REEF Roundup: 🪸Coral Reefs🐠 and 🐙Marine Conservation🦈

This is a special episode. REEF Roundup co-host Graham travelled to Germany to record a documentary series, Forget-Me-Not, with Jan Maisenbacher, host of the Ocean Collaborations podcast. Up to 1.6 million tons of munitions lie in German waters, most of it dumped on purpose after the war ended. For decades, steel casings kept the explosive in. Now they are rusting.In this first episode:How it got there: we hear why the munitions are in the sea at all, from the sailors who dumped ammunition on the day the war ended to the Allied decision that the sea was the safest place for it.The first warning signs: we learn how mussels from a Kiel lab gave some of the first evidence that chemicals from the munitions were reaching living things.Why the risk is changing: we learn why the danger is actually rust, which is leading to more contaminants in the water and sea life every year.Germany's response: we meet the people behind Germany's €100 million Immediate Action Programme (Sofortprogramm Munitionsaltlasten), which has started bringing the munitions up and will build the world's first floating platform to destroy them at sea.FeaturingWolfgang Sichermann: Managing Director, Seascape. LinkedInAndreas Beerlage: Seascape Special Projects LeadUwe Wichert: retired German Navy officer and researcher on munitions in the seaProf. Edmund Maser: Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology for Natural Scientists, Kiel University. ProfileProf. Jens Greinert: Deep-Sea Monitoring, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. ProfileDr. Aaron Beck: Senior Scientist, Chemical Oceanography, GEOMAR. ProfileDieter Guldin: COO, SeaTerra. LinkedInHenrik Schönheit: engineer and designer of SeaTerra's seabed crawlerCarsten Stürmer: recovery specialist, Immediate Action ProgrammeStefan Mehlhase: Policy Officer for the Immediate Action Programme, German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUKN)Graham Patterson: co-host of REEF Roundup and Executive Director of REEF Scuba. LinkedInJan Maisenbacher: host of the Ocean Collaborations podcast. Website · LinkedIn · Apple Podcasts · SpotifyGEOMAR, munitions in the seaCONMAR research projectKiel University, Institute of Toxicology (in German)German Environment Ministry (BMUKN), unexploded munitions in the seaBMUKN press release on the disposal platform contract (17 September 2026, in German)Seascape (in German)SeaTerraREEF ScubaProduction: Forget-Me-Not is recorded and produced by Graham Patterson and Jan Maisenbacher.Music: original, composed for the series.Sounds:"Baltic Sea in Jantar" by GirlWithSoundRecorder (CC0, Freesound)"Clock ticks close to mic" by BonnyOrbit (CC0, Freesound)Support: the series was produced with support from Seascape GmbH, which coordinates Germany's Immediate Action Programme on legacy munitions for the Federal Environment Ministry. Seascape reviewed the episode for factual accuracy. Editorial control remained with the hosts.REEF Roundup is a program of REEF Scuba, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

