Thom is headed off to Norfolk Island, north of New Zealand, to characterize the unique life in the region and hopefully not be eaten by sharks. Alan’s been up to secret things, organizing everyone’s lives and, for a change, is recording this episode from the same country as the last one. 

In the news, Thom and Alan discuss a recent paper about the extent of ocean exploration, the valuable research it was based on, and the unfortunately defeatist tone. There is a lot left to do, but we have done so much! 

Also discussed: bottom trawling and the release of carbon, deep sea art installations and genetic mutations in deep-sea fish. 

For this month’s interview, we speak with Dr. Georgia Nester, a colleague of Alan’s from the University of Western Australia, about eDNA (Environmental DNA is any genetic material left behind by organisms in an environment). Join us for various water collection methods, the immense amount of data Al is able to produce, surprise eDNA evidence of the Giant Squid in Australian waters, and various perspectives on involuntary fecal DNA harvesting. 

Hold onto your buoyant elbow glands because we’ve got a great episode here!

Dr. Georgia Nester

Alan and Georgia in Antarctica