Over the warmer months, Australia becomes home to 37 species of migratory shorebirds which regularly visit our shores. Among them is the black tailed godwit, which was listed as endangered in July, showing a population decline of almost 80% since the 1990s. On today's show, Tessa speaks to professor Richard Fuller, an expert of migratory shorebird conservation, about their amazing lifeways, the deeply complex challenges of conservation, and the reasons why he is optimistic about their future. LINKShttps://www.fullerlab.org/

 Brian Robinson joined us on Out of the Blue to chat about his new exhibition, Ur Wayii (Incoming Tide), currently showing at the Australian National Maritime Museum. Born on Waiben (Thursday Island) and now based in Cairns, Brian is of the Kala Lagaw Ya and Wuthathi language groups of the Torres Strait. We spoke about the influence his upbringing in the tropical marine environment around Waiben has had on his arts practice, along with some of the other ancestral, cultural and pop culture symbols and stories that shape his work. Image credit: Marinco Kojdanovski - exhibition image of Ur Wayii (Incoming Tide), used with permission. 

In this episode, Andrew Christie introduces a podcast that has been produced from Parks Victoria called “Closer to Nature.” This is an edited extract of Episode 4, which is entitled “Species behaving badly,” and features a very interesting discussion on sea urchins. Parks Victoria were kind enough to give me permission to use this excellent interview featuring Dr Mark Norman, CEO of Parks Victoria, and their Chief Scientific Officer Dr Michael Sams of the Marine and Coastal Sciences unit.

Did you know that you can swim with seahorses, octopus and fiddler rays, less than 10km from Melbourne CBD? Host Tessa Campisi speaks with Jawbone Marine Sanctuary Committee member Dr Sandy Webb about the grassroots campaign to extend protected area status to ‘The Crystals’ on Bunurung Country,  Williamstown.LINKS - Jawbone Marine Sanctuay Website: https://www.jawbone.org.au/Sign the Petition: https://www.change.org/p/protect-the-crystals-extend-jawbone-marine-sanctuary Music in today's episode is from bluedot.sessions        

Most people living in Australia live near the coast, but many of us who don't work in marine science can be disconnected from what's happening in the ocean and our role in protecting it.That's why there's a growing body of research, advocacy and education work aiming to build our ocean literacy, both locally and all around the world.Dr Prue Francis, a senior lecturer in marine science at Deakin University, joins us to explain how scientists, educators and artists are working together to achieve this, and how we can help inspire a new generation of marine stewards.You can keep up to date with Prue's work at www.pruefrancis.com  

Bycatch is a big problem for ocean life, causing the deaths of thousands of marine animals. Reducing the number of animals caught accidentally is key to caring for the sea.New research shows that some fishers are very good at minimising bycatch. Dr Leslie Roberson at the University of Queensland joins us to discuss why this might be. You can read more of Leslie's research here.  

In this episode, Andrew Christie interviews Zandy Beer of Marine Care Point Cooke on an exciting trip to Whyalla in South Australia for the annual cuttlefish migration.

Have you ever seen a hunk of seaweed and been compelled to have a lil nibble?This week, scientific illustrator and nature tutor Chris Rockley takes us seaweed foraging on the coast in Portland, on Gundijtimaara Country. We talk about the ethics and laws around harvesting, where and when to forage, what to avoid, and how to eat it!To join one of Chris' seaweed workshops, or to check out her resources for foragers, visit her website: www.chrisrockley.comMusic in the show from Blue Dot Sessions, used under a creative commons license: https://www.sessions.blue/  Photo Credit: Chris Rockley

In Cyprus, water has been shaped by partition and postcolonial state-building, turning it into something divided. But through collective imagination, water can also be seen as a shared commons.In his research Decommonisation of Water in Divided Cyprus and arts practice Printed Geographies, Nicolas Mouros explores how water moves across military bases, buffer zones, and dividing lines - and how these drivers strip it of its common value. He questions the idea of scarcity, showing how water is often abstracted and depoliticised.Nicolas is a conscientious objector and environmental activist from Cyprus. He studied Human Geography, focusing on the political ecology of water in divided Cyprus. He is currently pursuing a degree in Multi-disciplinary printmaking, where he experiments with the visual - affective - political and ecological.You can follow Nicolas’ work on Instagram Printed Geographies

Since January 2025, a marine heatwave has triggered a devastating algal bloom in South Australia, and there's no relief in sight for marine life. Thousands of dead animals have washed ashore on beaches over the past six months. Scientists are racing to understand this event. Ecologist Faith Coleman joins us to explain the latest news, and what we can do to prevent these disasters in the future.Image: Short-tailed Stingray. Kathryn Lewis/iNaturalist

From hauling ropes and sails, to emmigration and endentured labour, sea shanties have been sung by sea faring people all over the world, and offer glimpse of the world that came before the one we know today.  Tessa Campisi speaks to Gus Franklin, of the Southern Ocean Sea Band, a 10-piece folk group who write and perform sea shanties for their beloved south-west Victorian coast, on Eastern Maar and Gunditjimaara country.They speak about the history and purpose of sea shanties, what we can decipher about the past from folk songs, and the importance of telling local histories beyond the pages of the written archive. Linkshttps://www.facebook.com/southernoceanseaband  https://thesouthernoceanseaband.bandcamp.com/ 

