The Deep-Sea Podcast

Our short and to the point PRESSURISED version of episode 8. If you don't have time for the full episode and want to get right to the science without any of our waffle, this is the place to be!

Read the show notes and find the full episode here

Working in the deep sea is entirely dependent on technology and the incredible forces push engineering to its limit. If you are doing something that no one has done before, chances are you are going to have to make some of your own tools. Unfortunately, we must spend a lot more on our equipment for the same data as shallower science. This makes funding difficult but also makes the deep sea quite an exclusive club.

We are joined by James Cameron (yes, that one) to talk about solving the problems of working deep with new technology. He shares how he went about illuminating the Titanic and confesses that his films are often an outlet for the technology he wishes he could build. Some of the concepts coming in Avatar 2 are an example of this. Don Walsh joins us as ever to give his take on the importance of the engineering that allows us to do the things we do.

Check out our podcast merch! Which now includes Alan’s beloved apron. 

Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or you own tales from the high seas on:

[email protected]

We’d love to actually play your voice so feel free to record a short audio note!

We are also on 

Twitter: @DeepSeaPod, @ArmatusO

Facebook: DeepSeaPodcast, ArmatusOceanic 

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast, @armatusoceanic

Links

Crabsuit

Credits

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

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We’ve been off-piste for a while now so we thought we’d jump straight back into the deep sea with a series of episodes on deep-sea habitats. We’re starting off strong with a huge episode on seamounts! We speak to a friend of the show, Ashley Rowden who’s an expert in all-things benthic and we find out why seamounts are just so cool. We also get a little distracted and reminisce about the ultimate offshore championship: sausage-fest. 

We get to hear from the scientists on board the RRS Discovery who are currently on an expedition to discover the life that exists on the seamounts surrounding St Helena and the Ascension Islands. A couple of our friends on board also recall their ‘crossing the line’ experience, and how they’re finding working on board a research vessel.

We have huge news! You’ll be very excited to hear that we have released a new design for our merch, featuring our favourite parasite - the tongue-eating isopod, Cymothoa exigua! A perfect gift this holiday season for the whole family. 

Check out our podcast merch here! Which now includes Alan’s beloved apron and a much anticipated new design... 

Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:

[email protected]

We’d love to actually play your voice so feel free to record a short audio note!

We are also on 

Twitter: @DeepSeaPod, @ArmatusO

Facebook: DeepSeaPodcast, ArmatusOceanic 

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast, @armatusoceanic

Keep up with the team on social media

Twitter: 

Alan - @Hadalbloke

Thom - @ThomLinley

Georgia - @geeinthesea

Instagram: 

Georgia - @geeinthesea 

Read the show notes and find out more about us at:

www.armatusoceanic.com

Albatross - a very large white oceanic bird

Baikal - The world's deepest lake (1642 m deep), based in Siberia

Guyots - Flat-topped underwater mountains

Knoll - Less than 1000m underwater mountain

Manganese nodules - Potato-sized clumps of metals (mostly manganese and iron) found on the sea floor. These metals are used in the production of batteries

Orange roughy - (Hoplostethus atlanticus) A deep-sea fish which was famously historically overfished

Productivity - The rate of growth of a habitat, usually referring to biomass

Satellite altimeters - equipment which measures altitude or surface topography via satellite

Seamount - An underwater mountain which ascends more than 1000m

Sedimentation - The process of sediment sinking and then building up at the bottom of the water column

Seismic - Activity related to volcanoes or earthquakes

Bottled deep-sea water helps with physical fatigue

Deep-sea mining is mentioned at COP27

A recent expedition to the Cocos islands in the Indian Ocean has revealed an array of deep-sea species, and previously undiscovered geological features.

The UK Government’s Blue Belt Programme has launched the DY159 expedition where scientists are exploring the deep ocean around St Helena and Ascension Island.

3000 tonnes of polymetallic nodules are taken from the deep by deep-sea mining company

Ashley’s paper on the sustainable management of seamount fisheries

Global seamounts project - an initiative that’s exploring seamounts

Hubbs’ 1959 iconic article on seamounts.

Clark et al (2013) article on future priorities for seamount research.

Dun & Forman (2011) orange roughy distribution

No doubt - Oi to the world

Youtube

Spotify

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Image courtesy of NOAA

Our short and to the point PRESSURISED version of episode 4. If you don't have time for the full episode and want to get right to the science without any of our waffle, this is the place to be!

Read the show notes and find the full episode here:

https://www.armatusoceanic.com/podcast/004-fear-of-the-deep-sea-with-glenn-singleman

We turn the spotlight on ourselves and wonder why humanity seems to have an intrinsic fear of the deep sea. Glenn Singleman joins us to give a psychological explanation for why we feel differently about the deep sea and we take a deep dive into deep-sea tropes we see in the media.

