A Plankton Ambassador: How Plankton Shaped Life on Earth

Bioluminescent water that glows brilliantly to the human eye, but nearly disappears on camera. Why is something so spectacular so difficult to film? In this special crossover episode from our sister podcast Green Frequency, environmental filmmaker and researcher Dr. Isabelle Carbonell takes us to Bio Bay in Vieques, Puerto Rico, one of the brightest bioluminescent bays on Earth. Through the science of bioluminescence and the history of underwater cinema, we explore how marine organisms produce light, why cameras struggle to capture it, and what happens when the ocean resists our attempts to make it visible. But there's more to this story than filmmaking. From the colonial history and military contamination of Vieques to questions of environmental justice, perception, and wonder, Dr. Carbonell challenges us to think about what it really means to see, understand, and protect the ocean.

Plastic is everywhere. We know that. But what can we actually do about it? In this episode of Oceanography, host Clark Marchese speaks with Dr. Anja Brandon, Director of Plastics Policy at Ocean Conservancy, to work backwards through the lifecycle of plastic and ask which solutions can actually make a difference.

How do we measure the ocean? Nicolas Pade, executive director of the European Marine Biological Resource Centre, joins Oceanography to explore the technologies making ocean observation possible, from satellites and autonomous floats to biological sensors, imaging and AI. We examine what scientists can already measure, why marine biodiversity remains so difficult to observe, and how individual data points become baselines, models and predictions. Grounded in Blue Tech Europe 2026, the conversation also reveals what it takes to move an idea from the laboratory into an observing system operating at scale.

What does it mean to be queer in oceanography? In this special episode, nine LGBTQ+ scientists and ocean professionals share, in their own words, what it has meant to build lives and careers around the sea. Their work stretches from phytoplankton, deep-sea food webs, marine bioacoustics, and microbial ecology to ocean acidification, coastal pollution, fisheries, and marine protected areas. Across very different lives and disciplines, certain experiences begin to echo.

Not every ocean story gets heard. Ocean science and conservation work happens around the world, but research does not automatically reach the public, policymakers, or even other parts of the ocean community. So what determines which stories break through, and who helps important information travel further? Giacomo Abrusci, founder of Seven Seas Media, joins Oceanography for a conversation about ocean communication, science media, and the people working to connect research with wider audiences. Seven Seas Media has spent more than a decade lowering barriers to participation in ocean conservation, publishing contributors from diverse regions, disciplines, and career stages.