AtlantECO podcast
The AtlantECO podcast is a science popularisation show from the AtlantECO marine science project, which focuses on the Atlantic Ocean. Each episode features a conversation between the host and a guest about different aspects of the project. Episodes are under 30 minutes and are released every two weeks on Wednesdays. The show covers three main types: the science of AtlantECO, the Atlantic Ocean, and broader topics around marine science. AtlantECO is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
Épisodes
55.Ocean biogeographies in the context of climate change
The Vital Role of Plankton in Ocean BiogeochemistrySo, what exactly does Meike’s team study? Their focus is on the global cycling of important elements in the Earth system. Specifically, they models marine ecosystems—particularly plankton ecosystems—working to understand where different plankton species live, what they do, and how they contribute to the cycling of nutrients like nitrogen and carbo
54. Modelling the ocean biogeochemistry
Balancing the Ocean’s Biogeochemistry: Understanding the Science Behind the Ocean’s Role in Climate Change with Marcello VichiIn this episode, we meet Marcello Vichi, a biogeochemist working on understanding the ocean’s role in climate regulation. Marcello explains the science behind biogeochemical processes in the ocean and why such complex systems can be difficult to model and predict. In a worl
53. Ecological networks
In this episode of the AtlantECO podcast, we had the privilege of speaking with Ferenc Jordan, an expert in network analysis, who shared insights into the importance of this methodology in studying the ocean. Although Ferenc hails from Hungary, a landlocked country, his fascination with the sea began in childhood, inspired by the documentaries of David Attenborough and Jacques Cousteau. His journe
52. Artificial intelligence in oceanography
Diving into Ocean Dynamics: A Conversation with Bruno Buongiorno NardelliIn this episode of the AtlantECO podcast, we got the chance to sit down with Bruno Buongiorno Nardelli, a researcher based in Italy, who has spent over two decades studying the impact of ocean dynamics on climate and marine ecosystems. Join us as we unravel the complexities of his work, understand its significance, and
51. Exploring the Potential of the Atlantic Ocean: What is Bioprospecting?
In this episode, we delve into the fascinating world of bioprospecting with Tonje Heggeset and Giang-Son Nguyen from SINTEF, a renowned research organisation in Norway. In conversation with Tonje and Giang-Son, we uncover the essence of bioprospecting, its applications, and its significance within the AtlantECO project. First, we ask… what is bioprospecting? Bioprospecting involves exploring
50. Modelling a constantly moving Ocean
In this episode of the AtlantECO podcast, we explore the journeys and research of early-stage researchers involved in the AtlantECO project. Today, we meet Darshika Manral, a PhD candidate in physical oceanography at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.Darshika’s connection with the ocean came later in her career. She began in Information Technology with a Bachelor’s degree and worked as a softw
49. Ocean cultures in South Africa
In the latest AtlantECO podcast we are exploring the fascinating realm of ocean cultures with our guest, Leila Nefdt from the University of Cape Town in South Africa.Leila brings a wealth of experience in marine biology and a deep commitment to ocean conservation and public engagement. Her journey from marine ecologist to science communicator offers unique insights into bridging the gap between sc
48. Strengthening biodiversity observation in support of decision making
In this episode of the AtlantECO podcast we delve into the Marco Bolo project with guest Nicolas Pade, the project coordinator. Marco Bolo is a research and innovation initiative funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe program. Nicolas shares his personal connection to the ocean, rooted in childhood experiences and a lifelong passion for marine biology.The discussion highlights the need to e
47. Shallow sea mining
In the latest episode of the AtlantECO podcast, we delve into one of our case studies, which aims to apply the knowledge and resources developed in the project to existing challenges in shallow sea diamond mining. Our guest, Natasha Karenyi, sheds light on the considerations necessary for developing and implementing environmental regulations of coastal areas.Natasha, a marine biologist and lecture
46. Mega marine heatwaves in the North Atlantic
In the latest episode of the AtlantECO Podcast, we delve into the critical topic of mega heatwaves in the Atlantic withguest Thomas Frölicher. The conversation covers the causes, consequences, monitoring, and future expectations of theseincreasingly observed phenomena, including the recent heatwave observed in the North Atlantic.Thomas Frölicher, originally from landlocked Switzerland, shares his