Check out our podcast merch! Which now includes Alan’s beloved apron. 

Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or you own tales from the high seas on:

[email protected]

We’d love to actually play your voice so feel free to record a short audio note!

We are also on 

Twitter: @DeepSeaPod, @ArmatusO

Facebook: DeepSeaPodcast, ArmatusOceanic 

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast, @armatusoceanic

Links

Glenn Singleman’s bio

Alan, Thom and Glenn’s  paper on Fear of the Deep Sea

Credits

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

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Our short and to the point PRESSURISED version of episode 29. If you don't have time for the full episode and want to get right to the science without any of our waffle, this is the place to be!

Read the show notes and find the full episode here: www.armatusoceanic.com/podcast/029-deep-rivers

Everyone has been very busy this month with Thom and the Professor officially describing a new species of blue snailfish, alongside their adventures in Singapore. We hear from one of our old students about the work he’s been doing in deep freshwater ecosystems, which got us thinking about these unique environments and the kind of species that live there. We decided to throw one last curveball away from the deep sea and speak with Dr Melanie Stiassny, an ichthyologist who’s focused her research on the deep water fish of the Congo river.

We couldn’t go an episode without discussing the latest deep-sea related conspiracy theories. And of course, we hear from Don about how freshwater affects sub manoeuvres.

Check out our podcast merch! Which now includes Alan’s beloved apron and a much anticipated new design...

Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:

[email protected]

We’d love to actually play your voice so feel free to record a short audio note!

We are also on

Twitter: @DeepSeaPod, @ArmatusO

Facebook: DeepSeaPodcast, ArmatusOceanic

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast, @armatusoceanic

• Acoustic doppler current profiler - a device that uses sound waves to measure the speed and direction of currents throughout the water column.

Dr Thom’s new paper on the blue hadal snailfish

Alans paper on hadal connectivity

Eel love

Melanie’s work and recent research:

Melanie’s recent paper on the discovery of a new species of air-breathing catfish

Melanie’s article on her work in the lower Congo

Melanie’s NY times article on her research on the deep river Congo 

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image - The Deep-Sea Podcast: PRESSURISED

https://www.armatusoceanic.com/podcast/029-deep-rivers

Everyone has been very busy this month with Thom and the Professor officially describing a new species of blue snailfish, alongside their adventures in Singapore. We hear from one of our old students about the work he’s been doing in deep freshwater ecosystems, which got us thinking about these unique environments and the kind of species that live there. We decided to throw one more curveball away from the deep sea and speak with Dr Melanie Stiassny, an ichthyologist who’s focused her research on the deep-water fish of the Congo River.

We couldn’t go an episode without discussing the latest deep-sea related conspiracy theories. And of course, we hear from Don about how freshwater affects sub manoeuvres.

Check out our podcast merch! Which now includes Alan’s beloved apron and a much-anticipated new design...

Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:

[email protected]

We’d love to actually play your voice so feel free to record a short audio note!

Twitter: @DeepSeaPod, @ArmatusO

Facebook: DeepSeaPodcast, ArmatusOceanic

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast, @armatusoceanic

Keep up with the team on social media

Twitter:

Alan - @Hadalbloke

Thom - @ThomLinley

Georgia - @geeinthesea

Instagram:

Georgia - @geeinthesea

Read the show notes and find out more about us at:

www.armatusoceanic.com

Acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP) - a device that uses sound waves to measure the speed and direction of currents throughout the water column.

Delta - a landform shaped like a triangle, where the mouth of a river flows into an ocean.

Halocline - a vertical zone in the water column in which salinity changes rapidly with depth.

Giant Isopod - (Scientific genus: Bathynomus) carnivorous crustaceans which are abundant in the deep-sea.

Giger - H.R. Giger an award-winning Swiss artist who designed the creature from the 1979 sci-fi horror film ‘Alien’.

Rapids - sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence.

Sargasso Sea - a region of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by four currents forming an ocean gyre.

Alans TEDx talk

The art exhibition that Alan and Thom visited in Singapore

John Quentin’s new deep-sea sci-fi novel, The Verdansky Ultimatum

Alans paper on hadal connectivity

Dr Thom’s new paper on the blue hadal snailfish

Eel love, Macduff aquarium releasing their eels

Lake Baikal sculpins!

Crocs on Helium story and video

Melanie’s recent paper on the discovery of a new species of air-breathing catfish

Melanie’s article on her work in the lower Congo

Melanie’s research on the deep river Congo

Fishes in the lower Congo River. An extreme case of species divergence and convergent evolution

Dying Fish Revealed Congo Is World's Deepest River

Videos:

https://vimeo.com/channels/nsf/24733777

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tObYa9KQb8w&feature=relmfu

Melanie’s TEDx talk

Oceanchild - Spidergawd

Youtube

Spotify

Selti - Skatatacama

Youtube

Spotify

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Image courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History/Melanie Stiassny

Our short and to the point PRESSURISED version of episode 3. If you don't have time for the full episode and want to get right to the science without any of our waffle, this is the place to be!

