The Deep-Sea Podcast

Episode Summary
This month on the Deep-Sea Podcast we are joined by The Unseen Ocean Collective, this art and science collective comprised of Meghan Jones, Lara Beckmann, Nilanjana Das and Kierstin Keller are bringing the beauty and wonder of the deep-sea to the public through international art and science events. 

 

Check out our lovely new website where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading.

In this episode…
Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, your punk take on all things deep sea! 

 

This month Thom is freshly back from a 5 week expedition to  Antarctica with Aurora Expeditions, managed 4 ESCA deployments in 24 hours and watched in amazement while Kat fended off a large iceberg with her bare hands and a boat hook. Alan had a great time with old friends, may have played hookey on a podcast record, and spent 2 weeks in Antigua listening to ‘80’s hair metal. We get an update from Monty on Chimaera mating, and get to hear about the forever home for the “I am your tongue now” mug from @fibreandmud. 

 

In the news, get ready for updates on:

Redefining our understanding of sinking carbon

Cancer-fighting sponges

New branch of life discovered

New film on bioluminescence

Mystery whale revealed through skin fragment

Discord update

Tongue-eating louse asked for autograph, shyly declines

The “I Am Your Tongue Now” mug finds new forever home

Lost Alan- reward $100

Baby Paddlefish, deep-sea dreams, Alvin maintenance

Squid hunts, deep-sea accessories, shark cartoons and more!

Support the show
The podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. 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:

Amrei - is only known from a single specimen caught by the challenger expedition

Diana Noto - was considered lost for decades until they were found at the back of the sponge collection

Pedro - has been found to flouress under the right wavelengths of light, no one knows why

Check out our podcast merch here!

 

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 on our brand new answerphone!

https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail

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

 

Find out more
Social media
BlueSky: @deepseapod.com

Twitter: @DeepSeaPod

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast

 

Keep up with the team on social media
Twitter: 
Alan - @Hadalbloke

Thom - @ThomLinley 

https://twitter.com/ThomLinley

Instagram: 
Thom - @thom.linley 

Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions

BlueSky:
Thom @thomaslinley.com

 

 Alan @hadalbloke

 

Reference list
News 
Deep-Sea News
Oceanography Podcast

 

Thom’s Episode

Apple Podcasts: Oceanography Episode 27: What is the Deep-Sea Even Like? 

Spotify Podcasts: Oceanography Episode 27: What is the Deep-Sea Even Like?

 

Alan’s Episode

Spotify Podcasts: Oceanography Episide 28: Ocean Trenches Explained

Apple Podcasts: Ocean Trenches Explained with Prof. Alan Jamieson

 

News from our Episode

Extreme Ocean Pressure Is Feeding Deep-Sea Life in a Way Scientists Never Expected

Deep-sea natural compound targets cancer cells through a dual mechanism

Photoaffinity Labeling Strategy Reveals Tetraspanin CD9 as a Transient Target of Anticancer Yaku'amide B

24 new deep-sea species found including a rare new branch of life | ScienceDaily

dm, Europe’s Largest Drugstore Retailer, Drops All Krill Products

Marine biologist Edie Widder chases bioluminescence in new ‘Life Illuminated’ film

Tracked by Sound for Years, This Mysterious Deep-Sea Whale Was Finally Seen Alive

Discord Updates
Underwater Robot Resources for All Ages | Nautilus Live

Kid Engineer: Underwater R.O.V. | Design Squad

Sleeper Shark cartoon Post by @mossworm.bsky.social

Best Ocean Documentaries, Books & Podcasts (Updated List)

Laura :) (@fibreandmud) • Instagram photos and videos

 

Interview Links
Unseen Ocean Collective.

Unseen Ocean Collective (@unseenoceancollective) • Instagram photos and videos

Unseen Ocean Collective on Blusky

America’s Hidden Deep-Sea Coral Gardens Come To Spokane - Trending Northwest

Meghan Jones

studio mbj

Meghan Jones (@studio_mbj) • Instagram photos and videos

Studio MBJ on Blusky

 

Lara Beckmann

Lara (@planulara) • Instagram photos and videos

planulara | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree

 

Kierstin Keller

Golden Spiral Studios

Kierstin Keller (@golden.spiral.studios) • Instagram photos and videos

Nilanjana Das

Nilanjana (@highseas_sculptures) • Instagram photos and videos

Nilanjana Das | Department of Microbiology

Credits
Song of the month:
Cover of Hamilton’s You’ll Be Back by Punk Rock Factory.

You'll Be Back - song and lyrics by Punk Rock Factory | Spotify

Punk Rock Factory - You'll Be Back (from Hamilton)

Logo image: “Snailfish Cupcake” by Meghan Jones

Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Welcome to the PRESSURISED version of episode 67. Just the science, none of the chit-chat. 
Check out our lovely new website where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading.

