these ocean lovers worked tirelessly to create a product to protect our skin and our reefs. Join Katt Andryskova on Ocean Pancake to learn more about chemicals in our oceans, how to best protect our skin and the difference between chemical and physical sunscreen.

Why are many large projects abandoned? Why has recycling not taken hold in the Bahamas? Why is so much plastic still entering our ocean? Is recycling a viable solution? Katt Andryskova chats to Ryan Hollinrake, the founder of Great Sea Project to answer those questions and more! The GSPs mission is to eliminate the influx of ocean plastic by providing a sustainable solution for communities that don't have a recycling program.They provide ways to use recovered plastics as a commodity, rather than contributing to landfills. Ultimately, this will change the way plastic is consumed, produced and the impact it has on the environment.

With the three Humpback Whale related injuries having occured in the past couple of weeks, the Ocean Pancake Podcast thought to speak to an expert bout why this is happening and how it could be prevented. Katt Andryskova is joined by Dr Kate Sprogis to discuss Humpback Whale interactions, the swimming with Humpback Whale reccomendations created by scientists, and what makes Ningaloo Reef at Exmouth Unique. Several Humpback Mother and swimmer incidents have occured leaving at least two women airlifted to the hospital in Perth with injuries sustained in the water. In this podcast you will learn how this is not an isolated incident, if Humpback Whales are truly gentle giants, and how we should be taking care of our Humpback Whales.

Have you heard that countless countries use or used dynamite for fishing? This destroys the ecosystems and environments around. Learn about how Coral Guardians are working to restore the natural environment. Their mission is to use innovative marine conservation methods to restore coral ecosystems. The importance of the shallow water environments are an economic resource for one-eighth of the world’s population. The current predictions say that coral reefs will have disappeared by 2050.

Did you know green sea aturtles are the only species of turtle that begin their life as omnivores and then transition to a herbivorous diet? Learn about how climate change is impacting turtle populations? Why are turtles endangered in Malaysia? Why did the leatherback turtles go locally extinct there? What are organisations doing to protect sea turtles? Learn all these things and more with Melisa Chan from the Perhentian Turtle Project Conservation.

Did you know already 4 humpback whales have been caught in the shark nets on the Gold Coast this season alone? Shark nets are killing marine life year round, and there has been no proof that they make the beaches any safer. Join Jonathan Clark from Sea Shepherd's Apex Harmony Campaign to talk about no lethal technologies to deter sharks, why Humpback Whales get caught in shark nets, what the population can do to protect our oceans, and what happened with the Tinny Man! Django is a hero who risked his life to free an entangled whale. This could have resulted in his death along with other rescuers who work in a job that should not exist. Listen to now to bring Queensland Australia to a better and more Ocean Friendly Future.

Are scuba divers destructive on the reef? How can you be an eco concious diver? How can you learn to identify fish? Can diving help educate people to protect our oceans? Katt Andryskova is joined by the incredible Caitlin McCall from Eco Concious Diver podcast to talk all things sustainability and diving. Dive into this weeks episode to learn how you can better protect our oceans, and our blue planet!

Humpback Whales are the face of successful conservation. Why is that? What changed people's minds from killing whales to protecting them? How did people learn about humpback whales intelligence? How do Humpbacks communicate, mate, and give birth? and what can filming these incredible creatures teach us about the beautiful underwater world? Chris Cilfone from Koloha Film project joins us to chat about all things humpback whales and takes us on an adventure learning about these magnificent creatures.

Join the host Katt in chatting about 30 ways to help our oceans this June! It was World Ocean Day, and in my opinion, it should be ocean day every day. So here are 30 tips on how to change your life in minute ways to help protect our beautiful blue planet! Just a mini bonus episode, and back to normal episodes next week!

What is the future of the Mediterranean? How does the pressure from tourists impact the sea? Is there time to turn things around? What does marine biology truly look like? With our oceans facing agricultural run off, a wave of marine debris, invasive species, and destructions of habitats a way forward is through science. Manuel from the small marine conservation NGO works with individuals to make science data collection cheaper and easier. Join Katt in the discussion of the current state of the Mediterranean, what projects Project Manaia has helped pioneer, and what life on a boat looks like. We chat about coral restoration in Myanmar, how seagrass seeds every seven years, and how the Mediterranean has become the 6th plastic gyre.

