Best Oceanography Podcasts (2026)

1
Rapid ID 2:00

2h ago2:00

2:00

Sharks and rays are in trouble. A study a few years ago found that the global population had dropped by more than 70 percent since 1970. And three-quarters of all shark and ray species could face extinction in the next few decades. The main threat is overfishing. Sharks and rays are valued for their meat, fins, and liver oil. Some countries provide…

1
Rapid ID 2:00

2h ago2:00

2:00

Sharks and rays are in trouble. A study a few years ago found that the global population had dropped by more than 70 percent since 1970. And three-quarters of all shark and ray species could face extinction in the next few decades. The main threat is overfishing. Sharks and rays are valued for their meat, fins, and liver oil. Some countries provide…

1
What We Don't Know About Deep-Sea Mining 28:04

1h ago28:04

28:04

What happens when an entire industry rushes forward before science can catch up? In this episode of Ocean Science Radio, we sit down with Dr. Andrew Thaler, deep-sea ecologist and CEO of Blackbeard Biologic, to explore his groundbreaking report for the Convention on Migratory Species that reveals exactly how much we don't know about deep-sea mining…

1
What We Don't Know About Deep-Sea Mining 28:04

1h ago28:04

28:04

What happens when an entire industry rushes forward before science can catch up? In this episode of Ocean Science Radio, we sit down with Dr. Andrew Thaler, deep-sea ecologist and CEO of Blackbeard Biologic, to explore his groundbreaking report for the Convention on Migratory Species that reveals exactly how much we don't know about deep-sea mining…

1
Giant Crabs 2:00

7d ago2:00

2:00

The Japanese spider crab is harmless to people. But it might not look that way if you happened across it at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. It can span 12 feet—the largest known crab on the planet. The crab’s hard body is typically about a foot long, and the crab weighs 35 or 40 pounds. It has 10 legs. Eight of them are for walking along rocky oce…

1
Giant Crabs 2:00

7d ago2:00

2:00

The Japanese spider crab is harmless to people. But it might not look that way if you happened across it at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. It can span 12 feet—the largest known crab on the planet. The crab’s hard body is typically about a foot long, and the crab weighs 35 or 40 pounds. It has 10 legs. Eight of them are for walking along rocky oce…

1
Christmas at Sea 4:02

8d ago4:02

4:02

A special 4-minute reading of "Christmas at Sea", an evocative poem written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1883. Stevenson, the son of a lighthouse engineer, had intimate, first-hand knowledge of storms, weather, and life on and by the sea. Read for you by World Ocean Radio host Peter Neill. Happy Holidays. Christmas at Sea is an evocative seasonal p…

1
Holiday Greetings 2:00

7d ago2:00

2:00

For many native Hawaiians, the centerpiece of just about any New Year’s celebration is onaga, a fish that’s also known as ruby snapper or longtail red snapper. It’s served at everything from weddings to birthdays, but it’s especially popular at year-end celebrations—in part because it’s a symbol of good fortune. It’s prized for its light pink flesh…

1
Holiday Greetings 2:00

7d ago2:00

2:00

For many native Hawaiians, the centerpiece of just about any New Year’s celebration is onaga, a fish that’s also known as ruby snapper or longtail red snapper. It’s served at everything from weddings to birthdays, but it’s especially popular at year-end celebrations—in part because it’s a symbol of good fortune. It’s prized for its light pink flesh…

1
Hydromancy: The Art of Divination through Water 5:00

8d ago5:00

5:00

This week on a new 5-minute episode of World Ocean Radio we're discussing the word "Hydromancy", its meaning and signs, water in its many forms, and its implication for our future. Hydromancy is an ancient form of divination, an invitation to explore the depths of still water and its ability of reveal hidden truths. About World Ocean Radio World Oc…

1
Big-Beaked Dolphins 2:00

22d ago2:00

2:00

The Franciscana dolphin has quite the schnozz. Its beak is longer in relation to the size of its body than that of any other dolphin or whale—up to 15 percent of the animal’s total length. The Franciscana has another distinction: It’s the only “river dolphin” that doesn’t actually live in freshwater rivers. Instead, it lives in saltwater. It’s foun…

1
Big-Beaked Dolphins 2:00

21d ago2:00

2:00

The Franciscana dolphin has quite the schnozz. Its beak is longer in relation to the size of its body than that of any other dolphin or whale—up to 15 percent of the animal’s total length. The Franciscana has another distinction: It’s the only “river dolphin” that doesn’t actually live in freshwater rivers. Instead, it lives in saltwater. It’s foun…

