In this episode of Ocean Pod, Bronwyn and Nina dive into the world of seadragons. From their intricate camouflage to their unique reproductive strategies, we explore what makes these animals so special and why they are so closely tied to the health of our coastal ecosystems.

Joining us is Professor Greg Rouse, from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Greg shares insights from his global career in marine biology, including his work on deep-sea ecosystems and his journey from studying in Australia to leading research in the United States. We also explore his work on seadragons, including the innovative SeadragonSearch project, which uses citizen science and photo identification to track individual animals and support conservation efforts.

We discuss what we’re learning about seadragon populations, the challenges they face - from habitat loss to environmental events like harmful algal blooms - and how the community can get involved in protecting them.

Plus, as always, we kick things off with Tide Talk, where Bronwyn and Nina share something from the ocean world that caught their attention this week. 🌊

In Bronwyn’s tide talk she spoke about new species evolving within a few thousand years of a mass extinction event. You can read that here: https://doi.org/10.1130/G53313.1

The link that we spoke about showing the first time weedy seadragons have been recorded mating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8-3mln3q8I

Seadragon search: https://seadragonsearch.org