This episode features the 4th (and final) part of recorded audio from inaugural Ocean Plastic Action Forum at Bondi Beach – held on 15th March 2023, as part of the Volvo Ocean Lovers Festival. This part includes the ‘where to from here’ session, where the speakers of the previous sessions (Dr Denise Hardesty, Prof. Veena Sahawjwalla, and Allegra Spender MP) provided a short synthesis of the previous discussions and highlight key essential actions to 'turn the tide' on ocean plastic pollution. After the session, I’m then joined by Ocean Lovers Festival founders Carolyn Grant and Anita Grant about ‘where to from’ here for the forum and Ocean Lovers Festival. 

Useful links:

• https://www.oceanloversfestival.com/
• Photos from forum here - by Brendan Reid

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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This episode is the third of a four-part series of recorded audio from the Ocean Plastic Action Forum at Bondi Beach – held on 15th March 2023, as part of the Volvo Ocean Lovers Festival. This part focusses on the “Path to Purging Plastic" session, where you will hear discussions and insights from current actions being undertaken to reduce ocean plastic pollution, including 'at source', recycling, treatment and 'clean up' initiatives. Allegra Spender MP (Parliament of Australia) provided a short presentation, and was then be joined by Marjorie O'Neill MP (NSW Parliament), Mike Smith (Zero Co.), Dr Julia Reisser (ULUU) and Paul Riley (Samsara Eco) for an interactive panel discussion with audience Q&A.

Useful links:

• https://www.oceanloversfestival.com/
• Photos from forum here - by Brendan Reid

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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This episode is the second of a four-part series of recorded audio from the Ocean Plastic Action Forum at Bondi Beach – held on 15th March 2023, as part of the Volvo Ocean Lovers Festival. This part focusses on the “Exploring Current Actions" session, where you will hear discussions and insights from current actions being undertaken to reduce ocean plastic pollution, including 'at source', recycling, treatment and 'clean up' initiatives. Professor Veena Sahajwalla (UNSW) provided a short presentation, and was then be joined by Anissa Lawrence (Ghostnets Australia), Shannon Mead (No More Butts), Lottie Dalziel (Banish), Heidi Tait (Tangaroa Blue), James Dorney (TOMRA - Cleanaway) and Mayor Paula Masselos (Waverly Council) for an interactive panel discussion with audience Q&A.

Useful links:

• https://www.oceanloversfestival.com/
• Photos from forum here - by Brendan Reid

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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This episode is the first of a four-part series of recorded audio from the Ocean Plastic Action Forum at Bondi Beach – held on 15th March 2023, as part of the Volvo Ocean Lovers Festival. The forum included industry leaders, innovators, scientists, government and community leaders discussing how to 'turn the tide' on plastic in our ocean – including a few short presentations and interactive Q&A panel sessions. This first part focusses on the “Key Trends and Impacts” session, which included insights into the plastic pollution problem including key sources, trends, and known and potential impacts of ocean plastic pollution. Dr Denise Hardesty (CSIRO) provided a short presentation, and was then joined by Dr Charlene Trestrail (UTS), Dr Michelle Blewitt (AUSMAP), Pete Ceglinski (Seabin), Grahame Lloyd (Sea Shepherd Australia) and Murray Powell (Optimal Stormwater) for an interactive panel discussion with audience Q&A. The following three episodes will feature the remaining three parts of the forum. 

Useful links:

• https://www.oceanloversfestival.com/
• Photos from forum here - by Brendan Reid

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Nicholas Carter is an ecologist and environmental science and policy analyst, and advocates for transformational food system changes. In this chat, we discuss the link between agriculture and land use, how to address the climate and biodiversity crisis while still feeding the world, and bust a few myths about 'regenerative agriculture'.

Useful links:

• https://oceanprotect.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/OPPodcast_S5E5_resources.pdf - studies/ analyses referred to by Nicholas in episode (in approximate order)
• https://twitter.com/NicholasDCarter
• https://www.instagram.com/nicholasdcarter/

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Philip Ehrhorn is Chief Technical Officer and Co-founder of The Great Bubble Barrier - the first technology to use a bubble curtain to capture plastic pollution in rivers. We discuss the technology, how the idea came about (simultaneously in two countries), its development, its effectiveness, application and future plans.