Sea Turtles live long, and rather secretive lives. Hear about these beautiful creatures from Becky, who spend several summers working with nesting turtles on the beaches of Greece. How do turtles find their way back to beaches? Where do they disapear after scurrying down the sand? How do they find the perfect spot to nest? How does tourism and humans impact sea turtle populations? Join two turtle lovers to learn about the magnificent lives of leatherback sea turtles and how climate change might change the landscape of turtles forever. @a.couple.of.conservationists

Did you know that farmed fish is still fed wild caught fish? This means your carbon footprint of consuming fish may be larger than you imagined. We chat to Rachel Mulrenan from Changing Markets about their report 'Caught Out : How UK retailers are tackling the use of wild fish in their aquaculture supply chains'. We discuss what supermarket chains do to push farmed sea food, how transparent they are with supply chains, and the economical, environmental, and social impacts of wild fishing.

Did you know about the longest running marine cull spanning from 1937 to now along the East Coast of Australia? It has been targetted to kill sharks, but not any sharks, 19 target species. Holly Richmond, Marine Biologist, and Adre Borell join forces to create the Envoy Cull film to shed some light on this event. Andre Borell is the Creative Director, while Holly Richmond is one of the faces of shark protection. She has her own documentary The Shark Net Film. In this episode we talk about shark nets, drum lines, why protecting sharks is vital, how fish and shark numbers relate, and what people are doing to protect our oceans. We also touch upon commercial fishing and recreational fishing, the side effects of baiting hooks, and how small caught sharks may actually attract larger sharks.

Did you know Killer Whale Males are Mamas Boys? That most killer whales stay with their families their entire lives? Killer Whales have evolved to occupy just about every ocean on our planet, and have adapted to a wide variety of prey. Learn from the Biologist and PhD candidate Michael Weiss all about their social structures, communications, and place in the ocean. These creatures have found a way to thrive in our oceans, and have like humans, managed to change the ocean environment. How have some pods evolved to hunt Great White Sharks and only eat their livers? Why do others beach themselves to get seals? Who teaches them to do this? Some Killer Whales have gotten into gang wars, while others have been living in captivity for over 40 years. Hear an expert talk about the awe-inspiring world of these intelligent creatures.

Everywhere we look, we seen the buzz words of 'green', 'sustainable', and 'eco'. However what does that really mean? How come the media has only now began picking up on the plastic issue? Join Tim Silverwood who has worked in the conservation space for over 10 years to learn about his experience. Co Founder of Take Three For the Sea, now he has started Australia's first ocean investing start up. Ocean Impact Organisation helps people start, grow and invest in businesses that positively impact the ocean. We cannot ignore the importance of money and business in the world, so we have to find how to combine the two for a positive future.

How is the current situation impacting the Great Barrier Reef? Tourism operators have stopped which means, there are less people on the reef polluting, but also no people contributing to the preservation of the underwater environments. Join Pablo and I in discussing the current situation on the Great Barrier Reef. Pablo is a Master Reef Guide, marine biologist, and underwater videographer! Hear how you can protect our reefs and oceans no matter where you are!

How is the Covid-19 Pandemic impacting our environment? Is the decreasaed amount of travel reducing carbon emissions? Will governments still care about climate change when facing a pandemic? What should our priorities be right now. These are just some of the questions Katt Andryskova discuss on this weeks special quarantine style podcast. This toned down version of Ocean Pancake looks at the various perspectives of how quarantine is impacting our world and what that may mean for the future for environmentalism and conservation work. We hope you are all safe and staying inside!

How is this current COVID-19 crisis impacting marine biology research? How is the scientific community dealing with quarantine? What are marine scientists doing at home? Can they still go out diving? I am joined my Maria from Sea&Me to chat about all things marine science, communication, and the coronavirus. Join us from Quarantine and learn about the Co-Ocean challenge, what you can do, and how this may be a good time for all of us to refocus.

Have you ever wondered how much waste is generated by your favourite movie or tv show? The truth is astounding and terrifying. Between the mountains of single use plastics used at the craft table, disposable props and constumes, convenience driven attitudes, and taylored set design, a movie can create anywhere near 225 tons of trash. This is why Emily Gallagher and Austin Elston decided to transition their production company Fishtown films into a sustaianable, responsible, and zero waste film production company. They share how they have saved money and improved relation ships on set with a little forethought and planning. Could this be the future of all film production?