Read the show notes and find the full episode here:

https://www.armatusoceanic.com/podcast/003-aesthetics-of-thedeep-sea-with-artist-alex-gould

Can we use art to help people engage with the deep sea? We stop trying to explain things and let artist Alex Gould help us see deep-sea animals for the first time all over again.

We talk about the aesthetics of deep-sea fish, is it distorted by our expectations? Can we save the blobfish from bullying? Can art help us with the horror of tongue eating parasites and fish absorbing their boyfriends?

Check out our podcast merch! Which now includes Alan’s beloved apron.

Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or you own tales from the high seas on:

[email protected]

We’d love to actually play your voice so feel free to record a short audio note!

We are also on

Twitter: @DeepSeaPod, @ArmatusO

Facebook: DeepSeaPodcast, ArmatusOceanic

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast, @armatusoceanic

Alex Gould’s Website

Anglerfish immune system

Pressure tolerant sea lice

The Ugly Animal Preservation Society

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image - The Deep-Sea Podcast: PRESSURISED

Our short and to the point PRESSURISED version of episode 28. If you don't have time for the full episode and want to get right to the science without any of our waffle, this is the place to be!

Read the show notes and find the full episode here:

https://www.armatusoceanic.com/podcast/028-being-captain

The Professor is back from his adventures at sea with lots of exciting new updates. He talks us through some of his key findings from this already iconic deep-sea expedition. We also get to hear from an often overlooked figure in these expeditions: the ship's captain. Alan and Captain Stuart Buckle have a shared history of seagoing. Travelling the world together onboard the DSSV Pressure Drop during the Five Deeps expedition and during the Professor's recent venture to the Japanese trenches. Captain Stu talks us through his journey into becoming a captain and how he managed to bag the role of captain during James Cameron's legendary Mariana Trench dive.

We also hear from one of our favourite captains and long-time guest of the show, Don Walsh. Don recalls how he sharpened his skills in ship handling and his methods of teaching these skills to the next generation of sailors.

Deep-sea news is a mixture of policy and goo this month. Deep-sea mining tests get the go-ahead, and Alan and Thom try and figure out what a certain spiky blue goo found at the bottom of the sea might be.

Check out our podcast merch! Which now includes Alan’s beloved apron.

Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or you own tales from the high seas on:

[email protected]

We’d love to actually play your voice so feel free to record a short audio note!

We are also on

Twitter: @DeepSeaPod, @ArmatusO

Facebook: DeepSeaPodcast, ArmatusOceanic

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast, @armatusoceanic

• Benthic - Associated with the seafloor

Vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems get further protection from bottom fishing in EU waters

Deep-sea mining test given green light

UN Ocean Treaty fails to reach an agreement

Unidentified spiky blue goo seen in the deep

Australian fisherman catches kitefin shark

Megamouth shark filmed off the coast of San Diego

230 pilot whales stranded on beach in Tasmania

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image - The Deep-Sea Podcast: PRESSURISED

The Professor is back from his adventures at sea with lots of exciting new updates. He talks us through some of his key findings from this already iconic deep-sea expedition. We also get to hear from an often overlooked figure in these expeditions: the ship's captain. Alan and Captain Stuart Buckle have a shared history of seagoing. Travelling the world together onboard the DSSV Pressure Drop during the Five Deeps expedition and during the Professor's recent venture to the Japanese trenches. Captain Stu talks us through his journey into becoming a captain and how he managed to bag the role of captain during James Cameron's legendary Mariana Trench dive.

We also hear from one of our favourite captains and long-time guest of the show, Don Walsh. Don recalls how he sharpened his skills in ship handling and his methods of teaching these skills to the next generation of sailors.

Check out our podcast merch! Which now includes Alan’s beloved apron.

Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or you own tales from the high seas on:

[email protected]

We’d love to actually play your voice so feel free to record a short audio note!

We are also on

Twitter: @DeepSeaPod, @ArmatusO

Facebook: DeepSeaPodcast, ArmatusOceanic

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast, @armatusoceanic

Keep up with the team on social media

Twitter:

Alan - @Hadalbloke

Thom - @ThomLinley

Georgia - @geeinthesea

Instagram:

Georgia - @geeinthesea

Read the show notes and find out more about us at:

www.armatusoceanic.com

Benthic - Associated with the seafloor

Captain - The commanding officer of a ship.

Crinoids - Sea lilies are marine animals that are closely related to sea stars, sea cucumbers and sea urchins.

