Our Ocean

This is a special episode in the run up to the Scottish Government elections in May 2026, however, it retains relevance for any UK elections, and for engaging with politicians in general. This is one of the most crucial and effective ways to be an Ocean Citizen, and we're really grateful for the knowledge and insight from Rea Cris, Public Affairs Manager for the charity Open Seas.
Rea passionately describes to us how democracy should really be a two way street, and how we can recover some of those conversations to influence what our elected representatives, and candidates who want to be our elected representatives, actually do for us when in office.
We cover how to convey what matters to you to political candidates, Hustings, how the juicy bits of elections really start months before the ballot boxes, and some novel ways of engaging with MPs and MSPs (Members of Scottish Parliament).
Here's a handy website where you can put in your postcode, and it brings up who your political candidates are and how to get in touch with them!
https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/
You can sign the Our Seas petition here: https://www.ourseas.scot/
Mentioned in the podcast are Seawilding - restoring seagrass in Scotland
Thanks to Orla from the Ullapool Sea Savers for her excellent Seagrass facts.
This episode was recorded and edited by Adventurous Audio.
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].
You can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.

Dr Kat Bruce is a scientist, adventurer and expedition leader, founder of NatureMetrics, and now working for the Protected Areas Foundation. In this episode, we're going on a journey from the depths of the Amazon to the Northwest Passage, via one and a half circumnavigations of the UK in a rowing boat!
We're talking underwater magic with eDNA, or environmental DNA - the incredible scientific research technique being used around the world to monitor biodiversity, by making the invisible visible.
Kat's recommendations:
Book - Savages, by Joe Kane
Film - Ocean with David Attenborough
Other mentions:
Ullapool Sea Savers - thanks to Hunter for his facts about Lumpsuckers!
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].
You can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.

We are delighted to be joined today by Megan Hamill, one of the recipient's of Seaful's inaugural Ocean Citizens Award in 2025. This incredible opportunity was generously created by Felix Appelbe, founder of Ocean Ambassadors, to support young people in their journey to becoming Ocean Citizens. Applications for the 2026 award are open until the end of February.
It was a joy to catch up with Megan - an ocean advocate from the Isle of Arran, and hear all about her Fintastic summer on the West Coast of Scotland with the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, British Divers Marine Life Rescue and the Community of Arran Seabed Trust, and how the courses and experiences the award supported have helped her on her journey in marine conservation.
We hear about Megan's search for cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), and hear about some surprising species which call Scotland's waters home, including a very unassuming apex predator! We also hear about Megan's love for seabirds, and the new islands she'll be journeying to this year.
You can read more about Megan's journey here.
Huge thanks to Felix Appelbe for supporting Seaful, for creating this award, and enabling young people on their journeys to be Ocean Ambassadors.
Learn more about Young Sea Changers Scotland's Turning The Tide Course for 16-25 year olds.
This episode was recorded and edited by Adventurous Audio.
Manx Shearwater sound effect recorded by David Boyle, XC1023582. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/1023582
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].
You can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.

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-head
Thank 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.uk
Seaful'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].
You 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]
You can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.