Useful links:

• https://thegreatbubblebarrier.com/
• Philip on LinkedIn (here)

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Dr Jodie Rummer is Professor of Marine Biology at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia - and is an expert on climate change and coral fish. In this chat, we discuss the athletic awesomeness of fish, the key threats to the Great Barrier Reef and how to best mitigate them, and what the future looks like for all reefs around the planet.

Useful links:

• www.jodierummer.com
• Jodie on LinkedIn (here)
• https://physioshark.org
• TEDx JCU Cairns presentation by Jodie "Athletes of the Great Barrier Reef" (here)
• Sydney Morning Herald article – “Are we really prepared to lose this natural wonder?” (here)
• The Guardian article "Ocean scientists call for global tracking of oxygen loss that causes dead zones” (here)
• The Conversation article “What the next Australian government must do to save the Great Barrier Reef” (here)
• The Conversation article “Adapt, move, or die: repeated coral bleaching leaves wildlife on the Great Barrier Reef with few options” (here)
• ABC news article “The superfish challenge: Michael Phelps vs real fish” (here)

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Professor Veena Sahajwalla is an expert in recycling, the founding Director of the Director of the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research & Technology at University of New South Wales - and, last year, added NSW Australian of the year to her long list of honours and awards. In this chat, we talk about reimagining 'waste' as an opportunity - drawing on Veena's experiences growing up in Mumbai to her pioneering micro-factories and green steel innovation.

Useful links:

• Veena at UNSW (here)
• Australian Government National Plastics Plan 2021 (here)

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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We kick off Season 5 with a fantastic chat with Dr Charlene Trestrail - a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Technology Sydney. Charlene's particular speciality is understanding how microplastics threaten the animals we need to keep our ecosystems healthy. In this chat, we take a journey through the digestive system (like a microplastic!) and talk about how the different organs in the body are affected by microplastics - and how to minimise our ingestion of microplastics. 

Useful links:

• Dr Charlene Trestrail on Linkedin (here)
• RMIT article "Eating plastic makes for smaller mussels"
• Journal paper "Analysis of Microplastics in Human Feces Reveals a Correlation between Fecal Microplastics and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Status"

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Kimberly is the co-founder and CEO of Carapac - a company that takes waste crustacean shells and makes sustainable plastic alternative packaging. Frozen food processing plants across the Asia-Pacific region cumulatively produce about 8.1 million tons of crustacean waste per year. Carapac takes this otherwise 'waste' and makes truly biodegradable alternatives to petrochemical-based plastics.

This fantastic story of innovation is an awesome way to wrap of our fourth season of the Ocean Protect Podcast. Season 5 will return with gusto in March 2023.

Useful links:

• https://carapac.co/
• Kimberly on LinkeIn (here)

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Bridget is a Sustainability Educator at Keep Australia Beautiful NSW (and PhD candidate at University of Technology Sydney), helping deliver the "EnviroMentors" program to improve community awareness and engagement on local sustainability issues and initiatives. In this chat, we talk about the "Keeping Waterways Clean" module aimed at preventing stormwater pollution, and other effective education methods for kids (and adults) to help save our planet. Ocean Protect has been proudly supporting the "Keeping Waterways Clean" module since 2019.

Useful links:

• Bridget on LinkeIn (here)
• https://www.kabnsw.org.au/enviromentors/

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Marina is an Artivist, who began picking up trash on local beaches, creeks & streets over 20 years ago. In 2009, she began to create pieces of art that questioned the use of single use items and the amount of waste we create - and her work is exhibited regularly at galleries, 'trashion' exhibitions, 'inconvenience stores' and the current 'Sculptures by the Sea'. We chat about Marina's story, her perspectives from 20 years of picking up trash, artivism and animal welfare.

Useful links:

• Marina Debris on LinkeIn (here)
• http://washedup.us/
• Reuters Article 'Trashion' designer displays latest art at Sydney beach exhibition (here)
• Conversation article 'Trashion' designer Marina DeBris turns ocean rubbish into high-end outfits – in pictures (here).

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Justine is a Research Technician with CSIRO's Marine Debris Group, where she established a method for detecting microplastics in deep-sea sediment and was subsequently the lead author of a paper publishing the first global estimate of microplastics in deep-sea sediment. We talk about deep-sea microplastics and helping to stop it 'at source' with gross pollutant trap sensors and AI technology.

