Ocean Protect Podcast

This is our second (and final) part of our two-part chat with Francisca Ribeiro (a PhD candidate from University of Queensland). Part one was released last week.

Useful links:

• Francisca Ribeiro: https://qaehs.centre.uq.edu.au/profile/1006/francisca
• UQ News, August 2020, Research reveals microplastic content levels in seafood: https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2020/08/research-reveals-microplastic-content-levels-seafood?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=Nov2013&utm_campaign=Newsletter
• Ribeiro F et al, 2020, Quantitative Analysis of Selected Plastics in High-Commercial-Value Australian Seafood by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry, Environmental Science and Technology: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.est.0c02337
• Ribeiro, F, 2018, Is eating seafood becoming a risk?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Rb22BxYTqA
• Ocean Protect YouTube Video "If we kill the oceans, we kill ourselves": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNiRKGaaS-c

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Plastic contamination of the marine environment is widespread, but the extent to which the marine food web is contaminated is not yet known - until now. Francisca Ribeiro is a PhD candidate from University of Queensland who led a recent study that has found plastic contamination in samples of popular seafood such as prawns, oysters, crabs, and sardines. The study is an important step to understanding the potential harm microplastics in seafood could have on human health - and Francisca gives us the low down on the study methods, results and what it all means next time you're thinking about eating your next seafood meal (or not).

Useful links:

• Francisca Ribeiro: https://qaehs.centre.uq.edu.au/profile/1006/francisca
• UQ News, August 2020, Research reveals microplastic content levels in seafood: https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2020/08/research-reveals-microplastic-content-levels-seafood?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=Nov2013&utm_campaign=Newsletter
• Ribeiro F et al, 2020, Quantitative Analysis of Selected Plastics in High-Commercial-Value Australian Seafood by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry, Environmental Science and Technology: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.est.0c02337
• Ribeiro, F, 2018, Is eating seafood becoming a risk?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Rb22BxYTqA
• Ocean Protect YouTube Video "If we kill the oceans, we kill ourselves": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNiRKGaaS-c

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the second (and final) part of our two-part conversation with Dr Morgan Gilmour. The first part was released last week.

Useful links:

• Dr Morgan Gilmour: https://www.morgangilmour.com/
• Adrift Lab profile: https://adriftlab.org/morgan
• Gilmour M, Lavers J, 2020, We composted ‘biodegradable’ balloons. Here’s what we found after 16 weeks, article in 'The Conversation': https://theconversation.com/we-composted-biodegradable-balloons-heres-what-we-found-after-16-weeks-138731
• Burchette D K, 1989, Study of the effect of balloon releases on the environment: https://www.balloonhq.com/faq/deco_releases/release_study.html
• Gilmour M E , Lavers J L, 2020, Latex balloons do not degrade uniformly in freshwater, marine and composting environments, The Journal of Hazardous Materials: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389420316150?via%3Dihub

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For decades, those party animals within the balloon industry relied on one industry-funded study from 1989 which claimed that, after six short weeks, balloons degraded “at about the same rate as oak tree leaves” and there was no way that balloons were a threat to wildlife. Of course, wildlife would disagree with this - but some robust science was needed to pop those balloon myths. Enter Dr Morgan Gilmour and Dr Jennifer Lavers from Adrift Lab. We talk to Dr Gilmour about the dubious 1989 study and the myth bustin' research that will certainly make your think twice at your next party.

This is a two-part conversation, with the second (and final) part released next week.

Useful links:

• Dr Morgan Gilmour: https://www.morgangilmour.com/
• Adrift Lab profile: https://adriftlab.org/morgan
• Gilmour M, Lavers J, 2020, We composted ‘biodegradable’ balloons. Here’s what we found after 16 weeks, article in 'The Conversation': https://theconversation.com/we-composted-biodegradable-balloons-heres-what-we-found-after-16-weeks-138731
• Burchette D K, 1989, Study of the effect of balloon releases on the environment: https://www.balloonhq.com/faq/deco_releases/release_study.html
• Gilmour M E , Lavers J L, 2020, Latex balloons do not degrade uniformly in freshwater, marine and composting environments, The Journal of Hazardous Materials: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389420316150?via%3Dihub

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the second (and final) part of our two part chat with Adrift Lab's Lillian Stewart and Megan Grant. Part one was released last week.