In this episode, we sit down with Francesca Trotman, Founder and Managing Director of Love The Oceans, a grassroots marine conservation charity working in Jangamo Bay, Mozambique.Francesca traces the path from receiving a shark tooth at the London Aquarium on her eighth birthday to witnessing sharks being killed in Mozambican fisheries at nineteen and founding Love The Oceans at twenty-one. That experience forced her to reconsider the simplified conservation narrative she had grown up with, in which fishers are cast as the villains and conservationists as the heroes. The fishers she met were receiving only a tiny fraction of the value generated by the international shark-fin trade. The people and the sharks, she realized, were being exploited by the same system.That insight became the foundation of Love The Oceans’ holistic approach to conservation. More than a decade later, the organization’s work brings together long-term fisheries and coral reef research, megafauna monitoring, turtle protection, ocean literacy, swimming lessons, sustainable fishing, and gender equity. Francesca explains why ecological and human wellbeing cannot be treated as separate problems, and why science only becomes meaningful when it is connected to the lives, knowledge, and leadership of the people who depend on the ocean.Some topics we cover:How Francesca’s early fascination with sharks became a lifelong commitment to marine conservationMoving beyond the “conservationists versus fishers” narrativeLove The Oceans’ evidence-based, holistic conservation modelBuilding local capacity through ocean literacy, swimming, and sustainable fishingWhy menstrual health and bodily autonomy are ocean-governance issuesWhat actually drives long-term behavior changeThe challenges of funding grassroots conservation and long-term researchUsing drones, bioacoustics, underwater video, and DIVEVOLK smartphone housingsWhy conservation success should eventually make an outside NGO unnecessaryAdvice for people hoping to build careers or organizations in ocean conservationMentioned in This Episode:Francesca Trotman on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesca-trotman-39b143ab/Love The Oceans:https://lovetheoceans.org/Love The Oceans on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/lovetheoceans/Pascoal, an award-winning short film:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e85GEgFon2sPeixinho, the story of Bento Armando:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i72QGMyjbMcLove The Oceans’ DIVEVOLK coral-monitoring work:https://www.divevolkdiving.com/blogs/user-story/love-the-oceans-divevolk-coral-conservation-mozambiquePeriod. End of Sentence.:https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81074663The Outlaw Ocean by Ian Urbina:https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/538736/the-outlaw-ocean-by-ian-urbina/Ocean Anatomy by Julia Rothman, with John Niekrasz:https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/julia-rothman/ocean-anatomy/9781635861600/Support Love The Oceans:https://lovetheoceans.org/donate/If you want to support the podcast or learn what more you can do to help the ocean, visit:https://www.reef-scuba.org/take-actionThanks as always to our Producer, Emily Pokou.A production of REEF Scuba:https://www.reef-scuba.org/

Dr. Dirk Petersen is the Founder and Executive Director of SECORE International, a non-profit organization with the mission to create and share the tools and technologies to sustainably restore coral reefs worldwide. During his PhD, Dr Petersen began studying the reproduction and breeding of corals; these studies formed the basis on which SECORE’s current work is built – together with the extensive expertise and experience of SECORE’s scientists.What started as a dedicated project of scientists, became officially a non-profit in 2015, and by now, Dr. Petersen has grown SECORE into a leading global institution in the field of restoration research, engineering and the implementation of Coral Seeding. This approach focuses on breeding coral offspring for restoration—in this way, their resilience is strengthened by promoting genetic diversity thus enabling adaptability and the possibility for the corals to thrive in our world’s changing conditions. Over the last decade, SECORE has established a network of active practitioners across the Caribbean to apply Coral Seeding, is implementing advanced coral restoration technologies globally together with AIMS, and has expanded the implementation of Coral Seeding approach into the Indian Ocean with Mauritius as the base. There, full-scale training with regional partners will begin this September. Right now, SECORE is working to bring Coral Seeding to the Pacific together with partners from Australia and on-site partners.GUEST AND PEOPLE MENTIONEDDr. Dirk PetersenFounder and Executive Director, SECORE Internationalhttps://de.linkedin.com/in/dirk-petersen-06a5759Sandra Mendoza-QuirozRestoration Coordinator, SECORE Mexicohttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sandra-Mendoza-QuirozDr. Margaret MillerChief Science Officer, SECORE Internationalhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-miller-36513b33ORGANIZATIONS AND PROJECTSSECORE Internationalhttps://www.secore.org/Australian Institute of Marine Sciencehttps://www.aims.gov.au/FUNDEMARhttps://www.fundemardr.org/Global Coral Tech Transfer Projecthttps://www.secore.org/en/news/25/global-exchange-of-knowledge-and-technology-to-significantly-advance-reef-restoration-effortsReefSeedhttps://www.aims.gov.au/research-topics/environmental-issues/climate-change/coral-aquaculture/reefseedFEATURED RESEARCHAssisted sexual coral recruits show high thermal tolerance to the 2023 Caribbean mass bleaching eventhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11410220/FOLLOW REEF ROUNDUPWebsitehttps://www.reef-roundup.com/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/reefroundup/REEF Roundup is a program of REEF Scuba, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.https://www.reef-scuba.org/

