The Deep-Sea Podcast

The gang has swapped places, Alan is back in Perth and now it’s Thom’s turn to hit Antarctica. He’s out with the Schmidt Ocean Institute on the Antarctic Climate Connections expedition to the Bellinghousen Sea, to the west of the Antarctic Peninsula. 

He will record, edit and upload a podcast from there… somehow. This episode may sound a little rougher as a result, but the content is gold as ever… Underrated belter alert.

The Prof managed to have some downtime with the family in Antarctica and has some great stories to tell, he’s a chopper guy now. He’s over subs and only into helicopters now… the subs of the sky. 

We talk to Antarctic fishes expert Thomas Desvignes about the fishes that are only found there and their amazing adaptations. Of course, we also have a remote coffee with Andrew.

We’re really trying to make this project self-sustaining so we have started looking for ways to support the podcast. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us:

Thanks again for tuning in, we’ll deep-see you next time!

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

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast,

Alan - @Hadalbloke

Thom - @ThomLinley 

Thom - @thom.linley 

Thom - @deepseapod.com

Cable damage

https://bbc.com/news/articles/cqx9g5wwp89o

Vessel named after Don

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimclash/2025/01/11/naval-ships-named-after-explorers-don-walsh-and-victor-vescovo/

Antarctic ice melting dynamics

https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-marine-040323-074354

https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/antarctica/how-is-the-ocean-melting-antarctica-were-starting-to-figure-it-out

Antifreeze in fish: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.94.8.3811

Supercooling and heating processes: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1410256111

Cod antifreeze: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1817138116

X-cell disease paper: https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(22)00860-4

Hemoglobin paper: https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/40/11/msad236/7329987

The new species of dragonfish: https://www.mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5501.2.3

Nesting in notothenioids: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/faf.12523

Icefish nest colony:  https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(21)01698-5

And the three comics:

https://blogs.uoregon.edu/antarcticfishdiversity/

https://blogs.uoregon.edu/antarcticxcell/

https://blogs.uoregon.edu/fishsexdetermination/

Follow Thomas on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/notothentoma.bsky.social

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image: Thom Linley

Song of the month: Five Magics by Megadeath

Our short and to the point PRESSURISED version of episode 54. 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/054-antarctica

It’s a big one! With The Professor down in Antarctica and Dr Thom not too far behind him, we’ve got an update live from the field. We’re talking about Antarctic submarine dives, below-freezing trenches, unexpected uses of glacial ice and, of course, the importance of growing a beard…

But they’re not alone! This month we’re joined by the incredible Shaylyn Potter (Marine Scientist, Sub Pilot and polar diver) as she talks us through the intricacies and unique nature of this environment. We learn about what makes an iceberg different from a bergy bit (yes, that’s a real word), and why plans don’t always go as planned in the south.

We’re really trying to make this project self-sustaining so we have started looking for ways to support the podcast. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us!

Thanks again for tuning in, we’ll deep-see you next time!

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

Bluesky: @@deepseapodcast.bsky.social

Keep up with the team on social media

Twitter: 

Alan - @Hadalbloke (https://twitter.com/Hadalbloke)

Thom - @ThomLinley (https://twitter.com/ThomLinley) 

Georgia - @geeinthesea (https://twitter.com/geeinthesea) 

Instagram: 

Georgia - @geeinthesea (https://www.instagram.com/geeinthesea/) 

Thom - @thom.linley (https://www.instagram.com/thom.linley/)

Or Bluesky:

Thom: https://bsky.app/profile/deepseapod.com

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

www.armatusoceanic.com

People mentioned

Shaylyn Potter

Kat Bolstad

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image - The Deep-Sea Podcast: PRESSURISED Logo

Edited by - Georgia Wells

It’s a big one! With The Professor down in Antarctica and Dr Thom not too far behind him, we’ve got an update live from the field. We’re talking about Antarctic submarine dives, below-freezing trenches, unexpected uses of glacial ice and, of course, the importance of growing a beard…

But they’re not alone! This month we’re joined by the incredible Shaylyn Potter (Marine Scientist, Sub Pilot and polar diver) as she talks us through the intricacies and unique nature of this environment. We learn about what makes an iceberg different from a bergy bit (yes, that’s a real word), and why plans don’t always go as planned in the south.