1
Harmless Invasion 2:00

29d ago2:00

2:00

A type of damsel fish from the other side of the world has invaded the Gulf of Mexico. But it doesn’t appear to be doing much harm to the fish that were already there—at least not so far. The Regal Damselfish comes from the Indian and western Pacific oceans. It’s only about four inches long, and it lives on coral reefs, in shallow coastal waters. T…

1
Harmless Invasion 2:00

21d ago2:00

2:00

A type of damsel fish from the other side of the world has invaded the Gulf of Mexico. But it doesn’t appear to be doing much harm to the fish that were already there—at least not so far. The Regal Damselfish comes from the Indian and western Pacific oceans. It’s only about four inches long, and it lives on coral reefs, in shallow coastal waters. T…

1
A COP30 Report 5:06

21d ago5:06

5:06

This week we are reporting on COP30 (the 30th Conference of the Parties) hosted in Belem, Brazil. The annual gathering is a response to the challenges of climate change; there were wins and losses, enthusiasm and disappointment, and various outcomes and strategies for the future that will be explored in future editions of World Ocean Radio. About W…

1
Dietary Problems 2:00

30d ago2:00

2:00

The wolves on a small island in Alaska have a diet problem. They’ve wolfed down dangerously high levels of mercury—a result of eating sea otters. Pleasant Island is a mile off the coast of Glacier Bay National Park, in Alaska’s panhandle. Wolves have decimated the island’s population of deer, which used to be their main prey. So the wolves started …

1
Dietary Problems 2:00

26d ago2:00

2:00

The wolves on a small island in Alaska have a diet problem. They’ve wolfed down dangerously high levels of mercury—a result of eating sea otters. Pleasant Island is a mile off the coast of Glacier Bay National Park, in Alaska’s panhandle. Wolves have decimated the island’s population of deer, which used to be their main prey. So the wolves started …

1
Protecting Half the Planet - The High Seas Treaty Comes Alive 42:07

1M ago42:07

42:07

After nearly two decades of negotiations, the world has finally agreed on a framework to protect the high seas - that vast expanse of ocean beyond any nation's control that covers nearly half our planet's surface. On January 17th, 2026, the BBNJ Agreement (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction), commonly known as the High Seas Treaty, officiall…

1
Protecting Half the Planet - The High Seas Treaty Comes Alive 42:07

1M ago42:07

42:07

After nearly two decades of negotiations, the world has finally agreed on a framework to protect the high seas - that vast expanse of ocean beyond any nation's control that covers nearly half our planet's surface. On January 17th, 2026, the BBNJ Agreement (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction), commonly known as the High Seas Treaty, officiall…

1
Ocean Time 5:01

1M ago5:01

5:01

This week on World Ocean Radio we are reflecting on a time and place no longer familiar: traditions and accepted norms unrecognized, histories forgotten, futures uncertain. How do we recapture standards and beliefs that can contribute to a changing civilization and rapidly changing climate? Are there opportunities for new ways of thinking and actin…

1
Global Climate Events, Revisted 5:24

1M ago5:24

5:24

Devastating weather and water events abound worldwide, causing havoc in ports, waterfronts, and elsewhere. These are neither new nor are they going away any time soon. How do we rebuild and plan a response for a future that works, even in the face of increasingly unpredictable climate? About World Ocean Radio World Ocean Radio is a weekly series of…

1
Deep Trash 2:00

1M ago2:00

2:00

In July of 2022, two scientists descended to the Challenger Deep—the deepest spot in the oceans. The first thing they saw on the bottom wasn’t a new species of life or some other exotic wonder. It was a glass beer bottle—sitting seven miles deep. Litter isn’t limited to the giant “garbage patches” on the ocean surface. It’s found on the bottom as w…

1
Deep Trash 2:00

1M ago2:00

2:00

In July of 2022, two scientists descended to the Challenger Deep—the deepest spot in the oceans. The first thing they saw on the bottom wasn’t a new species of life or some other exotic wonder. It was a glass beer bottle—sitting seven miles deep. Litter isn’t limited to the giant “garbage patches” on the ocean surface. It’s found on the bottom as w…

1
Drowning Marshes 2:00

1M ago2:00

2:00

Here’s an old saying about nature: Drown a salt marsh, drown a coastline. Okay, we made that one up. But it’s true. And you might hear it more in the future because marshes are threatened by rising sea levels. But a team of researchers has developed a way to know that a marsh is in trouble before it vanishes—providing time to preserve and restore t…

1
Drowning Marshes 2:00

1M ago2:00

2:00

Here’s an old saying about nature: Drown a salt marsh, drown a coastline. Okay, we made that one up. But it’s true. And you might hear it more in the future because marshes are threatened by rising sea levels. But a team of researchers has developed a way to know that a marsh is in trouble before it vanishes—providing time to preserve and restore t…

