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Blue Planet 2

Blue Planet 2 | Episode 6 | Coasts

We have a tendency to take our coastlines for granted. It is by far the most accessible and relatable marine habitat, with thousands flocking there every day for their primary source of food, watersports, or just to relax. The UN estimates 40% of the world's population live in coastal areas. They provide the most extensive economic and social benefits of any natural habitat, encompassing 77% of the services provided to us by all ecosystems. Continue reading →

What to expect from Blue Planet 2 – Our Blue Planet

Blue Planet 2 has been a spectacular series, with ground-breaking technology, innovative filmmaking, and top scientific correspondence allowing our ocean's most incredible stories to be broadcast to an audience of over 14 million people. The series has allowed characters from the big blue to come to life in our living rooms, inspiring a new generation of marine biologists, just as The Blue Planet (the original series) did for me and my fellow students. Continue reading →

What to expect from Blue Planet 2 – Coasts

So far in Blue Planet 2, we've experienced the wonders of the deep, colourful coral reefs, the vastness of the open ocean, and the remarkably productive green seas. The penultimate episode of the series will focus on possibly the most challenging environment for marine fauna - our dynamic coasts. Along the coastline, two vastly different worlds collide - the terrestrial and the marine. Continue reading →

What to expect from Blue Planet 2 – Green Seas

When we think of the ocean we largely picture a vast, blue wilderness, as witnessed in last week’s episode of Blue Planet 2 – Big Blue. This week we’ve been promised a glimpse inside the ocean’s 'Green Seas' – the most productive, and arguably most important expanses of the marine environment. During my time studying at the University of Southampton, I’ve learned a great deal about our ‘green seas’. Continue reading →

Blue Planet | Episode 4 | Big Blue

The open ocean may seem like a vast, featureless wasteland to us outsiders, but its inhabits are intrepid navigators that use its structures to embark on some of the most epic journeys known to science. Leatherback turtles have been shown to migrate across the entire Pacific Ocean. Two hatchling leatherbacks were once tracked moving 39km in 34 hours and 82km in 39 hours, an extraordinary distance for a baby weighing less than 40g in one of the first days of its life. Continue reading →

What to expect from Blue Planet 2 – Big Blue

My name is Elin and I’m a fourth-year MSci Marine Biology student at the University of Southampton. Like Kieran, I’ve been following the Blue Planet 2 series with great enthusiasm, and I’ve really enjoyed seeing the theory we’ve learned in lectures come to life in wonderful HD. With this in mind, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the natural spectacles we might expect to see in the upcoming Blue Planet 2 episodes, starting with Big Blue. Continue reading →

Blue Planet | Episode 3 | Coral Reefs

It is difficult to disagree that coral reefs are of global importance – the most biodiverse, the most colourful, and often associated with tropical paradise. As well as aesthetic beauty, reefs possess huge biological and socioeconomic value. They are the primary source of food for up to a billion people, act as natural storm barriers, bring in millions via tourism, have potential in medical research and provide a nursery for species from all over the rest of the ocean (1). Continue reading →