Useful links:

• Megan Grant: https://adriftlab.org/megan
• Lillian Stewart: https://adriftlab.org/news/2019/3/1/lillian-stewart-joins-adrift-lab
• Paper "Seasonal ingestion of anthropogenic debris in an urban population of gulls": https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X20306676?dgcid=author

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In what may be our most fun podcast ever, Lillian Stewart (aka "Bird vomit lady") and Megan Grant (aka "Guano girl") join us to talk about their recent scientific research on the ingestion of debris by Tasmanian Pacific Gulls. In between the fun however, there is fascinating science, proving that the gulls are transporting plastic and other debris FROM a nearby landfill and into nearby wetlands. You'll certainly reconsider what you put in your garbage bin.

This is a two-part conversation, with the second (and final) part released next week.

Useful links:

• Megan Grant: https://adriftlab.org/megan
• Lillian Stewart: https://adriftlab.org/news/2019/3/1/lillian-stewart-joins-adrift-lab
• Paper "Seasonal ingestion of anthropogenic debris in an urban population of gulls": https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X20306676?dgcid=author

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the second (and final) part of our two-part chat with Dr Rebecca Van Amber, Senior Lecturer in the Fashion and Textiles college of RMIT University. The first part of this chat was released last week.

Useful links:

• Dr Rebecca Van Amber on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-van-amber-49680623/detail/featured-list/urn:li:fsd_profile:ACoAAATsuzIBLkYWqtY5RtFl6rispnRoKCSe15E/
• Dr Rebecca Van Amber's RMIT contact details: https://www.rmit.edu.au/contact/staff-contacts/academic-staff/v/van-amber-dr-rebecca
• 'Story of Plastic' Q&E event on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2vr5JvbtnA
• Article: De Falco et al (2018), The contribution of washing processes of synthetic clothes to microplastic pollution: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-43023-x
• Hernandez et al (2018), Plastic Teabags Release Billions of Microparticles and Nanoparticles into Tea: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.9b02540

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who would have thought that clothes contribute about 35% to the global release of primary microplastics to the world oceans ? Well, Dr Rebecca Van Amber for one - Senior Lecturer in the Fashion and Textiles college of RMIT University, who recently blew our minds as part of a 'Story of Plastic' Q&E event. Subsequently, we had to have her on our podcast to delve more into the detail. You'll never look at fashion in the same way again.

This is a two-part conversation, with the second (and final) part released next week.

Useful links:

• Dr Rebecca Van Amber on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-van-amber-49680623/detail/featured-list/urn:li:fsd_profile:ACoAAATsuzIBLkYWqtY5RtFl6rispnRoKCSe15E/
• Dr Rebecca Van Amber's RMIT contact details: https://www.rmit.edu.au/contact/staff-contacts/academic-staff/v/van-amber-dr-rebecca
• 'Story of Plastic' Q&E event on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2vr5JvbtnA
• Article: De Falco et al (2018), The contribution of washing processes of synthetic clothes to microplastic pollution: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-43023-x
• Hernandez et al (2018), Plastic Teabags Release Billions of Microparticles and Nanoparticles into Tea: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.9b02540

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is our second (and final) part of our two-part conversation with Jodi Salmond (General Manager of Reef Check Australia), with the first part released last week.

Useful links:

• Jodi Salmond on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-salmond/
• Reef Check Australia: https://www.reefcheckaustralia.org

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jodi Salmond is a marine researcher specializing in citizen science, conservation biology and reef ecology. She is also the General Manager of Reef Check Australia - an innovative citizen science focused charity dedicated to educating and empowering community volunteers to better understand, appreciate and protect oceans and marine environments. Under water, Jodi trains divers in global reef health monitoring protocols - and, above it, she engages and inspires through hands on research, education, and personal development to encourage everyone to become the best versions of themselves and to look after the planet. As we discover, Jodi is also an adventure junkie, fire walker and fountain of knowledge when it comes to marine parasites, tapeworms, and reasons not to eat peanut butter.

This is a two-part conversation, with the second (and final) part released next week.

Useful links:

• Jodi Salmond on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-salmond/
• Reef Check Australia: https://www.reefcheckaustralia.org

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.