What does it mean to reach for a dream? 18 months ago Leon Koning, a keen cyclist, got to know Mark Slats. Slats was training to complete 10 Ironman triathlons in 10 days. He needed a training buddy as he prepared, and Leon agreed to help. As they trained, the two decided on their next unique challenge: to row across the Atlantic and competitive as they are, set a new world record.

Today, as this episode airs, Leon and Mark embark on their race across the Atlantic with teammates, Maarten Diepeveen and Tom Rijnders. Their team, Row4Cancer, is competing in The World’s Toughest Row, a 4,800 km extreme row that starts in the Canary Islands and finishes in Antigua while raising funds for the Prinses Máxima Centrum, a children’s cancer hospital in the Netherlands.

In this episode, Leon talks to Jon Baston-Pitt about the intense training needed to go from being a rowing novice, to having a realistic dream of setting a world record. We learn what life will be like on board their tiny vessel and Leon shares the personal goals he has set himself.

Host

Jon Baston-Pitt, Fugro

Guest

Leon Koning, Legal Counsel, Europe and Africa, Fugro

A wave of change has swept through the world of coral reef science, as scientists develop new ways to collect, collate and analyse data. The reefs are vital to the health of the planet, and humanity: while they cover only 0.2% of the seafloor, they support at least 25% of marine species. And they play a role in the lives of around 1 billion people around the world. 

MERMAID (Marine Ecological Research Management AID), developed by the Wildlife Conservation Service or WCS, allows marine scientists to collect data in a structured way. This is then shared with and analysed by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, or GCRMN, to identify global trends.

As an online/offline tool, MERMAID can be used to share data with local communities, as soon as it is collected,helping inform decision making, as they balance resource use and biodiversity management. 

National governments and other organisations can use data collected in MERMAID and collated in the GCRMN report, Status of Coral Reefs of the World, as they develop coral reef conservation and climate mitigation plans. The data is helping scientists and national bodies identify where corals are most resilient, and to ensure the survival of these important and biodiverse ecosystems.

In this episode, Jon Baston-Pitt is joined by two scientists who have played a key role in developing these platforms, the WCS’s Emily Darling, and the GCRMN’s Jérémy Wicquart. They explain how these platforms came into being, and the benefits they offer to scientists, stakeholders, and policymakers. Their work demonstrates the importance of creating standardised ways of collecting data, and of making scientific data widely accessible.

Host

Jon Baston-Pitt, Fugro

Guests

Emily Darling, Director of Coral Reef Conservation, WCS

Jérémy Wicquart, Technical Coordinator, GCRMN

Resource

Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2025– Call for data and guide for scientists

Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2020– Latest report

Photo credit

Julien Wickel

Olga Nefedova’s career has taken her from the oilfields of Western Siberia, and across continents, to the most senior roles of Fugro, via a role at famed management consultants McKinsey. Along the way, she has developed an approach to strategy that fosters a childlike delight in fearless experimentation and the ‘heart filling joy’ of problem solving.

Olga shares her vision of what good strategy entails – asking the right questions, analysing efficiently, and adapting through continuous feedback. Strategy, she explains, is less about complex theories and more about a logical, practical process. It is a journey of curiosity and resilience. 

As Olga describes it “…Our plans should not work regularly… that’s how we build our learning, our capabilities.”

Host Jon Baston-Pitt and Olga explore the importance of adaptability, curiosity and failure in achieving strategic goals. Olga urges leaders to embrace the unknown and avoid over-analysis: strategy is not about having all the answers upfront, but about discovering them through a process of exploration and continual improvement.

Another remarkable leader making a remarkable difference.

Host 

Jon Baston-Pitt, Fugro

Guest

Olga Nefedova, Global Director of Corporate Strategy, Fugro

We will all bear the brunt of climate change without a rapid transition to renewables. But as we move through the energy transition, communities hosting new power generation facilities will see the landscape around them change.

