A special episode on Britain's amazing seahorses with the fascinating Neil Garrick-Maidment founder of The Seahorse Trust. Neil talks us through the life cycle including the history, complex behaviours, incredible anatomy, threats to their future and what we can do to help protect these incredible marine animals.   

For more information see www.theseahorsetrust.org
To adopt a seahorse www.mcsuk.org/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=98

Britain's seahorses with Neil Garrick-Maidment founder of The Seahorse Trust

Seaweeds Uncovered - In this episode I talk to Professor Juliet Brodie from the Natural History Museum about some of the fascinating facts to do with the different species of seaweeds found in the British Isles and the critical role they play in the marine environment. From giant kelp to how seaweeds protect themselves from the sun, we uncover what you can't always see from the strand line.

To find out more about the Big Seaweed Search and how you can get involved visit www.thebigseaweedsearch.org

Seaweeds uncovered with Professor Juliet Brodie from the Natural History Museum

Ever wondered which sharks live in UK waters? This months episode is all about just that. Talking to Cat Gordon, Conservation Officer with The Shark Trust, we discuss everything from resident species of sharks, skates and rays and those that are seasonal or vagrants, to what they eat, how they reproduce, code of conduct for when you are in the water with sharks and what are the biggest threats to shark populations and much, much more. 

To find out more about The Shark Trust see their website at www.sharktrust.org 

Happy listening and eggcase hunting! If you find any mermaids purses, head to www.eggcase.org or download the app on iPhone or Android. You'll find useful ID materials and a recording form to upload your finds!

UK sharks with Cat Gordon from The Shark Trust

Have you ever seen a Risso's dolphin here in UK waters?  In this episode I talk with marine biologists Pine Eisfeld-Pierantonio and Nicola Hodgins about their research on Risso's spotted near Bardsey Island and off the Isle of Lewis in the outer Hebrides. Despite a few technical hitches... a massive thank you to Pine and Nicola for bearing with me on that, we discuss everything from their methods of communicating, feeding techniques, social behaviours, what we still don't know about the species, the challenges they are facing and how we can help. 

For more information on the WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conversation, see their website at www.whales.org I would also really recommend watching the Dolphin Dating Game on YouTube with Nicola, for more about the incredible Risso's hybrid research and what that might mean for the species.

If you are interested in taking action and setting up an urban beach clean in your area see www.notwhalefood.com I also ran out of time to ask about their brilliant Stop Whaling campaign(I was given the t-shirt for my birthday last year) see www.uk.whales.org/our-4-goals/stop-whaling/ to find out how you can help!

If you have any cetaceans stories that you would like to share, please get in touch on Instagram @sea_tales_ Happy listening!

Risso's dolphins with Pine Eisfeld-Pierantonio and Nicola Hodgins from the WDC

Hello and welcome to the Sea Tales podcast. This series is all about exploring the marine environment around the UK.

Sea Tales is a monthly podcast talking to people with a passion for the sea and how to protect it, including scientists and researchers, sea adventurers, marine conservationists, volunteers, fisheries, rescue teams, youth groups, aquaculture specialists, campaigners, policy officers, writers and anyone and everyone with a sea story to tell.

I set up Sea Tales(I'm Amy doing the interviewing) because I love podcasts and the sea and wanted to find out more about life under the waves here in Britain. I listen to a lot of marine podcasts from other countries but couldn't find many about the UK and there is so much going on here, from ocra populations to leatherback turtles, cold water corals, long running plankton studies, sea mining, tiny sea lemons and seal colonies. I only know a faction of what is out there so Sea Tales was started to find out more. 

I have been a Sea Champion with the Marine Conservation Society www.mcsuk.org for many years and learnt so much from them and would like to say a massive thank you for all their help in getting Sea Tales started. 

Now it’s time to sit back and imagine you are a seal, dolphin, fish or sea slug, swimming around the coast from Orkney to Lundy, The Irish Sea, to the Yorkshire Coast and Cornwall and everywhere in between,  talking about all the things you have seen. This is what I hope this podcast will be like. Hope you enjoy them!

Sea Tales

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