Ocean Protect Podcast

Lautaro Parra is a PADI freediving instructor in Sydney, and returns for his second mind-blowing appearance on the Ocean Protect Podcast. In this chat, Lautaro shares his insights and experiences from when he was a commercial diver on a salmon farm in Chile – to his vocation sharing the incredible underwater wonders around Sydney.  Useful links:Lautaro on Instagram (here)Mother Ocean Freediving on Instagram (here)https://www.envoy.foundation/envoy-shark-cullPrevious podcast episode Lautaro Parra on farming salmon (July 2021, here). For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

Since Daniel Rider’s last appearance on the Ocean Protect podcast in 2022, he has made the swap from Blacktown City Council to Ocean Protect - to become Ocean Protect's Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) Specialist. In this new role, he is currently leading the development of the WSUD Maintenance Compliance Framework to help councils across Australia improve stormwater management. In this chat, we talk about all things to do with the WSUD Maintenance Compliance Framework, such as the benefits to the communities and the environment, what the project is, who has been involved, the challenges councils are facing, and the very important question of whether it is illegal not to maintain WSUD assets. Useful links:Daniel on Linkedin (here)More on the WSUD Maintenance Compliance Framework (here)Ocean Protect webinar “Beneath the surface of the WSUD Maintenance Compliance Framework” (May 2024) (here)Previous podcast episode with Daniel (here)For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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 Biotechnology. In this chat, we chat about the incredible potential for algae, and how science and biotechnology is helping to make this potential a reality. Links:Mathieu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathieu-pernice-775b9aa7/Mathieu at UTS: https://profiles.uts.edu.au/Mathieu.PerniceFabris et al, 2020, Emerging Technologies in Algal Biotechnology: Toward the Establishment of a Sustainable, Algae-Based Bioeconomy, Frontiers in Plant Science, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2020.00279/fullRalph et al, 2023, Save the planet with green industries using algae, PLOS Biology, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36972294/ For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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, wetlands, bioretention and what the stormwater industry is doing well and where improvements are necessary. Links:Murray on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/murray-powell-22139919/Optimal Stormwater: http://www.optimalstormwater.com.au/Stormwater NSW: https://stormwaternsw.asn.au/ For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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 with Sea Shepherd Australia at Mapoon in north-west Queensland.Useful links:Carolin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolin-bapp-2782b11a7Study "Microplastics role in cell migration and distribution during cancer cell division", Published in Chemosphere Journal, April 2024.Study "To Waste or Not to Waste: Questioning Potential Health Risks of Micro- and Nanoplastics with a Focus on Their Ingestion and Potential Carcinogenicity", Published in Exposure & Health Journal, 22 March 2022.To find about more about Ocean Protect and what we do, check out https://oceanprotect.com.au/

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 associated with its protection, the wins achieved so far, and why this matters not just to the environment, but also the health and wellbeing of all us who live and work in the urban jungle.Useful links:Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-andrew-thomas-63567767/Cooks River Alliance: https://cooksriver.org.au/Stormwater New South Wales: https://stormwaternsw.asn.au/"Andrew Thomas on the maintenance of stormwater treatment assets" (Ocean Protect Podcast Season 2, Episode 20, July 2020): https://play.acast.com/s/ocean-protect/andrewthomasonthemaintenanceofstormwatertreatmentassets-part1of2-To find about more about Ocean Protect and what we do, check out https://oceanprotect.com.au/

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.com/in/hannah-tait-74527697/https://www.afd.org.au/To find about more about Ocean Protect and what we do, check out https://oceanprotect.com.au/

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-533a1723/The Guardian article, “The river has been destroyed’: expert says agriculture has overshadowed science in the Murray-Darling Basin: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/21/murray-darling-basin-fishing-degradationPhys.org article, Even very low levels of pesticide exposure can affect fish for generations, study finds: https://phys.org/news/2024-02-pesticide-exposure-affect-fish-generations.htmlIPEN report, Aquatic Pollutants in Oceans and Fisheries: https://ipen.org/documents/aquatic-pollutants-oceans-and-fisheriesIPEN report, The Global Threat from Highly Hazardous Pesticides: https://ipen.org/documents/global-threat-highly-hazardous-pesticidesEndocrine Society & IPEN report, Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Threats to Human Health: https://www.endocrine.org/topics/edc/introduction-to-edcsIPEN article, Single-Use Food Packaging from 17 Countries Contains PFAS “Forever Chemicals: https://ipen.org/news/single-use-food-packaging-17-countries-contains-pfas-%E2%80%9Cforever-chemicals%E2%80%9DIPEN article, PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Found in Outerwear and Clothing Sold Globally: https://ipen.org/news/pfas-%E2%80%9Cforever-chemicals%E2%80%9D-found-outerwear-and-clothing-sold-globallyOECD report, PFASs and alternatives in cosmetics: report on commercial availability and current uses:  https://one.oecd.org/document/ENV/CBC/MONO(2024)4/en/pdf  For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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 further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au