To ensure that the benefits of the energy transition are shared by all, the Scottish government worked with wind farm developers and operators to establish best practice guidelines for community engagement. ScottishPower Renewables contributed to that guidance and now creates and supports community benefit funds across all of its projects.

In this episode, Gillan Arnot and Amy Aitken share the successes they have had working with communities onshore. As the wind industry moves offshore in Scotland, Colin McFarlane explains how the work of outreach and engagement will continue to empower and benefit local communities. And, Fugro’s Jonathan Ainley tells us, this work is ripe for emulation by the renewables industry worldwide.

Host

Jon Baston-Pitt, Fugro

Guests

Gillian Arnot, Senior Stakeholder and Community Manager, ScottishPower Renewables

Amy Aitken, Stakeholder and Community Manager, ScottishPower Renewables

Colin McFarlane, Senior Stakeholder Manager, ScottishPower Renewables

Jonathan Ainley, Global Key Account Manager, Fugro

One day, taking a gearbox out of a vehicle in the middle of the night as a 17-year-old apprentice automotive engineer Helen West had a flash of realisation: “I can’t be doing this when I’m 30!” Today, Helen is global director, marine asset integrity, at Fugro. In this episode, she shares how she plans and manages her career.

The key, Helen says, is to decide on where you want to be in ten years’ time, identify the steps you need to take to get there, and to create a flexible plan for the decade ahead. As well as a good plan, it helps to have a supportive partner, and to work together to ensure that both of your life plans can run in parallel.

Today, Helen shares this approach with the teams that she works with and mentors. And, in this episode, she talks to Jon Baston-Pitt about how she manages her career by maximising on opportunities, and her experiences as a mentor.

Host

Jon Baston-Pitt, Fugro

Guest

Helen West, Global Director, Marine Asset Integrity, Fugro

The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) has a 100 year history of mapping the world’s oceans. John Nyberg, technical director, explains how the organisation’s role in understanding our oceans is evolving. Now, rather than just recording ocean depths for mariners, the organisation is setting standards for how we record environmental data. In Italy, this approach is being put into effect with an ambitious coastline mapping project.

In a bid to reverse a decline in biodiversity, Italy aims to map 7500 kilometres of coastline to a depth of 50 metres. Marco Filippone, global solution director for ocean science and hydrography at Fugro, explains how new technologies ranging from satellite sensors to remote underwater mapping are all playing a crucial role in collecting data for this initiative.

One of the first undertakings of the Italian coastline mapping initiatives was to get a better understanding of the seagrass meadows and the role they can play in maintaining ocean biodiversity. Giordano Giorgi, the project director for Italy’s marine initiative explains how the project has furthered our understanding of seagrass’ role in carbon capture and with this knowledge, how the protection of the seagrass meadows can be ensured.

Host
Jon Baston-Pitt

Guests

John Nyberg, technical director, the International Hydrographic Organisation

Giordano Giorgi, project director, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA)

Marco Filippone, global solution director for ocean science and hydrography, Fugro

TreVaughn Ellis is a recent graduate of American University, and winner of the Scott A. Bass Outstanding Scholarship Award. During his studies, he interned as a researcher with the National Marine Fisheries Service, part of NOAA, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in Alaska.

In this episode, he describes his research in Alaska, where he studied lampreys and their parasites, bringing new light to the relationship between these fish and other commercially and culturally important species, such as cod and salmon. 

He is an advocate for greater scientific research of many of the ocean’s understudied co-dependencies if we are to save it, and with it, the livelihoods of many coastal communities that rely on the health of our ocean.

He also discusses his involvement with the not-for-profit group Black in Marine Science. He describes the loneliness of working in a largely white field of research, the one tweet from Dr Tiara Moore that led to the formation of the network, and what it has done to give voice and connection to Black marine scientists.

Host

Jon Baston-Pitt, Fugro

Young people have the most to lose from climate change, but are not given a voice or a vote in how the crisis is tackled. In this episode, Jon Baston-Pitt speaks to three young women, Raina Ivanova, Chloe McKenna and Paula Garcia Rodriguez, who are taking action to make sure their voices—and those of their peers—are heard. 

