Introducing The Conversation and the BBC’s Secrets of the Sea – my journey to meet six marine scientists pioneering ocean solutions

After a long drive to Godrevy lighthouse near St Ives in Cornwall, the wind is blowing and the waves are crashing. I’m here with BBC radio producer Jo Loosemore, on a roadtrip to meet some of the marine scientists researching how ocean health is vital to our future.

As we squeeze between crevices in the cliffs to shelter from the elements at Godrevy beach, I interview Ed Gasson, a glaciologist at the University of Exeter. His story is full of surprises.

Jo Loosemore with Anna Turns on Godrevy beach.
Ed Gasson, CC BY-NC-ND

This corner of north Cornwall is one I have visited many times, usually on bright, sunny days during weekend getaways or family holidays. I’ve gazed at the lighthouse, enjoyed spotting seals on the rocks beneath, and sat with both icecream and binoculars in hand on the benches by the coast path.

But I had never looked closely at these cliffs below, until now. And I could never have guessed that this coastline had any connections to the ice age, the Antarctic or sea-level rise.

In a collaboration between The Conversation and BBC South West, Secrets of the Sea is a new series that showcases local stories with global significance. World experts based across Devon and Cornwall are at the forefront of marine research into seaweeds and seagrass, seabed restoration and offshore shellfish farming.

Prepping to record inside the National Maritime Museum of Cornwall.
Jo Loosemore, CC BY-NC-ND

From the rocky foreshore in Torquay to the mussel-covered pontoons of Plymouth harbour, I’ve been speaking to scientists about their work, their passions and the potential for our oceans to hold the key to climate resilience. Healthier seas mean our planet will be much better able to weather the stormy seas of the climate crisis.

Each of the six radio programmes and accompanying articles delves into a different aspect of our oceans. Through 19th-century archives, in tiny test tubes on a lab bench, or inside a walk-in fridge full of marine fungi, this series explores creative ways to study ocean health. So, join me on BBC Sounds and here at The Conversation to go beneath the waves with a sense of wonder – and optimism.

Listen to a mini-series of four short episodes on BBC Radio Devon from May 20-23 here. The full six-part series will air weekly from May 23 at 8.30pm on BBC Radio Devon and BBC Radio Cornwall.

Local science, global stories.

In collaboration with the BBC, Anna Turns travels around the West Country coastline to meet ocean experts making exciting discoveries beneath the waves.

This article is part of a series, Secrets of the Sea, exploring how marine scientists are developing climate solutions.

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