Ctenophores - Comb jellies are gelatinous marine invertebrates that use cilia for swimming.

ECDIS - An Electronic Chart Display and Information System shows the navigational charts and information about the position, heading and speed of a vessel.

Knots - The unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour. The Deep Sea Challenger ascended at 6 knots or approx 7mph.

Thrusters - The propellers on an underwater vehicle that allow it to move.

ROV - Remotely Operated Vehicles are underwater robots that collect data such as video/images. They are attached to a vessel by an umbilical cord.

Xenophyophore - A unicellular marine organism with lots of nuclei found on abyssal plains.

Vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems get further protection from bottom fishing in EU waters

Deep-sea mining test given green light

UN Ocean Treaty fails to reach an agreement

Unidentified spiky blue goo seen in the deep

Australian fisherman catches kitefin shark

Megamouth shark filmed off the coast of San Diego

230 pilot whales stranded on beach in Tasmania

Nice Boys (Live) - Guns N’ Roses

Youtube

Spotify

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image

Image courtesy of the DSSV Pressure Drop

Here’s our first ever episode of The Deco-Stop; a deeper look into the humans behind deep sea science and technology. We’ve done our science dive, and now it’s time to decompress, and discuss tales at sea, career paths and the social & political aspects of deep sea science. 

Read the show notes and find the full episode here:

https://www.armatusoceanic.com/podcast/deco-stop-001

In our first ever episode, we talk to Kat Bolstad, the leader of the AUT lab for cephalopod ecology  and systematics (ALCES) at Auckland University in New Zealand.

We talk about squid Christmas, chasing the colossal squid, Kat’s career journey and her truly incredible record of being the deepest lactating human (we think). She also tells us how she once made a liar out of Sir David Attenborough. We’re so excited about creating this space to talk more about the human aspects of deep-sea science, and would love to hear from you about your deep-sea journey!

Check out our podcast merch! Which now includes Alan’s beloved apron. 

Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:

[email protected]

We’d love to actually play your voice so feel free to record a short audio note!

We are also on 

Twitter: @DeepSeaPod, @ArmatusO

Facebook: DeepSeaPodcast, ArmatusOceanic 

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast, @armatusoceanic

Architeuthis - The latin name for the giant squid. 

Cephalopod - A class of molluscs which contains squids, octopus, nautilus and vampire squid.

Colossal squid - Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, a species of deep-sea squid believed to be the largest squid species in terms of mass.

Genetic Taxonomy - The classification and gathering of organisms into groups based on genetic similarity.

Giant squid - A species of gigantic deep sea squid which can grow to 10-12m long at maximum size. 

Kondakovia - A species of deep-sea squid, which has now been reclassified as Moroteuthopsis.

Morphological Taxonomy - The classification and gathering of organisms into groups based on morphological similarities (similar physical features).

Moroteuthopsis - A species of deep-sea squid which was previously known as Kondakovia.

Octonauts - A children's TV programme which follows a group of underwater explorers.

Ommastrephes bartramii - The ‘neon flying squid’, a species of squid commonly fished in the North Pacific.

Kat’s Research Lab - AUT Lab for Cephalopod Ecology and Systematics (ALCES)

Website

Twitter

Kat’s appearance in the NHK documentary series: Deep Ocean

S1. E4: Giants of the Antarctic Deep

Kat’s paper on the renaming of Kondakovia to Moroteuthopsis.

Kat’s paper on the distribution and biology of the colossal squid

Kat’s book chapter on The Study of Deep Sea Cephalopods

Kat’s paper on Moroteuthopsis diet—the one that ate a Bathyteuthis 

‘Squid cube’

Theme – Hometime by Harvey Jones

Logo image - The Deco-Stop

Read the show notes and find the full episode here:

https://www.armatusoceanic.com/podcast/002-exploring-the-mariana-trench-guest-don-walsh

In this episode we have an amazing interview with legendary oceanographer, Don Walsh. In 1960, Don and Jacques Piccard were the first people ever to reach the ocean’s deepest point – Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench in the bathyscaphe Trieste. Since then, Don tends to get asked the same questions about the dive but he is full of other stories at least as interesting. Some include getting a tour of the heavens from his old dive buddy Arthur C. Clark, almost joining the Apollo Program and being involved in the first remote sensing of our oceans from space. He is still passionate about science communication and we discuss how important storytelling is when sharing science.

Check out our podcast merch! Which now includes Alan’s beloved apron.

Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or you own tales from the high seas on:

[email protected]

We’d love to actually play your voice so feel free to record a short audio note!

We are also on

Twitter: @DeepSeaPod, @ArmatusO

Facebook: DeepSeaPodcast, ArmatusOceanic

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast, @armatusoceanic

• Apollo programme - A USA space program carried out from 1961 to 1972 by NASA which landed the first astronauts on the Moon

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