1
Water Wars 5:05

1M ago5:05

5:05

This week Peter Neill, founder of W2O and host of World Ocean Radio, argues that wars, particularly those in the Middle East, are all about the water: rivers, access to the sea: water is the source of life, and of conflict. We all need it in equal measure every day to survive, to thrive, to sustain our nations, cities, agriculture, and ourselves. A…

1
Waste 5:00

2M ago5:00

5:00

The most substantial by-product of human consumption is waste, thus far omitted on balance sheets and in calculation of individual and gross national product. Waste comes in many forms: polluted water, poisoned land, energy lost, habitat destroyed, industrial waste, food discarded, planned obsolescence, even recycling. What remains? The ocean. Whil…

1
Sei Whales 2:00

2M ago2:00

2:00

The sei whale is one of the largest creatures on Earth. Adults can be more than 60 feet long and weigh as much as a fully loaded semi—the third-largest of all whales. And they’re found across the world, in all but the warmest and coldest waters. Yet they’re poorly known, by the public and scientists alike. The sei whale—spelled S-E-I—gets its name …

1
Sei Whales 2:00

2M ago2:00

2:00

The sei whale is one of the largest creatures on Earth. Adults can be more than 60 feet long and weigh as much as a fully loaded semi—the third-largest of all whales. And they’re found across the world, in all but the warmest and coldest waters. Yet they’re poorly known, by the public and scientists alike. The sei whale—spelled S-E-I—gets its name …

1
The Old Hag 2:00

2M ago2:00

2:00

An old hag churns the waters near two islands off the western coast of Scotland. The churning creates the third-largest whirlpool in the oceans—the Gulf of Corryvreckan, or Brecan’s cauldron. Scottish folklore says the Old Hag was the goddess of winter. She stirs the water while washing her plaids. When scientists discovered that a pillar of rock o…

1
The Old Hag 2:00

2M ago2:00

2:00

An old hag churns the waters near two islands off the western coast of Scotland. The churning creates the third-largest whirlpool in the oceans—the Gulf of Corryvreckan, or Brecan’s cauldron. Scottish folklore says the Old Hag was the goddess of winter. She stirs the water while washing her plaids. When scientists discovered that a pillar of rock o…

1
Solastalgia, A Word for Change 4:55

2M ago4:55

4:55

This week on World Ocean Radio, our host Peter Neill is thinking about the word "solastalgia", described as a deep grief over changing landscapes that were once familiar; feeling ‘homesick’ while still being at home, due to rapid alterations to the environment; the stress from experiencing change and loss in the face of rapid, disruptive change. Pe…

1
Art Meets Ocean - Inside Portland's Revolutionary Cartoon Aquarium 28:12

2M ago28:12

28:12

Episode Description What happens when you combine marine biology expertise with immersive art? You get the world's only cartoon aquarium—and it's right here in Portland. Join us as we explore the Portland Aquarium, an innovative art installation that's reimagining ocean education. Artist Mike Bennett and marine biologist Chanel Hason have created a…

1
Art Meets Ocean - Inside Portland's Revolutionary Cartoon Aquarium 28:12

2M ago28:12

28:12

Episode Description What happens when you combine marine biology expertise with immersive art? You get the world's only cartoon aquarium—and it's right here in Portland. Join us as we explore the Portland Aquarium, an innovative art installation that's reimagining ocean education. Artist Mike Bennett and marine biologist Chanel Hason have created a…

1
Ratification of the High Seas Treaty 5:12

2M ago5:12

5:12

This week on World Ocean Radio we are discussing the September 2025 news that Morocco has become the 60th nation to ratify the High Seas Treaty, a two-decades long process to establish and protect a vast complex of biodiversity in international waters. This is a major milestone and a huge step forward, uniting many rules promoted by many UN agencie…

1
The Value of Nature Lost 5:05

3M ago5:05

5:05

Nature is a significant factor on the global balance sheet, and the cost of nature loss affects many key economic sectors. Denial or exclusion of nature's true value is flawed economics on the profit and loss of earth's natural resources and systems. This week on World Ocean Radio we are discussing a Ceres publication entitled, "Nature's Price Tag:…

1
Calculating Ocean Risk 4:59

3M ago4:59

4:59

“Climate change has been one the greatest failures of risk management in modern history.” So states the Back to Blue Initiative, an Economist and Nippon Foundation project. A recent article entitled "Calculating Ocean Risk," additionally states: “The scientific evidence had been clear for decades, but decision-makers have failed to act in a manner …

1
Inventive Water Conservation Projects in India 5:08

3M ago5:08

5:08

Water scarcity is among the foremost challenges to national and regional financial security and public health in India. This week on World Ocean Radio we outline a sampling of water tech innovations that are demonstrating the ingenuity and extent of invention in response to the water crisis. About World Ocean Radio World Ocean Radio is a weekly ser…