 In 2004, the City of Barcelona built five artificial reefs by submerging around 300 concrete blocks off the coast of Barcelona. Two decades on, these artificial environments are now home to a thriving marine ecosystem.The Symphony of the Artificial Reef, a sound work by Juan Pablo Pacheco Bejarano and the Institute for Postnatural Studies, explores the encounters between these cohabiting human and marine infrastructure, through listening to the sounds of marine life, submarine internet cables, gas pipelines, cargo ships, sonar and more.We spoke with Juan about what these postnatural environments tell us about binaries between humans and nature, the role of tourism and extractivism, and what we can discover by really listening to water. Plus we learnt just how loud life in the ocean can be.You can follow Juan's work at https://www.juanpablopacheco.com/ or on Instagram @juanppachecob and listen to the Symphony here: https://on.soundcloud.com/jervwtIgM0WW0Brayl PS: Can you help us keep making Out Of The Blue? This June, we need your support for 3CR's Radiothon. You can make a donation at https://www.givenow.com.au/cr/outoftheblue 

For many of us, when we think of the history of the seas, we think of one thing: pirates.In this episode, Bise chats to maritime historian Chris Maxworthy about the Australian tradition of piracy, including women pirates and the role piracy played in imperial government.Listen now to this swashbucklin' interview!PS: Can you help us keep making Out Of The Blue? This June, we need your support for 3CR's Radiothon. You can make a donation at https://www.givenow.com.au/cr/outoftheblue

 Water is an integral part of many artists' practices, from inspiration to materials and motifs, but how does water interact with art-making for those of us who live far from the ocean? On today's show, we're speaking with Emma Russell, an incredible Gamilaroi artist who shared a bit about her experiences using ochre from the local Moonee Ponds creek in both her arts practice and her teaching.Emma tells us about how her artistic practice is 'a family affair' and the influence of her local environment, living on Wurundjeri country, on her work. Plus we touch on the history of the urbanised and sometimes under-appreciated waterways of Melbourne's north-west.You can keep up to date with Emma's work at her instagram, @emmarussellarts and keep an eye out for her upcoming arts workshops!Artwork by Emma Russell. 

Who's the king of the high seas? Nobody. To whom does the ocean floor belong?All of us.  A playground for whales, pirates, fishing trawlers and cargo ships, the High Seas make up most of the blue planet. Yet humans spend very little time interacting with, or even thinking about them.But that's not the case for Dr Ellycia Harrould-Kolieb, expert on global ocean governance at the University of Melbourne. We talk about the ocean as archive of human history, the international accords and treaties which shape how we interact with the 'commons', and sobering developments in Deep Sea Mining. LINKS: https://www.dosi-project.org/https://deep-sea-conservation.org/https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/443897-ellycia-harrould-koliebArtwork by Alexandra Gwynne

Each winter southern Australia hosts the return of Southern Right Whales from Antarctica, who come to warmer waters to calve. These mysterious whales were hunted almost to extinction during commercial whaling, but unlike other whales, their recovery has been much slower. New research suggests it may even have stalled.To find out why, and what that means for the oceans, we speak to researcher Anne Grundlehner at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania. Her answers offer a fascinating insight into the world of these whales.Image: Southern Right Whale mother and calf. robdownunder/Flickr 

  On today's show we're getting knee deep in the salty sediment of mangroves with Sabrina Olsson, Research officer for the Regenerating our Coasts program.We talk about the multifaceted charms of mangroves, from crustaceans to carbon sequestration, and some of the threats and pressures on these ecosystems. We also hear what it's like to do mangrove restoration (muddy!) and some of the fandangled new contraptions being trialled to help Victorian mangroves to recover, funded by Beach Energy Ltd in partnership with RMIT and Deakin UniversityArtwork by the spectacularly talented Gabriella ScolloLINKSReGen Storymap: https://arcg.is/1zTWyy0Sabrina, research officer: www.linkedin.com/in/sabrina-olsson/Stacey, project lead: www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-trevathan-tackett-a9a07125/Search #RegenOurCoasts on Instagram and LinkedIn 

As the oceans warm, marine life is on the move. In Australia, fish and other marine species are moving beyond their usual ranges to keep pace with climate change.What does that mean for marine ecosystems? To find out, we chat to Dr Barrett Wolfe from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania, who is tracking the movement of species.Read Dr Barrett's latest research here >>. You can also help monitor marine life movement by getting involved with Redmap or the Reef Life Survey.Image: Sea urchins are one of the species moving south. John Turnbull.

Host Tessa Campisi speaks to Louise Morris, Offshore oil and gas campaigner at the Australian Marine Conservation Society, about current proposals to conduct seismic blasting off Victoria's south-west coast. They speak about the impact on marine life, the weakening of our federal environment laws, and past successes of vocal community opposition to offshore oil and gas. NOTESSign the petition against seismic blasting

When we say 'nature', what do we mean? What is conservation actually conserving? Does extinction matter? In her new book Human/Nature, author Jane Rawson asks those very questions, and more. In this episode, we get philosophical about nature. Plus, we chat to Jane about her earlier books and her fascination with cephalopods.You can catch Jane speaking with James Whitmore at The Sun Bookshop on 1 May: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/humannature-jane-rawson-in-conversation-tickets-1304949943409?aff=ebdsoporgprofile