45. Navigating the Ocean's Wonders with Mayibongwe Buthelezi
A Journey from Nongoma to the Atlantic Ocean: Mayi, currently in the second year of his Ph.D. at the University of Pretoria, takes us through his remarkable journey. Born and raised in the small village town of Nongoma in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, Mayibongwe's connection with the ocean began unexpectedly during a school trip in grade 10 or 11. Despite being inland, he pursued microbiology, even
44. Exploring plankton biodiversity
In this podcast episode, we are starting a new series looking at the Early Stage Researchers in AtlantECO. Our guest in the first episode of this series is Fabio Benedetti, marine scientist specialising in plankton biodiversity and its role in ecosystem functioning and climate regulation. Fabio, who is based at ETH Zurich, explains that his fascination lies in studying the small creatures in
43. Unleashing the Potential of Citizen Science in AtlantECO: Sail for Science and the Plankton Planet Initiative
In the 43rd episode of the AtlantECO podcast, we chat about citizen science and how we use it in AtlantECO with Anna Oddone, from Plankton Planet. Anna tells us about the Sail for Science initiative, delivered through the Plankton Planet project, which aims to engage citizens in collecting data on the ocean microbiome.In the context of AtlantECO, Sail for Science activities are bein
42. Measuring the health of the Atlantic Ocean
In the 42nd podcast episode, our guest, Serena Zunino, discusses how we measure the health of the ocean. She explains that measuring the health of the ocean means assessing its status and how it deviates from the condition of a healthy ecosystem. A healthy ocean is one where its structure is maintained, ecosystem functions work properly, and the system is stable, resilient, and sustainable. The he
41. The NAUTILOS project
In the 41st episode of the AtlantECO podcast, we discover Nautilos, a Horizon 2020 funded project that aims to fill the gap in marine observations and improve monitoring capacities and resources. The coordinator, Gabriele Pieri explains that the project's main objective is to monitor the oceans' environmental status, spanning from chemical and biological information from deep ocean physics to surf
40. It's a wrap on Mission Microbiomes
In episode 40 of the podcast, we spoke with Romain Troublé, CEO of the Tara Ocean Foundation, about the foundation's mission and Mission Microbiomes, one of our flagship expeditions in AtlantECO, as well as the most recent activities of the Foundation. Mission Microbiomes lasted 22 months, visited 14 countries, and journeyed over 70,000 kilometres. The expedition was challenging, with logistics be
39- Following plastics from land to sea on the Casamance river
In episode 39 of the AtlantECO Podcast, Leïla Meistertzheim, a researcher from Banyuls-sur-Mer with expertise in toxicology and microbiology, who was chief scientist of the last topic study of the Mission Microbiomes Expedition in Senegal, discusses the importance of studying the Casamance River.The goal of that study was to trace the origin of plastic pollution in the ocean, and to understand the
38. Microplastics and microbiome in the Gambia river
In episode 38 of the podcast, Jean-François Ghiglione, marine ecotoxicology researcher from Banyuls-sur-Mer in France, discusses the importance of studying the Gambia River and how it helps to understand the ocean microbiome and ecosystems. Jeff was on board Tara as chief scientist during one of the legs of the Mission Microbiomes expedition whilst studying the Gambia river.There, the focus of the
37. The high seas treaty
Our 37th episode of the podcast is dedicated to the High Seas Treaty, which was the focus of intense discussions during the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) a couple of weeks ago. The treaty deals with high seas, those regions of the ocean which lie outside of national boundaries and for which, up to now, there were essentially no reg
36. Sigi
This is the last episode in our short special series released on the occasion of International Women's Day where women involved in researching or protecting the ocean tell us about their experiences, share their messages for the future and answer questions we have received from the younger generation all around the Atlantic!In this show you will hear from Sieglinde Gruber, senior advisor to the Eu
35. Alienor and Ana
This is the fifth episode in our short special series released on the occasion of International Women's Day where women involved in researching or protecting the ocean tell us about their experiences, share their messages for the future and answer questions we have received from the younger generation all around the Atlantic!In this show you will hear from Alienor Bourdais, operations officer
34. Meike, Lisa and Kogie
