Ocean Protect Podcast

Associate Professor Mathieu Pernice is Deputy Director of the Climate Change Cluster at the University of Technology Sydney, where he also co-leads two research teams in Algal Biotechnology and Seagrass. He is an expert in climate change and sustainability, and has over 15 years of experience in technology transfer from University to Industry more particularly in Environmental Impact assessment, Aquaculture, Food and Biotechno...

Murray Powell is "Mr Stormwater" - with over 30 years experience in protecting our oceans and waterways from stormwater pollution. Murray is Managing Director of Optimal Stormwater, Vice President of Stormwater NSW - and brings an enormous amount of passion and experience (and a very yellow jacket) to the stormwater industry and beyond. In this chat, we get Murray's insights on stormwater pollution, gross pollutant traps, wetland...

Carolin Bapp is a scientist and recently completed her Masters Research from the University of Vienna. Carolin co-authored the study published this month in the Chemosphere Journal, which showed that microplastics can persist through cell division and may contribute to cancer spread. In this chat, we talk about the study methodology, results and implications. We also chat about Carolin's recent experience on a remote beach clean up...

Dr Andrew Thomas is Executive Officer at Cooks River Alliance and President of Stormwater New South Wales. The Cooks River is a 23-kilometre long (14 mile) urban waterway located in south-eastern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia - and, since at least 1997, councils and community groups along the river and across the catchment have worked together to improve the health of the river. In this chat, we discuss the key challenges...

Hannah Tait is the CEO and founder of Action for Dolpins, a charity that advocates for the protection of dolphins and challenge practices that cause them harm, working to change laws, educate the public, and promote institutional changes that lead to safer, healthier lives for dolphins. In this chat, Hannah talks about how the organisation started and key campaigns.

Useful links:

• Hannah on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.co...

Season 6 of the Ocean Protect Podcast kicks off with a fascinating chat with Dr @Matt Landos, Director at Future Fisheries Veterinary Service. In this chat, Matt discusses the chemical cocktail in our waterways and water resources and where it’s coming from - and what we need to do to save our oceans, waterways and ourselves.   

Useful links:

• Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-landos-5...

Ocean Protect's very own Harout Tcherkezian joins Brad for the Season 5 finale. Harout has been with Ocean Protect for over twelve years, and overseas our operations in New South Wales, Australia. We chat about Harout's journey to date with Ocean Protect, the challenges of the job, and his ambition for his kids to think he's a legend.

Harout on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harout-tcherkezian-44636a1a/

For furthe...

Jeff Hansen is the Managing Director of Sea Shepherd Australia and a Global Director of Sea Shepherd. We talk about the key campaigns of Sea Shepherd - illegal fishing, ocean plastic and climate change - current direct actions, future plans, successes, and the challenges associated with protecting the most spectacular show on earth - nature.

Useful links:

• https://www.seashepherd.org.au/
• Jeff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.c...

Sean Quilty is a Chartered Civil Engineer with 18 years’ experience in residential and industrial subdivisions, health precincts, educational precincts, waste management facilities, municipality works, major infrastructure upgrades, roadworks, road remediation, and master planning feasibility. He is Associate Principal at ADG Engineers and Associate Lecturer at Tafe Queensland, and has a passion for inspiring the next generation of...

Peter Hammarstedt is Global Director of Sea Shepherd campaigns and Chairman of the Australian Board. Peter has captained Sea Shepherd's MY Bob Barker for 11 years and is now Captaining their new vessel, the Allan Kay. In this amazing chat, Peter shares some of his insights from over 20 years of navigating the globe, confronting illegal whaling, sealing and destructive fishing.

Useful links:

• Sea Shepherd's leadership team: ...

Mark Pages is a specialist in the field of micro-algae and other plant based ingredients, and founder of Phytality - a company specialising in the manufacture and supply of unique marine micro-algae and vegan omega-3 product solutions. In this chat, we discuss the sea 'food' and aquaculture industry, the importance and potential sources of Omega 3, and the benefits of the microscopic plant-like organisms called phytoplankton.

U...

Jonas Larsen is an Environmental Scientist and Water Sensitive Urban Design Technical Officer at Logan City Council. In this chat, we talk about Jonas's incredible journey from a vision impaired child to a passion for protecting the environment he came to eventually see - working in a various roles in environmental, soil, and contaminated land and water industries, and applying his learnings to the water sensitive urban design spac...

Dr Paul Harvey is an environmental chemist and scientist, science communicator, speaker and author of The Plasticology Project book, which is a broad, comprehensive analysis of global plastic pollution – how it spreads, the damage it causes, and the risk it poses to our health and wellbeing. In this chat, we talk about all those things and more, and what we can (and ultimately must ) do to 'turn the tide' on plastic pollution.

Dr Damian Lettoof is a Postdoctoral fellow at CSIRO and loves snakes. Returning for this second Ocean Protect Podcast appearance, we chat about Damian's new research that has found tiger snakes in Perth’s urban wetlands are accumulating high levels of chemical substances from ingesting PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), impacting the venomous reptiles’ overall health. The research, jointly led by Curtin University, Austral...

Erin Remblance is a freelance columnist and co-founder of re(Biz) with a passion for (re)generative and post-growth thinking and strategies. After some 12 years in National Account Management in fast-moving consumer goods companies (e.g. Univilever, Nestle, L’Oreal), bringing 3 kids into the world, and then a few years in carbon reduction and energy efficiency initiatives, she pivoted to learn what we REALLY need to do to better pr...

Shannon Mead is the Founder of and Chief Butt Officer of "No More Butts" - returning for his third appearance on the pod. In this chat, Shannon drops truth bombs about dropped cigarette butts, vaping, and how cigarette filters do more harm than good - along with insights from participating at the 'INC2' (Second Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution) in Paris - where delegates from 180 nations ...

Dr Michelle Blewitt is the Program Director of the Australian Microplastic Assessment Project (AUSMAP) - a bridge between a massive problem and the solutions, designed to document and analyse microplastic pollution in Australian aquatic environments. Michelle joins us on AUSMAP's 5th birthday for a chat in Bondi to discuss rent AUSMAP research findings, what makes a 'spot' 'hot' and recent research documenting the scourge of synthe...

The legendary Grahame Lloyd, Sea Shepherd Australia's Remote Marine Debris Campaigner, is back for his third appearance on the Ocean Protect Podcast. In this chat, we discuss the life and times of doing marine debris clean-ups in some of the most remote parts of Australia, the impact of the debris on indigenous communities in these areas, and drop some truth bombs on how to help solve the plastic pollution crisis.

Useful links:

Dr Denise Hardesty, Senior Research Scientist at CSIRO Environment, returns for her second appearance on the podcast. This time, we catch up in Bondi the day after the Ocean Plastic Action Forum featured in previous episodes. In this chat, we discuss some of the latest research on plastic in our oceans, including new research by Denise and the CSIRO team about how two percent of all commercial fishing gear is being littered in our ...