Seaweed People

This one’s for you if you’re an artist, or a scientist or conservationist wanting to communicate in creative ways, and if you love the deep sea, the Great Barrier Reef and Kate Bush 🪸💎Kirsty Kross is an eco-feminist Australian artist currently based in Oslo, Norway, whose work is about finding ways of connecting diverse groups with issues around the climate crisis, often by embodying a vibrant coral trout. We talk about deep sea mining, mesopotamian deities, which countries are two-tit countries and a seaside collaborative opera performance 📣🪼You can find Kirsty at her website or on Instagram @kirstykrosss. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople.Deep sea mining links & stories touched on in this ep: Greenpeace AU petition to ban deep sea mining ahead of international ISA meeting in July 2025Pacific Blue petition to ban deep sea mining Blue Peril short film New battleground in critical minerals race is on Australia’s doorstepWhat We Know About Deep-Sea Mining — and What We Don’t Analysis of the implications of deep seabed mining for the global biodiversity framework and the sustainable development agenda (WWF report)Immortal jellyfish! National Treasure at Woollahra Gallery, RedleafThe Cult of Atargatis and Transgender PriestessesJack Halberstam on Queer Failure, Silly Archives and the WildThis episode was recorded and produced on Gadigal/Wangal Country. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country.

This one’s for you if you’re into nudibranchs, sea grapes, solar power, butterflies, citizen science and tongues with teeth(!?) 🌱🐛Nicole Mertens is a marine ecologist with a passion for sacoglossans, a science communicator and the Nature Stewards Coordinator with the Victorian National Parks Association. Nicole is passionate about using citizen science as a platform for evidence-based conservation, and helping people connect with their local environment. You can find Nicole and the VNPA team here and on socials @vicnationalparks. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople.Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: Seaslug census Facebook group (Australia)iNaturalist - sacoglossans of Victoria (good pics)Nudibranchs - videos + freaky factsShaun the Sheep internet famous nudiKeep your head: the self-decapitating sea slugs that regrow their bodies – hearts and allSolar-powered sea slugs VNPA ReefWatch citizen science programsThis episode was recorded and produced on Gadigal/Wangal and Larrakia Country. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country.

This one’s for you if you’re interested in how a class action case works, if you wanna hear about seaweed farmers taking on big oil companies or if you’re also a soil person  🌱🪱Freya Mulvey is a senior lawyer and environmental enthusiast who is passionate about implementing better soil and landscape regulation into policy and legal frameworks. She is a 2023 Churchill Fellow and a 2017 recipient of the Australian Lawyers Alliance Civil Justice Award for her work on the Montara Oil Spill. She is also a published author of the book Ground Breaking: Soil Security and Climate Change. We're also making a podcast together! You can find Freya on LinkedIn, subscribe to SOIL on Spotify here, find us on socials @soilpodcast or read more at thesoilpodcast.com. Donate to our Pozible campaign by March 16th or via our website afterwards. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: Indonesian seaweed farmers win class action over one of Australia's largest oil spillsInterview with Greg PhelpsPhil Mulvey, Environmental Earth Sciences InternationalGround Breaking: Soil Security & Climate Change (the book Freya co-authored with Phil Mulvey)SOIL - Pozible campaignSoil on SpotifySeaweed People is completely independent. You can support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople.This episode was recorded and produced on Gadigal/Wangal and Larrakia Country. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country.

This one’s for you if you’re interested in biochar, giant kelp, marine engineering or thinking about seaweed as a solution to a whole lotta problems 🛠️🐟Adam Brancher is a Principle Marine Surveyor and the  Founder of Southern Ocean Carbon, which aims to mitigate the impacts of climate change through responsible seaweed mariculture and bio-mitigation around aquaculture farms. We touch on a few of the exciting projects his team is working on across the world in this episode, such as growing seaweed for bioplastics, offshore mariculture, IMTA and seaweed for food security. You can find Adam and the Southern Ocean Carbon team here or on socials @southernoceancarbon. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople.Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: The Problem with Carbon Credits and Offsets ExplainedForensic carbon accounting with Catriona Herd (SP episode)Opportunities and constraints for biochar technology in Australian agriculture: looking beyond carbon sequestration (research)Kelpy (NSW-based seaweed bioplastic)Nopla - bioplasticsBlue Economy CRCHydrodynamic energy attenuation by seaweed aquacultureDeveloping Production Systems for Offshore Kelp MaricultureA new paper on seaweed explores its potential in nourishing low- and middle-income nationsSome info on IMTA (integrated multi-trophic aquaculture)Nutrition, Nitrogen & circular Systems with Pia Winberg (SP episode)This episode was recorded and produced on Gadigal/Wangal and Palawa Pakana lands. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country.