We’re really trying to make this project self-sustaining so we have started looking for ways to support the podcast. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us!

Thanks again for tuning in, we’ll deep-see you next time!

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

Bluesky: @@deepseapodcast.bsky.social

Keep up with the team on social media

Twitter: 

Alan - @Hadalbloke (https://twitter.com/Hadalbloke)

Thom - @ThomLinley (https://twitter.com/ThomLinley) 

Georgia - @geeinthesea (https://twitter.com/geeinthesea) 

Instagram: 

Georgia - @geeinthesea (https://www.instagram.com/geeinthesea/) 

Thom - @thom.linley (https://www.instagram.com/thom.linley/)

Or Bluesky:

Thom: https://bsky.app/profile/deepseapod.com

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

www.armatusoceanic.com

Links

Uranus ocean moons

New amphipod

People mentioned

Shaylyn Potter

Kat Bolstad

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image - Inkfish/Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre

Edited by - Georgia Wells

Our short and to the point PRESSURISED version of episode 53. 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/053-corals

With Dr Thom and The Professor busy prepping for their upcoming expeditions offshore, we had time to squeeze out one more episode before they set sail.

We caught up with the legendary Di Tracey from NIWA to talk all things deep-water corals. How they live, what makes them different from their shallow water relatives, and how they are adapted to life in the deep dark ocean. Di's long career in deep-sea ecology is also intertwined with her extensive work in making the marine sciences a better place for women to work. She talks us through what it was like to begin her career offshore, often being the only woman on board, and how she helped change the industry for the better. 

We’re really trying to make this project self-sustaining so we have started looking for ways to support the podcast. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us!

Thanks again for tuning in, we’ll deep-see you next time!

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

Bluesky: @@deepseapodcast.bsky.social

Keep up with the team on social media

Twitter: 

Alan - @Hadalbloke (https://twitter.com/Hadalbloke)

Thom - @ThomLinley (https://twitter.com/ThomLinley) 

Georgia - @geeinthesea (https://twitter.com/geeinthesea) 

Instagram: 

Georgia - @geeinthesea (https://www.instagram.com/geeinthesea/) 

Thom - @thom.linley (https://www.instagram.com/thom.linley/)

Or Bluesky:

Thom: https://bsky.app/profile/deepseapod.com

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

www.armatusoceanic.com

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image - The Deep-Sea Podcast PRESSURISED logo

Edited by - Georgia Wells

Aotearoa - The Māori-language name for New Zealand

With Dr Thom and The Professor busy prepping for their upcoming expeditions offshore, we had time to squeeze out one more episode before they set sail.

We caught up with the legendary Di Tracey from NIWA to talk all things deep-water corals. How they live, what makes them different from their shallow water relatives, and how they are adapted to life in the deep dark ocean. Di's long career in deep-sea ecology is also intertwined with her extensive work in making the marine sciences a better place for women to work. She talks us through what it was like to begin her career offshore, often being the only woman on board, and how she helped change the industry for the better. 

In the news this week we have a few exciting new updates. We can indeed confirm that as of our last episode where we spoke about the vulnerability of subsea cables, there were multiple apparent attacks and cables were cut. We can only assume that hostile nations do indeed listen to the deep-sea podcast (thanks for subscribing!).

Andrew is back from his stint offshore and he is chock-full of stories for us. Brand new dragonfish species, near-misses with box jellyfish and also some cookie-cutter sharks. It's all happening!

We’re really trying to make this project self-sustaining so we have started looking for ways to support the podcast. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us:

Christian Nilsson | Mol Mir

Thanks again for tuning in, we’ll deep-see you next time!