In this episode, we sit down with Briony Venn, the Marine Campaign Organizer at the Bob Brown Foundation in Tasmania, Australia. Over 500,000 tonnes of Antarctic krill are harvested every year to make products that even the industry's biggest player has begun replacing with a plant-based version. Briony is working to end it.Krill, Euphausia superba, is the keystone species of the Southern Ocean. Whales, penguins, seals, and seabirds all depend on it. Yet krill biomass has declined by up to seventy percent in the last fifty years due to climate change, and the fishery is being expanded against that collapsing baseline. Briony unpacks the industry's misleading "less than one percent" claim, the role of certification bodies like the Marine Stewardship Council, and the campaign strategies her coalition is using to fight back.Before joining the Bob Brown Foundation, Briony left a career at Accenture to move into marine campaigning, first at Greenpeace UK and now in Tasmania. Her story is a reminder that anyone who cares about the ocean and decides to dedicate themselves to its protection can figure out a path to do so.This episode also includes a bonus conversation with Captain Paul Watson, who walks us through Operation Krill Wars, the Captain Paul Watson Foundation's and Sea Shepherd France's recent direct intervention against industrial krill trawlers in the Southern Ocean. He also highlights the European Parliament's subsequent motion for a five-year moratorium on the krill fishery.Support the Show Mentioned in This Episode:Briony Venn on LinkedInBob Brown Foundation: bobbrown.org.auSwisseKrills Campaign: swissekrills.orgCaptain Paul Watson Foundation: paulwatsonfoundation.orgSea Shepherd: seashepherd.orgGreenpeace: greenpeace.orgBlue Marine Foundation: bluemarinefoundation.comAker BioMarine: akerbiomarine.comSwisse: swisse.com.auNational Geographic: nationalgeographic.comWWF (World Wildlife Fund): worldwildlife.orgCCAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources): ccamlr.orgMarine Stewardship Council: msc.orgMoral Ambition by Rutger BregmanHow to Speak Whale by Tom MustillDefinitely check out the documentary, Ocean with David AttenboroughIf you want to support the podcast or learn what more you can do to help save the ocean, visit reef-scuba.org/take-action.Thanks as always to our Producer, Emily Pokou.A production of REEF Scuba.

In this episode, we sit down with Doctor Andrea Grottoli, a Distinguished Professor of Earth Sciences at the Ohio State University and the inventor of the Underwater Zooplankton Enhancement Light Array (UZELA). Doctor Grottoli has spent thirty years studying coral feeding mechanics and the physiological collapse that occurs during bleaching events. Building on that knowledge, she is now rolling out an invention, designed to drastically improve outcomes and return on investment for global coral restoration efforts.UZELA relies on a simple biological truth: zooplankton are drawn to light like moths to a flame. By strategically placing upward-facing lights near coral outplants and nurseries for just one hour a night, UZELA concentrates zooplankton within a localized dome, significantly increasing the feeding opportunities for stressed and baby corals. We explore why these measures are necessary, the biological data proving their efficacy, and science behind it all.Some topics we cover:The Physiology of Coral Starvation: We all know a bleaching reef is a bad sign, but what's actually happening to an individual coral? The UZELA Breakthrough: How localized light increases feeding rates and what that means for stressed coral.Ecological Realities and Technological Limits: Why artificial light at night requires precise, nuanced deployment and why UZELA buys us time, but is one intervention among many that must support reefs facing local stressors and climate change.Mentioned in This Episode:Dr. Andrea Grottoli on LinkedinGrottoli Lab: u.osu.edu/grottoli.1/Coral Restoration Foundation: coralrestoration.orgMote Marine Laboratory: mote.orgThe Ohio State University School of Earth Sciences: earthsciences.osu.eduThanks as always to our Producer, Emily Pokou.A production of REEF Scuba