Useful links:

• Justine Barrett CSIRO profile (here)
• Justine's 'The Conversation' article "We estimate up to 14 million tonnes of microplastics lie on the seafloor. It’s worse than we thought" (here)
• RNZ article "Three quarters of fish in southern NZ contain microplastics - study" (here)
• Overview of CSIRO's GPT Sensor Technology research (here)

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Craig Fairbaugh has gone from rock star to rock star stormwater engineer. After shredding the punk rock scene with bands like Transplants, +44, Juliette Lewis and the Licks, and Mercy Killers, Craig went on to even bigger and badder things - helping to protect the planet from stormwater pollution. As Regional Regulatory Manager at Contech Engineered Solutions in Oregon USA, Craig is a recognised expert in stormwater treatment, helping state and municipal agencies in achieving stormwater compliance with manufactured treatment devices, as well as sharing national industry best practices for developing stormwater programs.

Useful links:

• Craig on LinkedIn (here)
• Ocean Protect webinar presented by Craig "Mass capacity, long-term performance, & maintenance analysis of biofiltration stormwater treatment systems" (here)
• Ocean Protect webinar presented by Craig "Bioretention & High Rate Biofiltration - Research & Performance Updates from USA" (here)

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Daniel Rider is the Water Sensitive Urban Design Compliance Officer at Blacktown City Council and is currently developing and implementing Australia’s first Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) Compliance Program. In this chat, we talk about the role of stormwater management in protecting the health of our ocean and waterways, and Blacktown City Council's WSUD Compliance Program - which will no doubt help stop an ENORMOUS amount of pollution entering downstream waterways and hopefully be replicated in other local government areas across Australia and overseas.

Useful links:

• Daniel on LinkedIn (here)
• Water Sensitive Urban Design at Blacktown City Council (here)
• Ocean Protect webinar "Blacktown City Council's WSUD Compliance Program" (October 2021) (here)

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Dr Kathy Willis is a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Washington and CSIRO Scientific Researcher on a mission to combat plastic pollution and reframe plastic as a valuable commodity rather than a throwaway item. In Kathy's second appearance on the pod, we discuss the recent good news about plastic pollution on Australian beaches, spatial and temporal trends in plastic washing up on beaches along the US Pacific Northwest, citizen science, 'biofoul' on marine debris, and community-led informal waste management programs.

Useful links:

1. Kathy on LinkedIn (here)
2. Ocean Protect Podcast, Season 2, Episode 10 (May 2020) "CSIRO's Kathy Willis on preventing litter entering our oceans" (here)
3. The Conversation article Local efforts have cut plastic waste on Australia’s beaches by almost 30% in 6 years (here)
4. One Earth Journal Paper Local waste management successfully reduces coastal plastic pollution (here)  
5. The Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) https://coasst.org/
6. Clear Seas https://clearseas.org/en/
7. ABC News article Volunteers hope efforts to remove invasive northern Pacific seastar will make a difference (here)

Note: During the chat, Dr Kathy mentions that 'Saahas' was the name for a waste management program in India, but meant to say 'Swachcoop'.

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Shannon Mead is the Founder of "No More Butts", a charity who's mission is "A butt free environment" - where cigarette butts are recycled, with the products created having a further positive impact on the community. Shannon returns for his second appearance on the pod - dropping truth bombs about dropped cigarette butts, the emerging issue of vaping, and discussing possible solutions.

Useful links:

1. No More Butts website (here)
2. Shannon on LinkedIn (here)
3. Ocean Protect Podcast, Season 3, Episode 13 (May 2021) "No more butts with Shannon Mead" (here)

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Jonathon Clark is Queensland Coordinator of the Apex Harmony campaign - Sea Shepherd Australia's Shark Defence campaign to defend, conserve and protect sharks in order to maintain a healthy ocean. In this chat, we discuss the destructive nature of Queensland and NSW's state-sanctioned shark "control" programs and possible (and certainly more effective) methods to protect the safety and wellbeing of beach-goers and the marine ecosystem.