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

Bluesky: @@deepseapodcast.bsky.social

Keep up with the team on social media

Twitter: 

Alan - @Hadalbloke (https://twitter.com/Hadalbloke)

Thom - @ThomLinley (https://twitter.com/ThomLinley) 

Georgia - @geeinthesea (https://twitter.com/geeinthesea) 

Instagram: 

Georgia - @geeinthesea (https://www.instagram.com/geeinthesea/) 

Thom - @thom.linley (https://www.instagram.com/thom.linley/)

Or Bluesky:

Thom: https://bsky.app/profile/deepseapod.com

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

www.armatusoceanic.com

Links

Subsea cables: update - cables cut

China's new cable laying technology

New squid just dropped!

Upside-down anglerfish footage

Deep warm corals

Mol mir's art

The Weakerthans - Sun in an Empty Room.

Spotify

Youtube

Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image - Ocean Exploration Trust

Edited by - Georgia Wells

Aotearoa - The Māori-language name for New Zealand

Our short and to the point PRESSURISED version of episode 52. 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/052-blackwater-diving

Join us this episode as we jump into the fascinating world of blackwater diving, where expert scuba divers plunge into the open ocean at night in order to catch a glimpse of our favourite deep sea faces. We talk with expert blackwater divers to find out what it’s like to venture into the open ocean at night, when deep sea species rise from the depths to feed. How do they capture such remarkable photographs in such challenging conditions? What are some of their favourite species to encounter? What is it like to see bioluminescence in person and how is this related to science and the discovery of new species? Whether you’re a pro-diver yourself or prefer to stay dry, this episode is jam-packed with interesting stories and insights into this poorly understood environment.

Thanks again for tuning in, we’ll deep-see you next time!

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Support us by becoming a patron and joining our deep-sea community!

We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us!

Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own comments on:

[email protected]

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Twitter: 

Alan - @Hadalbloke | Thom - @ThomLinley | Georgia - @geeinthesea

Instagram: 

Georgia - @geeinthesea | Thom - @thom.linley 

www.armatusoceanic.com

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Andrea Whitaker - Instagram and website

Linda Ianniello - Website and book

Richard Collins - Instagram

The blackwater photo Facebook group

Two papers that the team were involved with:

Hydromedusae observed during night dives in the Gulf Stream

Additional observations on hydromedusae during night dives in the Gulf Stream

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Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image - PRESSURISED Logo

Edited by - Georgia Wells

Join us this episode as we jump into the fascinating world of blackwater diving, where expert scuba divers plunge into the open ocean at night in order to catch a glimpse of our favourite deep sea faces. We talk with expert blackwater divers to find out what it’s like to venture into the open ocean at night, when deep sea species rise from the depths to feed. How do they capture such remarkable photographs in such challenging conditions? What are some of their favourite species to encounter? What is it like to see bioluminescence in person and how is this related to science and the discovery of new species? Whether you’re a pro-diver yourself or prefer to stay dry, this episode is jam-packed with interesting stories and insights into this poorly understood environment.

Thanks again for tuning in, we’ll deep-see you next time!

------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Support us by becoming a patron and joining our deep-sea community!

We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us!

Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own comments on:

[email protected]

------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Twitter: 

Alan - @Hadalbloke | Thom - @ThomLinley | Georgia - @geeinthesea

Instagram: 

Georgia - @geeinthesea | Thom - @thom.linley 

www.armatusoceanic.com

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Subsea cables

Short story - Driftglass by Samuel R. Delaney, written in 1967 (page 141) and the podcast is here

Deep sea species found in shallow waters by blackwater divers

Deep sea species membranes - the news article and the published paper

Ceph Ref - Demo site & GoFundMe

Andrea Whitaker - Instagram and website

Linda Ianniello - Website and book

Richard Collins - Instagram

The blackwater photo Facebook group

Two papers that the team were involved with:

