Marine Palaeontology: An interview with Dr. Leanne Melbourne
Numerous environmental changes have been observed in our oceans in recent years due to the increase in anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere. This in turn leads to ocean acidification and warming waters, phenomena that cause detrimental effects to marine organisms and their survival. Calcifying organisms are particularly at risk to these changes as it significantly reduces their ability to calcify, a vital process in which they create their hard shells or skeletons. Meet Dr Leanne Melbourne, a Marine Palaeontology lecturer at the University of Bristol whose research focuses on how these environmental changes affect the structural integrity of marine calcifiers through time.
Maddy McAllister: The Shipwreck Detective
Shipwrecks are puzzles waiting to be solved. They are full of history, and of course, a whole bunch of marine life! This week we spoke with Maddy McAllister, an Australian underwater archaeologist, hearing a bit about her job as a shipwreck detective.