This is the fourth episode in our short special series released on the occasion of International Women's Day where women involved in researching or protecting the ocean tell us about their experiences, share their messages for the future and answer questions we have received from the younger generation all around the Atlantic!In this show you will hear from Meike Vogt, Senior researcher at th
33. Emma, Sarah and Sofia
This is the third episode in our short special series released on the occasion of International Women's Day where women involved in researching or protecting the ocean tell us about their experiences, share their messages for the future and answer questions we have received from the younger generation all around the Atlantic!In this show you will hear from Emma Rocke, Junior research fellow at the
32. Flora, Shamwari and Elisa
in this second episode of our short special series released on the occasion of International Women's Day, women involved in researching or protecting the ocean tell us about their experiences, share their messages for the future and answer questions we have received from the younger generation all around the Atlantic!In this show you will hear from Flora Vincent, Group leader at the European Molec
31. Marta, Sandy and Rutuja
This is the first episode in our short special series released on the occasion of International Women's Day where women involved in researching or protecting the ocean tell us about their experiences, share their messages for the future and answer questions we have received from the younger generation all around the Atlantic!In this show you will hear from Marta Musso, illustrator and marine biolo
30. Studying the upwelling and Oxygen Minimum Zone off the coast of Senegal
In episode 30 of the podcast, we are having a conversation with Samuel Chaffron as he shares his experience as chief scientist on board of Tara during one of the legs of Mission Microbiomes, one of AtlantECO’s flagship expeditions. Sam is a researcher from the CNRS, based at the LS2N from the University of Nantes in France, and he was on the boat from Banjul in Gambia to Dakar in Senegal to study
29. Studying the microbiome and its adaptation in highly dynamic structures in the Southern ocean
We are back to discovering another amazing region of the Atlantic as lived and studied by those who embarked on the Tara schooner during Mission Microbiomes, one of AtlantECO’s flagship expeditions. And this time we are talking to Remi Laxenaire, who was chief scientist on board as the crew crossed the Atlantic from Punta Arenas in Chile to Cape Town in South Africa. Remi is a physical oceanograph
28. An integrated assessment of the Atlantic Ocean and its marine ecosystems for a more sustainable future
The ocean is a central component of the earth system which provides many goods and services to humankind and to enable life on earth. The ocean also plays a crucial role in these earth systems, for example in absorbing most of the excess heat and storing CO2 which both come from human activities. It also provides many benefits, like the pleasure of looking at the ocean from a sunny beach, the food
27. Representing Amazonian indigenous people, and being an agent of change
Our 27th episode is the third in our short series where we meet young people from around the Atlantic basin to listen to their messages as All-Atlantic Youth Ambassadors. As we have seen in the previous two episodes, this programme was launched in 2019 under the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance and brings together and empowers young ocean professionals as they promote sustainable development a
26. Understanding the importance of the ocean, taking responsibility and making the next generation heard
Today’s episode is the second in our short series where we meet young people from around the Atlantic basin to listen to their messages as All-Atlantic Youth Ambassadors. This programme was launched in 2019 under the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance and brings together and empowers young ocean professionals as they promote sustainable development and stewardship of the Atlantic Ocean, to give
25. Coming from a place of love: Thando Mazomba, All Atlantic Youth Ambassador from South Africa
Today’s episode is the first of a short series where we meet young people from around the Atlantic basin to listen to their messages as All-Atlantic Youth Ambassadors. This programme was launched in 2019 under the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance and brings together and empowers young ocean professionals as they promote sustainable development and stewardship of the Atlantic Ocean, to give the
24. Studying the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chile
Chile is a long country stretching over 5000 kms and with more than 100,000 square kilometres of territorial seas it is a true laboratory used to study the effect of climate change and other causes of impact on biodiversity. Particularly, the Chilean ocean is important for gas exchanges, releasing oxygen and sequestering greenhouse gases, and its study can help us quantify carbon absorption for ex
