Our Ocean

Welcome back to Our Ocean! We've had a bit of a break, but are delighted to be back at St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve, with the amazing head ranger Ciaran Hatsell and his colleagues, from The National Trust for Scotland, just in time for seal pupping season!Every year, St Abb's goes through incredible seasonal transformations. We were last here in June (check out our episode 'Seabird Spectacle' if you haven't already!) when the cliffs were lined with noisy seabirds. The cliffs might be empty now, but the beaches are COVERED in newly born grey seal pups.And, in what we can only imagine is a global podcast first, we name one of the colony's most impressive bulls live on the podcast!A huge thanks to Ciaran and the National Trust for Scotland; you can learn more about St Abb's Head Nature Reserve here: https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/st-abbs-headThank you to Isla and the Ullapool Nature Club!If you find an injured, thin or distressed seal pup outside of a colony, please call the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR): https://bdmlr.org.ukSeaful's 12 Days Of Christmas silent auction is here: https://uk.givergy.com/seaful/The Our Ocean podcast is brought to you by Seaful, the UK charity dedicated to connecting people to our ocean. To donate, please visit our website.For more information about Seaful, please visit our Website, Instagram or Facebook. For questions or suggestions, please email us - [email protected] can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.

Seagulls seem to divide opinion more than most wildlife! For some, they're a nostalgic sight and sound of the seaside. For others, they're a nuisance, and even a threat. In this episode, we're diving deep into why these birds, which, perhaps surprisingly, are actually made up of several endangered species, are living in more urban settings, and what can be done to navigate their curious and sometimes challenging ways and live harmoniously alongside them.We're joined by two seabird experts from the National Trust for Scotland - Senior Seabird Officer Ellie Owen, and St Abbs Head National Nature Reserve Head Ranger, Ciaran Hatsell, for amazing insights into these masters of adaptation. We also hear from The Ullapool Sea Savers' Herring Gull ambassador, Peter, for stories of gulls in his village, where some people are delighted with their presence, and others are calling for drastic measures for their control...Expect the unexpected in this episode as we bust some myths about these fascinating birds, and ask what we can do to protect them from further declines they're facing in their natural world, and reframe our relationship with them, championing them as the amazing predators they are.We also have an update for you on the Berwick Bank Wind Farm proposal which we spoke about in depth in our last episode, 'Seabird Spectacle - Guillemot Jumplings'.The Our Ocean podcast is brought to you by Seaful, the UK charity dedicated to connecting people to our ocean. To donate, please visit our website.For more information about Seaful, please visit our Website, Instagram or Facebook. For questions or suggestions, please email us - [email protected] can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.

This is an extra special episode, recorded mid-seabird season at St Abbs Head National Nature Reserve where we are treated to one of nature's most wonderful spectacles - guillemot chicks of only 15 days old taking a leap of faith into the ocean for the first time. The 'Jumplings' can't fly, yet leap off cliffs around the UK for a couple of weeks every year to begin their lives out at sea.We're guided on our adventure in St Abbs by the Head Ranger, Ciaran Hatsell, who is passionate, inspiring and full of knowledge about birds and nature at large. Overlooking the wild ocean, we discuss some recent developments to protect seabirds' food source, and some proposed developments which would mean disaster for seabirds along the East coast of the UK.Ciaran also discusses his path into his job as head ranger, and the thrill of working with the incredible seabird team at the National Trust for Scotland.Say No To Berwick Bank Wind Farm - Scottish Seabird CentreExcellent pages on the National Trust for Scotland's Website:St Abbs Head National Nature ReserveCall for Ministers to Reject Berwick Bank Wind Farm ProposalFive Things You Can Do To Help Save Scotland's SeabirdsRSPB: The Closure of Sandeel Fisheries The Our Ocean podcast is brought to you by Seaful, the UK charity dedicated to connecting people to our ocean. To donate, please visit our website.For more information about Seaful, please visit our Website, Instagram or Facebook. For questions or suggestions, please email us - [email protected] can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.

Imagine being able to fly through the water, over a magnificent seabed, at depths of up to 200 metres, without even having to get wet! The Ocean Witness report by the charity Open Seas has done exactly that, by sending an ROV, a remote operated vehicle with a camera, down into the depths over 300 times around the coast of Scotland to show us exactly what's out of sight and out of mind.This episode of Our Ocean is with Phil Taylor from Open Seas. We dive into our ocean's amazing ecosystems, what can be found inside and outside of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and whether the protections given to these MPAs work. We also dive into the shortcomings of the status quo of fisheries management, and what needs to be done to protect our seas.We look at who and what could benefit from better seabed protection, and hear about Phil's Fantastic Fish Finger Butty of Fisheries Management...This episode is based in Scotland, but is relevant wherever in the world you're listening. We hope it inspires you to use your voice for better protection of the Ocean, which as we hear in this episode, really does work for nature and people.Links:Visit the Open Seas website here for more information on fishing in Scotland, to read the Ocean Witness Report and to sign up for their newsletter. https://www.openseas.org.ukYou can add your name to the Our Seas petition here. https://www.ourseas.scotThe Our Ocean Podcast is brought to you by Seaful - the UK charity connecting people to our ocean. For more information about Seaful, please visit our Website, Instagram or Facebook. For questions or suggestions, please email us - [email protected] can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.

This is a short and sweet round up of what's been happening in the Ocean World! We start with an update on Seaful's Vitamin Sea Project - transformative ocean experiences from the UK charity dedicated to connecting people to the ocean, followed by a quick look at the recent UN Ocean Conference. We finish up with some ideas of how you can be an Ocean Citizen this month.This is a new style of episode to complement our longer form conversations. Let us know what you think, and if you have any suggestions of what to include in next month's round up, let us know - [email protected] Links:UN Ocean ConferenceThe campaign to ban bottom trawling in England's MPAs:Blue Marine Foundation - the Bottom Line - film and information/petitionOceana UK petitionPlastic Free JulyTo donate to Seaful, please visit our website here.For more information about Seaful, the UK charity dedicated to connecting people to our ocean, please visit our Website, Instagram or Facebook.You can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.Thanks so much for listening! Please share this episode with anyone you think might enjoy it.