Has hunting lionfish helped keep the populations down? Are they really a delicacy that can be found across the United States? What would you think if I told you you could get a robot to hunt down your lionfish? With the combination of laying an extraordinary amount of eggs once they reach sexual maturity, their venomous spines that deter certain predators, and the fact that hardly any predators identify them as prey has all combined to see these beautiful, but destructive fish take over the ecosystem. Ocean Pancake sat down with Taylor Tucker to talk about the work being done to handle these lionfish.

Is working in animal conservation always on the front lines? Do you get the opportunity to work with animals? Are university degrees neccessary to get work in this field? What are the biggest sacrifices you have to make for animal conservation? Working in animal conservation isn't always what you imagine, at the front lines like Jane Goodall. With Biologist and earth warrior Sarah Ghys we discuss her journey of working with animals all over the world and how people can achieve similar jobs. She has worked with everything from cheetahs to sea turtles. Join us today to learn what it will take if you want to create positive change for animals on our planet. Thank you to Graham Moes for the Music.

Can we still eat fish and consider ourselves environmentalists? If we do want to protect the oceans, should we be eating wild or farmed fish? How do fisheries manage to get out into the high seas to fish the target species? And what measures have governments taken to protect our seas. These and more questions are just some of the things we touch upon with Rebecca Daniels from Marine Diaries. In this episode of Oceans Today, you will learn about the dangers of farmed fishing, what methods are the most sustainable, and what you can do as a consumer to protect our oceans. As always, we learn about by catch, laws, target species, and the impacts on our planet as a whole.

Coral Gardeners Taiano. A kid of the ocean who now works to protect our coral reefs, Taiano from Coral gardeners joins us to talk about his experience in French Polynesia. This is where Coral Gardeners were created, the group of young and passionate people using the power of social media to spread the plight of our oceans. Why has social media been so helpful in protecting coral reefs? How can people from all over the world help? How does replanting coral help coral reefs? Are just some of the topics we covered.

The Oceans Today are being fished with greater ferocity and better technology than ever before. 90% of fishing stocks are exploited, and the future prediction of the health of our oceans are shaky. Joined by Rebecca Daniel from Marine Diaries, we discuss all things fishing. Should we be eating fish? Is there a way to eat fish sustainably? What are the current methods of fishing? and What do these truly look like? We talk about trawlers ripping along the ocean floors, about the dangers of targeting large predatory fish, and somehow end up on a long tangent about the intelligence of octopus. So if you want to learn about how your diet is impacting our ocean's health or simply about how an octopus escaped from an aquarium. Check out this weeks episode.

Where do you get your seafood from? Do you opt for wild caught? Farmed seafood? Az from Back2Basics Adventures has another approach to seafood : hunting and gathering. The Reefs around Australia are teeming with life, and show how rich and diverse our oceans are. In this episode we discuss how important it is to view the oceans as a friend, how interconnected our seas are, how plastic affects communities all around the world, and how Australia works to protects this coasts. Az gives us insight into free diving, how he got into spearfishing, why spear fishing is the most sustainable form of fishing, and what the catch and marine limits mean.

Is cleaning our oceans the solutions to the plastic crisis? Does cleaning the great pacific garbage patch make a difference? Or all the companies which do beach cleans? Maria from SeaandMe discuss what steps need to be taken to stem the tide of plastic and we touch upon governments, companies, plastic tax, and more! We discuss the biggest polluters, which countries create the largest percentage of trash, and if it's really up to us as individuals to make a change.

We all know about the shark fin trade killing millions of sharks, however, did you know the problem extends past the fins? Many countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia all catch and serve sharks in restaurants and fish and chips shop. WhySharksMatter 's David Shiffman joins the conversation on Ocean Pancake about the importance of protecting sharks, the biggest issues facing sharks, what shark culls are doing, and why protecting sharks will protect the oceans.

Why is protecting marine species so difficult? We speak to Rachel Miller PhD about how science transitions to policies in Australia. Why is protecting a certain area not enough? Why are migratory species so vital to the environment? And what does protecting a species really mean, one death? No deaths? Hear from someone who has spent years working with the ocean, and promoting the conservation of marine species.