Hydromedusae observed during night dives in the Gulf Stream

Additional observations on hydromedusae during night dives in the Gulf Stream

Andrew Stewart - Curator of Fishes at Te Papa Museum, New Zealand

Baccano - Guns and Roses (Theme tune)

Youtube

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Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image - Linda Ianniello

Edited by - Georgia Wells

Our short and to the point PRESSURISED version of episode 51. 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/051-australian-deep

Did you know that 70% of Australian waters are deeper than 1000m? Now that’s a lot of deep sea! We hear from the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre’s deputy director, Dr Todd Bond about the huge array of marine geographical features and biodiversity in Australia’s waters. Plus, Alan clears up some ongoing Australian-isms that have left him confused.

Thanks again for tuning in, we’ll deep-see you next time!

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Support us by becoming a patron and joining our deep-sea community!

We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us!

------------------------------------------------------------------

Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own comments on:

[email protected]

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

www.armatusoceanic.com

------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Todd Bond - Deep-sea ecologist & Deputy Director of the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre

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Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image - The Deep-Sea Podcast

Edited by - Georgia Wells

Did you know that 70% of Australian waters are deeper than 1000m? Now that’s a lot of deep sea! We hear from the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre’s deputy director, Dr Todd Bond about the huge array of marine geographical features and biodiversity in Australia’s waters. Plus, Alan clears up some ongoing Australian-isms that have left him confused.

We also check in with our resident squid expert - Dr Kat Bolstad after the highly anticipated Squidtember comes to a close. Did you vote for your favourite squid, and if so, how did they score? We reckon Alan’s recent videos from the Tonga Trench (that he teased last episode) might’ve had a subtle influence…

Thanks again for tuning in, we’ll deep-see you next time!

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Support us by becoming a patron and joining our deep-sea community!

We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us:

Gaelle | Bharathy Singaravel

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Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own comments on:

[email protected]

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

www.armatusoceanic.com

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New remote sensing technology allows for detailed measurements of deep-sea environments

New chimaera just dropped

100 million year old microbes found 75 m below the seabed are still alive

Biotwang mystery solved

Octopoteuthis - Same sex spermatangea implantation

Ceph Ref - Demo site & GoFundMe

‘Puppet’ squid Grimalditeuthis - Article and MBARI video

Kat Bolstad - Head of AUT Squid Squad lab in Aukland, New Zealand

Sarah McAnulty - Squid biologist, science communicator & purveyor of squid facts

Meg Mindlin - Cephalopod biologist, illustrator, photographer & science communicator

Ryan Howard - Cephalopod vision, AUT Squid Squad

Todd Bond - Deep-sea ecologist & Deputy Director of the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre

Andrew Stewart - Curator of Fishes at Te Papa Museum, New Zealand

Charlie the Unicorn - In the ocean blue

Youtube & Spotify

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Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image - The Deep-Sea Podcast

Edited by - Georgia Wells

Expect to hear all about how the colossal deep-sea expedition is going, including the time Alan piloted a submarine to 2000m, stumbled upon a rarely seen deep-sea squid, and made poor Steve’s life difficult (the onboard media guy). Life on land is also just as chaotic as Alan has been jetsetting all over the world, with his shiny new OBE medal safely tucked in his backpack pocket, plus a very mysterious scroll from the king arrived and is now living proudly in his downstairs loo.

For those who really love the show, Alan shared with us pictures of all the species he found in the Tonga trench, and this extended video version of the episode is available now via our Patreon (and will be made publicly available on September 20th).

Thanks again for tuning in, we’ll deep-see you next time!

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Support us by becoming a patron and joining our deep-sea community!

We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us!

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NEW MERCH DESIGNS

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

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GET IN TOUCH

Email: [email protected]

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

Thom - @thom.linley 

www.armatusoceanic.com

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Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Logo image - Images courtesy of Alan Jamieson/UWA Deep Sea Research Centre/Inkfish

Edited by - Georgia Wells