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Sambuddha Misra, a chemical oceanographer, associate professor of earth sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, and the chief scientist at Alt Carbon. Dr. Misra has spent two decades studying how chemical weathering shapes the planet's climate over millions of years, and is now actively applying that science to draw down atmospheric carbon at scale.Alt Carbon's Darjeeling Revival Project is spreading finely crushed basalt, a byproduct of the Indian construction industry, across tens of thousands of acres of Himalayan tea estates. We explore the surprisingly elegant chain of geochemistry that removes CO2 from the air, supplies crucial micronutrients to degraded agricultural soils, and ultimately pushes alkalinity into the Bay of Bengal to buffer against ocean acidification.Some topics we cover:The Geochemistry of Accelerated Weathering: The literal mechanics of how crushed basalt, rainwater, and atmospheric CO2 interact to compress a million-year geological process into a single commercial cycle.Agricultural Yields and the Human Element: Why the physical application of basalt is done entirely by hand, and how this process is driving incredible crop yield increases in degraded soils.Measurement Bottlenecks and the Reality of Scaling: The grueling structural reality of verifying commercial carbon credits. Dr. Misra breaks down the exact science of tracking elements in open soil profiles, and why scaling this project will require inventing entirely new measurement technologies. Mentioned in This Episode:Alt Carbon: ⁠altcarbon.com⁠The Darjeeling Revival Project: ⁠⁠⁠altcarbon.com⁠⁠⁠Isometric Registry: ⁠isometric.com⁠Indian Institute of Science: ⁠https://iisc.ac.in/⁠Thanks as always to our Producer, Emily Pokou.

In this special episode, we depart from our usual format and partner with Jan Maisenbacher from the Ocean Collaborations podcast to sit down with Alice Guittard, who has spent the last five years with the Bridge Project focusing on the active management of a transboundary ecosystem: the Black Sea.The Bridge Black Sea Project was designed to advance knowledge, deliver research, and empower citizens to build a sustainable, climate-neutral blue economy. We explore the massive environmental challenges facing the sea, a marine ecosystem bordered by six nations and fed by the watersheds of more than twenty others. This conversation also examines the realities and logistical hurdles of attempting international scientific collaboration in the middle of an active war. Some topics we cover:The Tragedy of the Commons: The inherent risk when a shared resource collapses because individual actors are incentivized to exploit it simultaneously. This requires strict cooperation to prevent ecosystem failure.Environmental Casualties of War: The destruction of the Kakhovka dam in 2023 resulted in over fifty deaths, tens of thousands of displaced people, and impacted drinking water for over 700,000 individuals. It also released decades of accumulated agricultural chemicals and heavy metals directly into the sea. Data Blind Spots and Scientific Embargos: Severing ties with Russian researchers effectively blinded one-fifth of the Black Sea's monitoring network. We openly weigh the friction between transnational scientific preservation and geopolitical policy decisions.Special thanks to ⁠Jan Maisenbacher⁠ from the Ocean Collaborations podcast for facilitating this conversation, and thank you to our new co-producer, ⁠Emily Pokou who is helping take the show to new heights. Stay tuned for everymore interesting storytelling.Projects & Tools Mentioned:Bridge Black Sea Project: bridgeblacksea.orgThe Black Sea Digital Twin of Ocean: bridgeblacksea.org/index.php/black-sea-dtoEuropean Digital Twin of the Ocean: edito.euThe Black Sea Blue Economy Observatory: blackseabeo.euBRIDGE-BS Living Labs: bridgeblacksea.org/index.php/living-labsThe Coalition of cities, regions, islands, and ports for the Mission Ocean and Waters: co-waters.eu/coalitionOrganizations & Media:IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): iucn.orgOcean Collaborations Podcast: ⁠Apple Podcasts LinkA Light in the Black: Keep an eye out for updates on our upcoming documentary. ⁠Trailer and more here⁠.