Chloe and Raina are members of Heirs to our Oceans (H2OO), and Paula is a member of the ECOPs programme. While Raina and Chloe are completing an undergraduate degree and a masters, respectively, they both have long careers of engagement and organising behind them.

Raina is a member of Children Versus Climate Crisis and an environmental advocate. Chloe is a National Marine Sanctuaries Foundation education consultant for the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, and co-founder of the Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador Programme.

Paula developed her focus on sustainability as she completed her MSc in Governance of Sustainability at Leiden University. Now a participant in Fugro’s international leadership track, she also volunteers as a Water Quality Officer with the Surfrider Foundation Netherlands. At Fugro, Paula continues to pursue her interest in ocean health and ocean science. She works closely with Government Accounts Director for the Americas, David Millar, and Louis Demargne, who is currently on secondment from Fugro as Data & Knowledge Management Officer at IOC/UNESCO. 

In this episode they describe the obstacles youth face in contributing to humanity’s response to climate change. They describe their own work on climate change, and the work they do to give voice to others.

Host

Jon Baston-Pitt, Fugro

Guests

Raina Ivanova, undergraduate student, Geography, University of Hamburg.

Chloe McKenna, masters student, Marine Systems and Policies, University of Edinburgh

Paula García Rodríguez, Ocean Sciences Programme Support Manager, Fugro International Leadership Track,

Resources

H2OO has prepared a Guide to Organising a Youth Advisory Council for The UN Ocean Decade.

In this Planet Beyond episode hosted by Jon Baston-Pitt, experts Irina Mirkina from UNICEF, Marek Kowalkiewicz from QUT Business School, and Pawel Michalak from Fugro discuss the future of AI and its wide-ranging impact on society. Beyond just language models, like ChatGPT, they highlight its role in disaster management, climate modelling, and decision-making processes.

In the last shortcast we heard about the environmental impact of building and running large AI models, however this episode explores how it will, in the near future, impact on our physical world. Irina Mirkina brings attention to global challenges like climate change and digital inequality, emphasising UNICEF’s efforts to equip future generations with responsible AI skills.

Marek Kowalkiewicz points out its long history of integration into everyday life and its current evolution towards generative AI. Pawel Michalak shares practical examples of AI in action, demonstrating its use in autonomous data processing for subsurface mapping and sustainable infrastructure projects. 

They also explore AI’s potential in predictive analytics for disaster preparedness and improving water access in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa. The discussion also touches on ethical concerns such as data privacy, transparency, and the responsible deployment of AI. While the guests all view the worst, most dystopian outcomes of AI as exceedingly unlikely, they do stress the importance of balanced progress that benefits society while managing potential risks.

Host 

Jon Baston-Pitt

Guests

Irina Mirkina, AI Lead, UNICEF

Marek Kowalkiewicz, Professor at QUT Business School

Pawel Michalak, Global Director of Innovation, Fugro

In this Planet Beyond Shortcast, host Jon Baston-Pitt delves into the environmental costs that come along with the transformative potential of AI. Training and serving AI models requires vast amounts of energy, and water used in cooling server farms.

Jon is joined by Merouane Debbah, AI researcher, professor at Khalifa University and senior advisor at the Technology Innovation Institute. Debbah explains the revolutionary potential AI has in areas such as space exploration, potentially paving the way for human colonies on Mars. 

However, AI comes with major environmental costs, with estimates suggesting AI energy consumption could reach 1,000 TWh by 2026, equal to the annual electricity consumption of Japan. While AI companies face economic constraints through the cost of powering and cooling AI systems.

Debbah stresses the importance of a more holistic approach to AI development, considering the entire lifecycle of AI systems and their energy sources. Debbah also highlights the need for innovative and sustainable energy solutions that can be built alongside AI projects. 

Host

Jon Baston-Pitt, Fugro

Guest

Merouane Debbah, Professor Director of 6G Research Center, Khalifa University of Science and Technology

Photo credit: flickr | Hansecom