23. If you like your weather forecast, thank an oceanographer!
There is a need for society to have access to and understand ocean information, the ocean impacts us all, even though we might not be fully conscious of this. It impacts our weather, our seasons, we get livelihoods and food from the ocean, goods are transported on the ocean, and it is also important for security, to name only a few examples. Currently, the systems we have are poorly set up to
22. Coordinating the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance
The ocean is of crucial importance as it is home to a rich biodiversity, acts as a climate regulator and offers food security. However, due to an expanding global economy the ocean is under increasing pressures. The need for a sustained use of its resources is widely acknowledged, as well as the need for a healthy and active collaboration to better understand the ocean. To best unlock its secrets
21. Supporting an integrated multi-trophic and sustainable aquaculture production in the Atlantic
As the population is growing there is an increasing need and demand for food to be produced. At the same time there is a limit to the amount of food that can be produced through traditional agriculture on land. Thankfully, the sea is also a great provider for food, but it is not without its own challenges, for example fisheries activities are decreasing because of overfishing and climate change im
20. Providing access to marine data resources and tools to support open marine sciences and applications.
In 2016 the European Commission launched the European Open Science Cloud, EOSC, to provide a virtual environment with open and seamless access to services for storage, management, analysis and re-use of research data, across borders and disciplines. Blue-Cloud is the thematic EOSC for the marine domain. It developed a collaborative web-based environment that enables open science, provid
19. Unlocking the potential of sustainable low trophic aquaculture to provide the food that the world is going to need
The ever growing world population will need 50% more food than we produce at this point in time by 2050 , and with less land available for production, limited fresh water sources and global warming, the conditions to achieve this will be very challenging! One way to increase the global supply of food is to turn to the culture of marine species, aquaculture or mariculture, as it can complement land
18. Understanding the impact of the Namibian desert on the marine microbiome
In today’s episode, we return to our journey around the southern Atlantic ocean, discussing the experience of our guest Thulani Makhalanyane as he sailed on board Tara to study regions of the ocean off the coasts of Namibia, Angola and Congo.Thulani is a professor of microbial ecology and genomics at the University of Pretoria, in South Africa, and he was the chief scientist for the fourteenth leg
17. Gender equity in oceanography
Our conversation today focuses on issues of underrepresentation in the field of oceanography and marine sciences. Historically, women have always had challenges in accessing careers in oceanography and while things have improved since the days they were actually banned from boarding ships, there is still a lack of equity at the higher career levels.To discuss these challenges, and offer some guide
16. Marine ecosystem services
In this episode of the podcast, we have a conversation on marine ecosystem services with Donata Canu, from OGS, the National Institute of Oceanography and Geophysics in Italy. In previous episodes we have mentioned “Ecosystem services” many times, and today we discuss what these are, how we study them and why it is important to have a better understanding of them to support a sustainable managemen
15. Microscopic marine biodiversity
Our guest today is Chris Bowler, research director at the CNRS, the French national research centre and recently appointed president of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), coordination institute of the AtlantECO project. In our conversation Chris explains what marine biodiversity is and how studying it can help us better understand the health of our ocean.Here, we talk about the invisible, t
14. Studying Benguela upwelling systems, sailing up the western coast of Africa
In our conversation with Emma Rocke, from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, we discover another region of the Atlantic, the Benguela upwelling. Emma was chief scientist on board Tara as it sailed from Cape Town in South Africa up to Walvis Bay in Namibia. They studied microbiomes in the different zones of the upwelling, as well as the Orange river mouth. As Emma explains, an upwellin
13. Understanding the All Atlantic context
In today’s episode of the podcast, our guest is senior advisor to the European Commission, Sieglinde Gruber. Sigi explains the context within which AtlantECO exists and how we are helping to address the objectives established in the Belem statement, which is the base for collaboration on research and innovation around the Atlantic basin.From the signing of the Galway statement, to the establishmen
12. Braving the elements in Antarctica
The Weddell Sea in Antarctica plays a crucial role in the regulation of the planet’s climate with an important participation in geochemical cycles, however we are still lacking a lot of data to understand how it functions and how it affects marine microbiomes in this region and those connected through the currents present there. What happens in the Weddell Sea, and how will a better understan
11. Exploring the Amazon and its plume: influencing the Atlantic Ocean
Today we return to our exploration of the Atlantic ocean, exploring the Amazon river, its plume and their influence on the Atlantic with our guest Paula Huber.Paula is from the Federal University of San Carlos in Brazil and she was on board of three of the first AtlantECO specific legs of Mission Microbiomes, the latest expedition from the Tara Ocean Foundation, and chief scientist for one of thos
10. Sharing a passion for plankton
In today’s episode we have a conversation with Marta Musso, a young marine biologist who is passionate about plankton and keen to share her love with as many people as possible. To this effect she is currently launching her Possea project, reconverting an old German post van into a mobile sea lab and library so that she can travel around and share the messages from the ocean and its inhabitan