Episode Summary
This month on the Deep-Sea Podcast, we are joined by Dr Nigel Merrett for a career spotlight episode highlighting his pioneering research, genre-defining technological advancements and personal connections with some of the most well-known names in the deep-sea research community.

 

 

In this episode…
Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, your punk take on all things deep sea! 

 

Our guest this month is Dr. Nigel Merrett, a British zoologist, ichthyologist, and former director of the fish section of the British Natural History Museum. In our first career spotlight episode, we shine a light on Nigel’s incredible and adventurous past, including working on the last British whaling ship, developing ground-breaking gear that is still used today, and working with some of the most impactful names in deep-sea history. Nigel shines a light on his incredible past, the importance of his work, and how we can all build on the work of others to advance science once step at a time. 

Support the show
The podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. 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:

Maxim

Check out our podcast merch here!

 

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 on our brand new answerphone!

https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail

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

 

Find out more
Social media
BlueSky: @deepseapod.com

Twitter: @DeepSeaPod

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast

 

Keep up with the team on social media
Twitter: 
Alan - @Hadalbloke

Thom - @ThomLinley 

Instagram: 
Thom - @thom.linley 

Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions

BlueSky:
Thom @thomaslinley.com

 Alan @hadalbloke

 

Reference list
Interview Links

The Whalefish Mystery | 

Deep Sea Demersal Fish and Fisheries

Nigel Merret Wikipedia

WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Careproctus merretti Andriashev & Chernova, 1988

Historical Perspective Paper: Dan Morris Cohen

Credits
Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Episode Summary
This month on the Deep-Sea Podcast, we are joined by Dr Nigel Merrett for a career spotlight episode highlighting his pioneering research, genre-defining technological advancements and personal connections with some of the most well-known names in the deep-sea research community.

 

Check out our lovely new website where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading.

In this episode…
Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, your punk take on all things deep sea! 

 

This month, Thom is in Antarctica, trying to lure a giant squid into his research gear, and Alan is headed back to the Canary Islands after an international skirmish scuttled his travel plans. Our guest this month is Dr. Nigel Merrett, a British zoologist, ichthyologist, and former director of the fish section of the British Natural History Museum. In our first career spotlight episode we shine a light on Nigel’s incredible and adventurous past, including working on the last British whaling ship, developing ground-breaking gear that is still used today, and working with some of the most impactful names in deep-sea history. Nigel shines a light on his incredible past, the importance of his work, and how we can all build on the work of others to advance science once step at a time. 

 

In the news, get ready for updates on:

A massive cold-water coral reef off the coast of Argentina

Crowdsourcing a new species name

New research on deep-sea fish eyes

Parasitic Barnacles

Antarctic sleeper shark

 

We hear from Meghan Jones, cofounder of the Unseen Ocean Collective, with an update on the Juneau, Alaska, show, and the upcoming show and public events happening in Spokane, Washington, in April  of 2026.

Discord update

A common toad Valentine’s Day Party

Branching snakes, and mystery gremlins. 

Museum dinosaur exhibits

Parasitic louse mouth orgies

Probability of Alan being a robot

Support the show
The podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. 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:

Maxim

Check out our podcast merch here!

 

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 on our brand new answerphone!

https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail

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

 

Find out more
Social media
BlueSky: @deepseapod.com

Twitter: @DeepSeaPod

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast

 

Keep up with the team on social media
Twitter: 
Alan - @Hadalbloke

Thom - @ThomLinley 

Instagram: 
Thom - @thom.linley 

Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions

BlueSky:
Thom @thomaslinley.com

 Alan @hadalbloke

 

Reference list
News 
Deep-Sea News

Deep Below Argentina's Coast, Researchers Filmed Coral Cities, Rare Sea Ghost, and Something Out of Place

8,000 Suggestions Later, a Newly Discovered Deep-Sea Species Gets Its Name

Scientists discover a completely new life form wreaking havoc on deep-sea sharks

On the Origin of a Novel Parasitic-Feeding Mode within Suspension-Feeding Barnacles - ScienceDirect

Shark filmed in Antarctica for the first time | Polar Journal

 

Discord Updates
Unseen Ocean Collective Juneau Exhibit

Video of the Unseen Ocean Juneau Alaska Show

All the Fish Names Entymology Podcast

BBC Audio | In Our Time | The Mariana Trench

Interview Links

The Whalefish Mystery | 

Deep Sea Demersal Fish and Fisheries

Nigel Merret Wikipedia

WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Careproctus merretti Andriashev & Chernova, 1988

Historical Perspective Paper: Dan Morris Cohen

Credits
Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Welcome to the PRESSURISED version of episode 66. Just the science, none of the chit-chat. 
Check out our lovely new website where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading.