In this episode of REEF Roundup we sit down with Oxford legal scholar Sarah Levy and legendary frontline conservationist Captain Paul Watson to discuss their new book, The Only Flag Worth Flying. In it they challenge the assumption that law enforcement belongs solely to the nation-state, arguing that when governments abandon their duty to protect marine ecosystems, direct action by non-state actors becomes both justified and necessary.This conversation explores environmental law, the weaponization of the legal system against conservationists, and the extents to which some people are ready to go in order to save our oceans.Key Topics Discussed:The Illusion of Protection: The difference between hard and soft law in international environmental agreements, and why treaties like the High Seas Treaty remain meaningless without enforcement.Embracing the Pirate Identity: How historical pirates and privateers bypassed bureaucracy to achieve results, and why being a "pirate" is an appropriate response to a broken legal system.The Post-State World Order: Examining the breakdown of the traditional rules-based order and the rising necessity for NGOs and civil society to push forward, even without permission.Aggressive Nonviolence and Legal Precedent: Captain Watson's strategy of intervening to uphold international conservation law, such as using the UN World Charter for Nature to win legal acquittals after sinking illegal whaling vessels.Weaponizing the Law: How the legal system, including Interpol red notices, is used by exploitative industries to target effective conservationists and whistleblowers.The Upcoming Krill Campaign: Details on the Paul Watson Foundation's imminent expedition to confront the Norwegian and Chinese krill fishery in the Southern Ocean to provoke an international legal precedent.The Power of the Present: Wisdom from American Indian Movement leader Russell Means on focusing entirely on doing the right thing in the present rather than worrying about the odds of winning.About Our Guests:Sarah Levy: An Oxford legal scholar whose work bridges the gap between socio-legal methods, indigenous rights, and environmental law. She is currently finalizing her PhD focusing on seal hunting activities in Canada.Captain Paul Watson: A frontline conservationist and the founder of both the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and the Captain Paul Watson Foundation. He has spent over 50 years defending marine wildlife through direct action.Resources Mentioned:The Only Flag Worth Flying by Sarah Levy and Paul Watson, available via Routledge and major booksellers.The Captain Paul Watson Foundation at paulwatsonfoundation.org.UN World Charter for Nature.BBNJ Agreement / High Seas Treaty.

In this episode we look beyond the biology of conservation to examine the financial engine required to keep it running. We sit down with John Bohorquez, a specialist in ocean finance and the founder of the Blue Economy Solutions Lab, to bridge the often-separate worlds of marine science and finance.John walks us through the realities of the "Blue Economy," highlighting the staggering disparity between the ocean’s commercial market value and the $50 trillion in ecosystem services it provides annually. We discuss his latest research comparing reef management in the politically complex Red Sea versus the decentralized Caribbean, and why we must shift toward "transboundary" conservation for ecosystems that do not recognize human borders.Finally, we demystify the complex mechanisms of Blue Bonds and Debt-for-Nature swaps. John explains how nations are leveraging their sovereign debt to fund marine protection, moving from small-scale philanthropy to the trillion-dollar investments needed to meet global 30x30 goals. He also introduces new tools designed to help practitioners access these funds.Mentioned in this EpisodeJohn Bohorquez: https://johnbohorquez.com/Blue Economy Solutions Lab: https://blueeconomysolutions.org/Conservation Finance Alliance (CFA): https://www.conservationfinancealliance.orgThe Blue Nature Alliance: https://www.bluenaturealliance.orgGeneral Organization for Conservation of Coral Reefs and Sea Turtles in the Red Sea (SHAMS): https://shams.gov.sa/Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences: https://www.bigelow.orgHigh Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (WRI): https://oceanpanel.orgCaribbean Biodiversity Fund: https://caribbeanbiodiversityfund.org/Protected Seas: https://protectedseas.net

In this special episode of REEF Roundup, we share the unforgettable conversation we had with the legendary Dr. Sylvia Earle. Recorded on location at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, this interview captures an intimate moment with one of the world's most iconic oceanographers.Dr. Earle shares her perspective on the transformative power of scuba diving, describing it as a pivotal step that just recently began allowing terrestrial beings to explore the majority of our biosphere. We discuss the critical shift from viewing marine life as a commodity ("I want to eat you") to viewing them as individuals ("I want to know you"), and why divers, who witness the underwater world firsthand, have a unique privilege and responsibility to speak up for the ocean.Mentioned in this EpisodeMission Blue (Sylvia Earle’s Alliance): @mission_blueIUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): @iucn_congressThe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species A Light in the Black (Our Upcoming Documentary!)