1
Corpus Christi, Texas: Running Dry 5:11

3M ago5:11

5:11

This week on World Ocean Radio we're discussing a news story provided by Inside Climate News that highlights Corpus Christi, Texas and the intensively water-dependent industrial projects there that, by special commitments and permits, are consuming the necessary water supply at a rate of 30 million gallons per day, drawn from an already-stressed gr…

1
Waste(d) on Ocean Science Radio 16:14

3M ago16:14

16:14

What happens after you flush? Most of us don't think about it—but maybe we should. In this eye-opening episode, we dive into one of the ocean's biggest but least discussed threats: wastewater pollution. Join us as we talk with Jos Hill, Program Director for The Nature Conservancy's Wastewater Pollution Program and creator of the groundbreaking podc…

1
Waste(d) on Ocean Science Radio 16:14

3M ago16:14

16:14

What happens after you flush? Most of us don't think about it—but maybe we should. In this eye-opening episode, we dive into one of the ocean's biggest but least discussed threats: wastewater pollution. Join us as we talk with Jos Hill, Program Director for The Nature Conservancy's Wastewater Pollution Program and creator of the groundbreaking podc…

1
Joseph Conrad Rides the Wind 5:05

4M ago5:05

5:05

This week on World Ocean Radio Peter Neill shares thoughts and readings from Joseph Conrad and from UK writer Adrian Morgan's recent article entitled, “How Many Ways Has Joseph Conrad Described the Wind?" About World Ocean Radio World Ocean Radio is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by college and c…

1
Peatlands 5:03

4M ago5:03

5:03

Peatlands, bogs, swamps, and wetlands are uniquely biodiverse natural spaces: soft coastal barriers that make immeasurable contributions to the health and sustainability of human endeavor. Left unprotected, their consumption contributes to a growing worldwide problem; conserved, they sequester carbon, enable wildlife, filter water, and protect us f…

1
Blue Ocean Leadership 5:16

4M ago5:16

5:16

This week on World Ocean Radio we're discussing the "Mind Map of Blue Ocean Leadership,” a chart developed by a global constituency of business experts, graphed to show existing leadership design while suggesting changes that are different from conventional approaches, charted as a “mind map” intended to fix, clarify, and establish an effective pro…

1
The Ocean as Peacebuilder 5:09

4M ago5:09

5:09

This week Peter Neill is reading from an article written by representatives of the UN IOC and the Natural Science Foundation of China, based on the concept of ocean as peacebuilder and amplifier of ocean sustainability. The authors argue that the ocean’s peace-building potential is inseparable from the objective and cooperative nature of ocean scie…

1
The Moon and the Ocean 4:58

5M ago4:58

4:58

From an island perch in Maine, host of World Ocean Radio Peter Neill recently witnessed a full moon rising over the Atlantic Ocean. The silent, majestic way that it rose in the night sky got him ruminating about water, tide, sun, sea currents, power, light, nature, human emotion, and the often under-appreciated, surreal force of the moon. About Wor…

1
RHODY's Great Lakes Adventure - ROV Technology Meets Shipwreck Archaeology 23:21

5M ago23:21

23:21

Dive into the freshwater frontier of ocean exploration as we explore how a revolutionary compact ROV is transforming underwater archaeology in the Great Lakes. Join us for the incredible story of the first comprehensive survey of shipwrecks in Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary, where cutting-edge technology meets centuries-old maritime history…

1
RHODY's Great Lakes Adventure - ROV Technology Meets Shipwreck Archaeology 23:21

5M ago23:21

23:21

Dive into the freshwater frontier of ocean exploration as we explore how a revolutionary compact ROV is transforming underwater archaeology in the Great Lakes. Join us for the incredible story of the first comprehensive survey of shipwrecks in Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary, where cutting-edge technology meets centuries-old maritime history…

1
What If? 5:06

5M ago5:06

5:06

This week: Is there no time left to explore other ways of seeing, being, solving, and surviving? Where can we place our energy and imagination to serve as functions of invention? What if there are new ways of thinking about what and how we invest for the future? About World Ocean Radio World Ocean Radio is a weekly series of five-minute audio essay…

1
Who Cares About the Ocean? 5:11

5M ago5:11

5:11

On June 8th, World Ocean Day, the new film OCEAN, presented by Sir David Attenborough, debuted in theatres and maritime museums around the world, a celebration of the ocean’s beauty and distress, and a passionate call for urgent protection. Who cares about the ocean? What will it take to reverse perspective and increase engagement? How do we best c…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Oceanography Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

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