09. Telling stories and creating access to the Ocean in Africa, for Africans.
In today’s episode of the show our guest is Noel Kok from NEWF, which stands for Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmaking. We met with Noel when we had a project meeting in Cape Town, South Africa. Noel participated in the events we organised with the Tara ocean Foundation during the port call there. And having discovered what they do and the story behind it, we thought it important to sh
08. The Atlantic Ocean: a shelter for marine life in the Vitoria-Trindade chain
The Vitoria-Trindade chain is a very special area along the Brazilian coast which is host to 11 seamounts and home to an incredible diversity of marine life. Why is this region an amazing shelter for biodiversity? How did the team on board study life beneath the water? What are we hoping to learn from this research?Our guest today is Erica Becker from the Federal University of Santa Catarina
07. The Atlantic Ocean: chasing coccolithophores along the Argentinian coast
Every year there are phytoplankton blooms which take place around the Patagonian shelf and shelf-break, this bloom is so big that you can see it from space!What are these phytoplankton and why is it important to study them? What was it like to be on board Tara during this part of the Mission Microbiomes? Did they actually find the coccolithophores, the phytoplankton responsible for the bloom?To kn
06. The Atlantic Ocean- Mission Microbiomes series: the ins and outs of organising an expedition
What does it take to organise a research mission on board a sailing boat? What sort of activities take place along the way? What is so special about Tara?Clémentine Moulin is our guest in today’s episode and she helps us answer these questions.Clémentine, or Clem as we call her, is the operations director at the Tara Ocean Foundation, she is responsible for the organisation and implementation of M
05. Science of AtlantECO: Social, economic and cultural aspects of Ocean sustainability
What are the social, economic and cultural values that we need to consider when studying the Ocean, its ecosystem and its health? And how does it help us better manage the resources provided by the ocean so that everyone can benefit equitably from them?To help us answer these questions, Sebastian Villsante was our guest on the show.Sebastian is a professor in Economics and a researcher, as well as
04. Science of AtlantECO: Plastics and the Plastisphere
How important is the issue of plastics in our oceans, and what about the life that develops on those fragments of plastic?Linda Amaral-Zettler is research leader at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, in north Holland as well as a professor of marine microbiology at the university of Amsterdam.Linda tells us about plastic pollution in the ocean, the “plastic soup”, and es
03. Science of AtlantECO: Seascape and connectivity
What is seascape and how do different regions of the ocean connect to one another?Erik van Sebille is a professor of oceanography and public engagement at the University of Utrecht, in the Netherlands and an expert in physical oceanography, studying how things move in the ocean.Erik tells us about the importance of understanding how ocean currents transport heat, nutrients, marine organisms and pl
02. Science of AtlantECO: Marine Microbiome
What is marine microbiome and why do we need to study it?Hugo Sarmento is a professor at the Federal University of San Carlos in Brazil and an expert in microbial ecology.Hugo tells us about the beautiful and intriguing world of marine microbiome, the microscopic life in the ocean on which so many of our ecosystems depend. He explains why it is important to study these organisms so that we can bet
01. The story of the AtlantECO project
What is the story behind AtlantECO and where did it all start?Daniele Iudicone is a researcher at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, in Naples, Italy, and the coordinator of the AtlantECO project.In this first episode, Daniele sets the scene for all episodes to come by telling us the story of the project. Starting where the idea came from, to getting the team together and now, after just under tw