Useful links:

• Jonathan on LinkedIn (here)
• The Apex Harmony Champaign (here)
• "Envoy: Shark Cull" Film (here)
• Ocean Protect Podcast Season 3, Episode 25 (August 2021): "Envoy: Shark Cull" with Lauren Sandeman & Andre" (here)

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Dr Mitchell Call and Dr James Sippo are postdoctoral researchers at Southern Cross University at Lismore, in Northern NSW, Australia. The Wilsons River flows through the city of Lismore to the Richmond River estuary. In late February 2022, the biggest flood in modern Australian history inundated Lismore and the rest of Northern NSW. In this chat, Mitchell and James describe the flood, the incredible rescue efforts, the subsequent estuarine health impacts, climate change, and what can be done to mitigate future flood impacts in Lismore and the wider Wilsons and Richmond River area.

Useful links:

• Mitchell at Southern Cross University (here)
• James at Southern Cross University (here)
• Ocean Protect Podcast Season 4, Episode 5 "Dr James Sippo on blue carbon accounting" (here)
• "Flood Song" on YouTube by Sally Bracewell (here)

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Jo Lane is a kelp harvester and SeaEO of Sea Health Products, which provides premium kelp products harvested from the south coast of NSW. We talk kelp harvesting, the current status and potential of seaweed farming, the possible benefits and challenges facing the growth of the seaweed industry.

Useful links:

• Jo on LinkedIn (here):
• Sea Health Products (here)
• Australian Sustainable Seaweed Alliance (here)

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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On 5th July 2022, Ocean Protect turns 20 years old. From very humble beginnings, Ocean Protect now stops an average of around eight tonnes of pollution entering our oceans every day. Michael Wicks (Ocean Protect Director and co-founder) joins Jeremy and Brad for a look back at some of the highs and lows of Ocean Protect.

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Tom Gammage is a plastic pollution campaigner at the Environmental Investigation Agency in London, where he is working to secure an ambitious new plastics treaty for the planet. We talk about the growing plastics 'emergency', the need for a global plastics treaty, the recent meeting of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi to discuss such a treaty, and key recommended actions for government.

Useful links:

• Tom on LinkedIn (here):
• Environmental Investigation Agency (here)
• Recent Conversation article on the plastic treaty (here)
• Recent BBC News article on the need for a plastic treaty (here) 
• EIA report Connecting the Dots: Plastic pollution and the planetary emergency (here).

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Puget Sound is a sound of the Pacific Northwest (in north-western USA), an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. Every 'fall' (Autumn), more than half of the coho salmon that return to Puget Sound’s urban streams die before they can spawn. In some streams, all of them die. But scientists didn’t know why. Enter Ed Kolodziej (Associate Professor at the University of Washington) and his research team - who discovered that, when it rains, stormwater flushes bits of aging vehicle tires on roads into neighbouring streams. The killer is in the mix of chemicals that leach from tire wear particles: a molecule related to a preservative that keeps tires from breaking down too quickly. We talk about this research, the implications to waterways everywhere, and what we can do about it.

Useful links:

• https://www.ce.washington.edu/facultyfinder/edward-kolodziej
• Ed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-kolodziej-81a5717/
• Article “Saving the salmon - Researchers identify unknown chemical that causess death in stormwater-exposed coho salmon" - https://www.ce.washington.edu/news/article/2020-12-14/saving-salmon
• Article “Tire-related chemical is largely responsible for adult coho salmon deaths in urban streams”: https://www.washington.edu/news/2020/12/03/tire-related-chemical-largely-responsible-for-adult-coho-salmon-deaths-in-urban-streams/
• Publications by Ed et al: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Edward-Kolodziej

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Tim van Emmerik is Assistant Professor at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, but joins us on this chat from Cambodia - during one of his riverine plastic research projects. We chat about the research paper that Tim recently co-authored assessing plastic discharges from rivers across the planet, and how to 'turn off the tap' of plastic pollution from rivers.

Useful links:

• https://timvanemmerik.com/
• Garth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garth-covernton-26544ba9/
• Paper "More than 1000 rivers account for 80% of global riverine plastic emissions into the ocean" (here)

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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Dr Garth Covernton is a University of Toronto Arts and Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow working as part of the pELAstics project, which aims to understand how microplastics pollution might affect various ecosystem processes. We talk about the human consumption of microplastics - like "how much?", "where from?", and the potential consequences to human health.

Useful links:

• https://garthcovernton.wordpress.com/
• Garth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garth-covernton-26544ba9/
• Paper "Human consumption of microplastics" (here)

For further information about Ocean Protect, check us out at www.oceanprotect.com.au

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