In this episode…
Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, your punk take on all things deep sea! 

 

Our guest this month is the one, the only, Prof. Alan Jamieson! Join our most favorite deep-sea professor, who takes us on a tour of the very bottom of the deepest of deep-sea. Get ready for a hot take on the past, present and future of this frontier science, while we “turn our backs to the shallow water”- Alan. 

 

Support the show
The podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. 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:

Melissa M

Undersea TV

Max

Frieda of Moku Art Studio 

 

Check out our podcast merch here!

 

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 on our brand new answerphone!

https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail

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

 

Find out more
Social media
BlueSky: @deepseapod.com

Twitter: @DeepSeaPod

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast

 

Keep up with the team on social media
Twitter: 
Alan - @Hadalbloke

Thom - @ThomLinley 

Instagram: 
Thom - @thom.linley 

Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions

BlueSky:
Thom @thomaslinley.com

 Alan @hadalbloke

 

Reference list
Interview Links
Volcanic deposits on the Tonga forearc and trench: new insights from direct seafloor observations

Deep ocean seascape ecology: gaps and pathways for application

Geomorphology and bait-attending hadal fauna of the sui-shin hole (Philippine Basin, NW Pacific; 5616–6410 m) - ScienceDirect

Bottom mixed layer derivation and spatial variability over the central and eastern abyssal Pacific Ocean

Credits
Logo image: Alan Jamieson

Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel

Check out our lovely new website where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading.

In this episode…
Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, your punk take on all things deep sea! 

 

This month Alan makes it back to Perth for another of Old Mate’s sausage sizzles, and Thom is deep into prep mode for his upcoming Antarctica trip. We talk about video games, an Australian classic song of the month, glycerin mega mouth sharks and polar bear patrols. Our guest this month is the one, the only, Prof. Alan Jamieson! Join our most favorite deep-sea professor, who takes us on a tour of the very bottom of the deepest of deep-sea. Get ready for a hot take on the past, present and future of this frontier science, while we “turn our backs to the shallow water”- Alan. 

 

In the news, get ready for updates on:
 

Microplastic and Copepod gut tracts

Rare Phantom Jelly footage

An Arctic Deep-sea oasis

A surprise source of hydrogen for the deep-sea

The King-of-the-salmon visits the surface waters 

 

We hear from Meghan Jones, cofounder of the Unseen Ocean Collective with a fun Q&A about upcoming events in Juneau Alaska and Spokane Washington, 2026. 

Discord update

Deep-sea dating articles

Deep-Sea Valentine game

Book recommendations and ROV highlight reels

Squid hats in the wild.

Whale-fall tattoos

Support the show
The podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. 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:

Melissa M

Undersea TV

Max

Frieda of Moku Art Studio 

 

Check out our podcast merch here!

 

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 on our brand new answerphone!

https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail

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

 

Find out more
Social media
BlueSky: @deepseapod.com

Twitter: @DeepSeaPod

Instagram: @deepsea_podcast

 

Keep up with the team on social media
Twitter: 
Alan - @Hadalbloke

Thom - @ThomLinley 

Instagram: 
Thom - @thom.linley 

Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions

BlueSky:
Thom @thomaslinley.com

 Alan @hadalbloke

 

Reference list
News 
Deep-Sea News

Study Records Zooplankton Transporting Microplastics to the Deep Sea

Real-time visualization reveals copepod mediated microplastic flux - ScienceDirect

Deep-Sea Divers Capture Rare Footage of a Giant Phantom Jellyfish | PetaPixel

Schmidt Ocean Institute Phantom Jellyfish Footage

Scientists just found 'deep-sea oasis' in an Arctic region thought to be barren

Deep-sea vents are drawing hydrogen from a hidden source - Earth.com

California Diver Spots Rare Deep-Sea King-Of-The-Salmon Just 4.6 Meters Below The Surface

Discord Updates
These Deep-Sea Creatures Liked You on Hinge - McSweeney’s Internet Tendency

Deep-Sea Valentine Game

Unseen Ocean Collective

Unseen Ocean Collective Website

Unseen Ocean Collective (@unseenoceancollective) • Instagram photos and videos

Unseen Ocean Collective on BlueSky

Free Deep-Sea Coloring Pages

Interview Links
Volcanic deposits on the Tonga forearc and trench: new insights from direct seafloor observations

Deep ocean seascape ecology: gaps and pathways for application

Geomorphology and bait-attending hadal fauna of the sui-shin hole (Philippine Basin, NW Pacific; 5616–6410 m) - ScienceDirect

Bottom mixed layer derivation and spatial variability over the central and eastern abyssal Pacific Ocean

Credits
Song of the month: Smoko by The Chats

Logo image: Alan Jamieson

Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel