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Sam Andrews

@oceanoculus.com
4.6K followers 3.4K following 1K posts

Science & stories from the sea (+ occasionally the other 30% of the planet) 🌊 Science, tech, policy, sustainability writer 🤿 Founder of Ocean Oculus, the ocean-focused communications consultancy 📈 Researcher ☕ Tea drinker 🧀 Cheese eater 🐧 Bird admirer

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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 19h
Apparently today is International Podcast Day, which seems as good an excuse as any to talk about ocean podcasts! There are so many good ones out there, covering everything from marine science and conservation to life at sea, ocean careers, history, policy... there's even comedy ocean podcasts!
A drawing of a shark wearing headphones and sunglasses with a smile on their face. The text "ocean podcasts directory" and "oceanopportunities.org" accompanies the image
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 28/09/2026
Almost every ocean science paper has one. A sentence, or sometimes a whole paragraph, near the end stating that the findings have important implications for policy or management. Image credit: Thomas Lohmann (Unsplash)
View inside the European Parliment - a huge room with hundreds of seats arranged in a circle
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 22/09/2026
What do hermit crabs do on their birthdays? They shell-ebrate!
illustration of a hermit crab with the text "What do hermit crabs do on their birthdays? They shell-ebrate"
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 15/09/2026
Down in the depths of the ocean, metal supports life. Like for this nodule crown coral (Deltocyathus zoemetallicus), a stony coral that lives attached to polymetallic nodules on the seafloor. Image credit: @nhm-london.bsky.social and the University of Gothenburg
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 01/09/2026
"Significant changes." "Substantial impacts." "Considerable variation." These phrases show up constantly in ocean communication, and they're almost always less useful than they seem. Image: A fisher in seagrass (Bali). Credit: Ben Jones / Ocean Image Bank
A fisher stands in seagrass. The image is a split view so you can see the seagrass below the water and the fisher above
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 26/08/2026
Where does a killer whale go for braces? The orca-dontist!
illustration of an orca with the text "Where does a killer whale go for braces? The orca-dontist"
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 20/08/2026
There's an assumption about ocean science communication that I’ve been hearing a lot this summer. If we explain the science clearly enough, people will care. That understanding leads to engagement, engagement leads to support, support leads to change. Image credit: Jeong yunji (Unsplash)
People sitting looking through a window at the ocean
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 13/08/2026
Sometimes, new species aren’t found in the wild, but in plain sight. This is the Darth Vader supergiant isopod (Bathynomus vaderi) and it was “discovered” in seafood markets in Vietnam, where giant isopods have become somewhat of a delicacy. Image credit: Nguyen Thanh Son
closeup of the head of Bathynomus vaderi
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 29/07/2026
Why will fish never take responsibility? Because it's always salmon else's fault!
illustration fo a salmon with the text "Why will fish never take responsibility? Because it's always salmon else's fault"
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 14/07/2026
The survival of some species is entirely dependent on another. Meet Acanthobothrium goleketen, a parasitic flatworm known only from a single, critically endangered species of guitarfish. Image credit: Manuel Irigoitia (Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata)
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 07/07/2026
Ocean data has a bit of a communication problem. We're producing more data than ever, thanks to innovations in satellites, autonomous vehicles, environmental DNA, acoustic monitoring, and more. It's extraordinary what we can now observe about the ocean. Image credit: Gerd Altmann (Pixabay)
Abstract image of waves wih lines coming up and dots on the top
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 30/06/2026
Not everything that glitters is gold Meet Iskra’s glitter worm (Photinopolynoe iskrae), a newly described scale worm discovered on the deep seafloor off California. Image credit: P.C. Dr. Greg W. Rouse and edited by Dr. Avery S. Hiley
looking down at the red shiny scales of Photinopolynoe iskrae
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 24/06/2026
Why did the octopus beat the shark in a fight? Because it was well-armed!
Illustration of an octopus with the text "Why did the octopus beat the shark in a fight?  Because it was well-armed!"
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 22/06/2026
What are we actually asking people to do when we communicate about ocean issues? A lot of ocean-awareness communication is very good at highlighting problems. It's often less good at giving people a sense that they can do something meaningful about them. Image credit: Matt Hardy (Unsplash)
Black and white photo looking up at a wave peak with stormy clouds in the background
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 03/06/2026
Something I keep noticing about how ocean issues get covered in media and public discourse. It's a resource. A threatened ecosystem. A policy problem. A backdrop... Image credit: Balthazar LeLievre (Unsplash)
groups of surfers standing on a beach with their boards
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 27/05/2026
What did Cinderella wear when she swam in the ocean? Glass flippers!
illustration of snorkelling fins with the text "What did Cinderella wear when she swam in the ocean? Glass flippers"
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 19/05/2026
PSA to marine researchers - "the public" is not an audience! I know you know, but it keeps coming up when I speak with researchers about supporting their project. Image credit: FY Chang (Unsplash)
people standing next to some railings looking out to the ocean
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 13/05/2026
The ocean covers most of our planet. It regulates our climate, produces a significant portion of the oxygen we breathe, feeds hundreds of millions of people, and supports biodiversity we've only begun to understand. Image credit: Kurt Arrigo / Ocean Image Bank
A wave breaking on the surface with sunlight shining through dark clouds
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 11/05/2026
Let's get statistically sea-nificant 🧊 6 - the number of Poland-sized areas of Arctic sea ice lost in March 2025 Image: Sea ice in North of Svalbard. Credit GRID-Arendal / Peter Prokosh (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
sea ice floating on the ocean surface
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 08/05/2026
Life in deep-sea caves is usually dark… usually. Meet the aptly named golden glow zoantharian (Corallizoanthus aureus), which was spotted living on corals in deep-sea caves near Japan. What’s special about these tiny critters is that they glow.
Corallizoanthus aureus no glowCorallizoanthus aureus - green glow!
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 01/05/2026
How do scallops call their friends? On their shell-phones!
illustration of a scallop with the words "How do scallops call their friends? On their shell-phones"
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 22/04/2026
Let's get statistically sea-nificant 🧮 480 million The number of years a group of oyster shell-boring spionid polychaete parasites has existed. Image: Adult marine shell-boring spionid polychaete. Credit Vasily Radishevsky/ Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
the oyster shell-boring spionid polychaete parasite
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 20/04/2026
Here’s something you don’t see every day This is a gumboot chiton making babies. Those little green dots are eggs, released into the water by the female. Around the same time, nearby males release sperm, and if all goes well, some of those eggs are fertilised 📷 Robin Gwen Agarwal (CC BY-NC 2.0)
gumboot chiton ejecting eggs
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 13/04/2026
Why did the fish blush? Because it saw the boat's bottom 🤦‍♀️
illustration of a boat with the words "Why did the fish blush?  Because it saw the boat's bottom"
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 08/04/2026
Some predators don’t chase their prey. They wait. Meet the sponge ambusher worm Eunice siphoninsidiator, a deep-sea polychaete worm found around 1,000 metres down in the northwest Pacific. Image credit: Yadong Zhou (Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory)
Glass sponge (left) and worm (right). A worm can also be seen inside the sponge
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 27/03/2026
Even in the deep sea, some of the most intriguing animals are the smallest. Meet the dragon nematode Dracograllus miguelitus, which was found more than 1,600 metres down on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Image credit: Valentin Foulon (École Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Brest)
full-body shot of Dracograllus miguelitusclose up of Dracograllus miguelitus
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 18/03/2026
Let's get statistically sea-nificant 🧮 🔊 25 The number of distinct calls scientists discovered Hawaiian monk seals make. 📷 Mark Sullivan, NOAA Fisheries Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program, 2014 Photo collected under NMFS Research Permit
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 09/03/2026
Just arrived in London for Oceanology! Looking forward to a couple of days exploring what’s new in ocean tech and meeting lots of very interesting people doing lots of very interesting things.
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 06/03/2026
I’ll be at Oceanology International next week in London! I’m really looking forward to spending a couple of days walking the floor, learning about new developments in ocean technology + lots of lovely conversations. If you’re attending and would like to connect, feel free to say hello
Notebook, business cards, postard, mics, a tripdod, conference badge, and metal fish laid out on a desk
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 27/02/2026
It's International Polar Bear Day! Which seems like a perfect opportunity to embrace your inner polar bear 🐻‍❄️ Swim Eat Nap Image: Merit Jensen Carr / Polar Bear Town (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
a mother polar bear napping with an awake cub peeking out behind her
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 25/02/2026
Why is the ocean so powerful? Because it has lots of mussels 🤦‍♀️
illustration of mussels with the words "Why is the ocean so powerful?    Because it has lots of mussels"
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 24/02/2026
This is going to be a bit of a jumbled thoughts thread, but I'm putting it out there anyway. What if we stopped starting our ocean communications with a problem? Photo credit: Kirill Fokin (Unsplash)
Black and white photo of people standing and swimming in the sea
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 19/02/2026
Last week, I went to a super-interesting @scicommcentre.eu webinar about misinformation and disinformation. One of the very many interesting points discussed was the role of trust in science communication.
v
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 18/02/2026
The ocean is filled with wonderful sounds - and listening in can tell us a lot I chatted with Lucille Chapuis (International Quiet Ocean Experiment) + Emma Carline (Ocean Sonics) about how hydrophones help us monitor the ocean for my latest in @imarest.bsky.social's Marine Professional
front cover of the Marine Professional and the first page of the article featuring a beluga
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 17/02/2026
Did someone say.... pancake day 🤔😮😃🥞 While you're tucking into your tasty pancakes, why not admire this pancake batfish. No guesses as to how it earned its name "pancake," but here's three things you might not know: 📷 Sandra Raredon/Smithsonian Institution (public domain)
looking down on a pancake batfish specimen. It looks like a pancake with eyes on its back, a tail and fins near the back
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 16/02/2026
What does it mean for co-design and co-governance for marine conservation when one actor can kill off an idea? Image: Aerial view of Burgeo Islands. Credit ParsonsPhotographyNL (CC BY-SA 4.0)
aerial view of burgeo islands. they are small, with buildings and roads on them
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 15/02/2026
Do I have some good news for you this World Whale Day! Canada launched its Whalesafe Fishing Gear Strategy - a national, five-year plan to reduce the number of whales being entangled in commercial fishing gear. Video credit: NOAA (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 12/02/2026
Decarbonising the oceans isn't just about commercial shipping. Research fleets matter too For my latest Marine Professional piece, I spoke with Maximilien Simon @ifremer.bsky.social about the French Oceanographic Fleet's path forward Marine Professional is available to @imarest.bsky.social members
front cover of the Marine Professional and view of the article, which includes a concept design of a hybrid research vessel
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 11/02/2026
Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a moment to celebrate not just participation in science, but belonging within it... 🧵
Woman standing on a cliff looking out at seabirds with binoculars
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 10/02/2026
Let's get statistically sea-nificant 🧮 🟢 37.5 million The estimated number of tonnes of sargassum floating in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico in May 2025. 📷Sargassum in the Réserve Naturelle Nationale de Saint Martin in the Antilles. Credit Michel Vely (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 09/02/2026
I’ve been thinking about the role of art in ocean science engagement after a webinar on Friday on engaging science, policy, and art in the Ocean Decade...
Sam Andrews looking at a webinar about sci-art. On the screen is a close up of blown glass, created with ancient sediments
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 04/02/2026
I've just finished reading the World Economic Forum's "The Ocean Economy Imperative: Defining Value, Managing Risk and Mobilizing Investment" briefing paper. If you're interested in where the ocean economy is headed, it's worth a read. Here are a few points that stood out to me:
Front cover of the report showing an image with windfarms in the background, aquaculture and boat activity in the front.
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 28/01/2026
Did you hear about the octopus that wears stripes? It wanted to look more eel-egant! 🤦‍♀️
illustration of an octopus with the words "Did you hear about the octopus that wears stripes?     It wanted to look more eel-egant!"
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 27/01/2026
Absolutely loving Pradeep Singh and Jeff Ardron's Wish on a Fish for the deep sea Just last week, it emerged that the US government are going to accelerate permits for deep-sea mining in international waters, aka the high seas - the bit of the ocean that is outside of any country's jurisdiction.
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 22/01/2026
Big shoutout to all the CTDs working hard this CTD Appreciation Day `🎉🥳` CTD whatnow? 📷 Deploying a CTD, a sampling device which collects data on conductivity (salinity), temperature and depth in pancake ice, Antarctica back in 2001. Credit CSIRO (CC BY 3.0)
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 19/01/2026
Did somebody say…. #MolluscMonday! I love these mimic octopuses for their mastery of disguise. Apparently, they can change shape, colour, and even behaviour to impersonate a whole range of other marine animals. If you could impersonate a marine animal, what would you pick?
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 17/01/2026
Today's the day... the High Seas Treaty has come into force! It's a huge step towards taking better care of our shared ocean, those that live there, and those that depend on it. Well, as long as governments take science-based action and put our money where their promises are.
humpback whale jumping out the water
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 08/12/2025
Let's get statistically sea-nificant 🧮 🪦 87,000 The number of dead animals reported to iNaturalist by people in South Australia during a huge harmful algal bloom event. 📷 A harmful algal bloom in the Banter Sea, Germany. Credit Ein Dahmer (CC BY-SA 4.0) 1/2
A coastline with the sea water visibly very green
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 04/12/2025
Need a break but can't get outside? Here's a little walk in nature #WalkWithMe #BlueskyWalks #NatureWalks
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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 03/12/2025
Think these are blackeyed Susan... spotted in Hérault, France #BloomScrolling #Nature
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