You’ll love this ep, I just know it 🐋🦅 It’s for you if you like baby seahorses and migrating whales, if you live in a coastal city, if you've heard about wildlife coming back into harbours during lockdowns, or if you want to know what a strong collaboration between Indigenous knowledge-holders and western science looks like. Robert Cooley is a Senior Ranger and leader of the Gamay Rangers, an Indigenous ranger team that cares for country on Gamay, or Botany Bay in Sydney, and on conservation land owned by the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council. Since 2019, the Gamay Rangers team have been regenerating coastal habitats, protecting marine mammals, providing food for vulnerable people during Covid lockdowns and connecting local communities to Sea Country in Australia’s biggest city. You can find Robert and the Gamay Ranger team on socials @gamayrangers. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople.Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land CouncilOperation Crayweed - restoring Sydney’s underwater forests Operation Posidonia - healing old wounds The Sydney Seahorse Project (SIMS/Gamay Rangers)SIMS Aboriginal Youth Ranger Program Wild Sydney Harbour - citizen science project Country Needs People - what are Indigenous Rangers?Indigenous Rangers (NIAA/gov)This episode was recorded and produced on Gadigal/Wangal and Bidjigal lands. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country.

This one’s for you if you’re into craft beer, you like dreaming up side hustles with your mates, you’re a chef wanting to experiment with kelpy umami or if you’re an aspiring seaweed farmer 👩🏽‍🍳🍻Cam Hines and Brent “Bert” Cross are two of the three founders of Southern Seagreens. From backgrounds in craft beer and naval diving, they joined forces with Rob (the third, a scientist) to learn how to farm native kelp at their sea farm down in Flinders, Victoria. They also hunt wakame, one of the world’s most invasive (yet delicious) species, and turning it all into tasty treats. You can find Cam & Bert via the Southern Greens website or socials. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Donate to support the making of this show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople.Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: AU government Invasive pests: Wakame control plan Removing wakame (Parks Victoria)Mountain Goat BeerAegir Divers (Bert’s company)GreenWave - global network of regenerative ocean farmersReviving Tassie’s giant kelp with Mick Baron (SP companion episode about Macrocystis)Seaweed babies & kelp farms with Jo Lane (another companion ep about Ecklonia radiata)An Overview of the Alternative Use of Seaweeds to Produce Safe and Sustainable Bio-Packaging (Lomartire et al., 2022 - research)This episode was recorded and produced on Gadigal/Wangal land and Boon Wurrung/Bunurong land. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country.

You’ll enjoy this episode if you like games, if you’re a scientist looking for creative ways to communicate your research, if you run a music festival, a council or small town and want to know how to talk about climate change with your townsfolk 💥🦞Boho Interactive is a collective of Australian artists, performers and game designers who create interactive games, performances and workshops in collaboration with research scientists. Their games have been played or experienced in theatres, festivals, museums, conferences and boardrooms. One such game is the urchin-lobster battle ‘Best Kelp Secrets’, commissioned by Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO.Joining me today and playing the part of shiny lobster, is one part of this big creative team, Nathan Harrison. You can find Boho Interactive through their website. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Support the show at buymeacoffee.com/seaweedpeople.Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: Best Festival Ever - how to manage a disaster - Boho Interactive gameInvasive sea urchin endangers giant kelp forests - Invasive Species CouncilCSIRO’s work protecting giant kelp Gamifying Government - Best Kelp Secrets commissioned by CSIROPlayful Activism, game mechanics and participation - Coney (UK)Evaluating a community of practice for Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing - Lowitja InstituteMore on Boho’s work creating games with Indigenous communities Get Ready Singleton: Disaster Dash - game created with Singleton CouncilThis episode was recorded and produced on Gadigal/Wangal and Bidjigal land. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country.

This one’s for aspiring seaweed farmers, kelp ladies and anyone who loves a good seaweed yarn. We’re talking seaweed babies, wild harvesting, kelp farming and Ecklonia radiata - the backbone of the Great Southern Reef, also known as common kelp, leather kelp, thorny kelp or golden kelp. Jo Lane has a background in marine science and sustainable coastal environments and is the owner of Sea Health Products, which make small-batch kelp products on the South Coast of NSW. She’s currently working on asparagopsis in South Australia as a research Lead with the Australian Sustainable Seaweed Alliance and, as a quite serious “side hustle”, she’s also developing kelp seedstock with a view to get kelp farming and restoration projects happening in Australia.You can find Jo on LinkedIn. You can find and contact me @seaweed.people. Links to research, projects and stories touched on in this ep: Ecklonia radiata (Atlas of Living Australia)The story of Betty, the original “Kelp Lady”Marine heatwaves and proliferation of sea urchins on Australia’s east coastBiology and Ecology of the Globally Significant Kelp Ecklonia radiata Ecklonia - covers reproductive cycle (Wernberg et al, 2019)Churchill FellowshipGreenWave - global network of regenerative ocean farmersASSA Research to optimise propagation and growth of the red seaweed Asparagopsis Homeward Bound leadership program for women in STEMMThis episode was recorded and produced between Gadigal/Wangal land and Kaurna land. I acknowledge and pay respects to First Nations people and their elders past and present as the ongoing custodians of Sea, Land and Sky Country.