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Most of the time, the answer is that it could, but the connection hasn’t been made explicit. If that connection isn’t clear, it’s much harder for the research to influence decisions.

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A manager responsible for a fisheries decision or a protected area boundary needs something more specific. Does this research tell me something useful about the decision I’m actually facing?

Researchers aren’t always sure how far they can go in drawing policy conclusions without overstepping. Vagueness becomes a form of caution. Better to imply relevance than to assert it and risk being wrong. The problem is that vague implications aren’t really implications at all.

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The research probably does have implications, but more often than not, what those implications are for policy isn’t made explicit.

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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 22/09/2026

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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What do hermit crabs do on their birthdays? They shell-ebrate!

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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 18/09/2026

I spoke to Dr Tristan Smith at @ucl.ac.uk about why supporting early adopters matters, how the proposed Net-Zero Fund could help unlock investment, & what it might take to reach the point where the market starts scaling itself. Read more in my latest @imarest.bsky.social article champ.ly/FQZdWNjc

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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 18/09/2026

One option is reverse auctions, where companies bid for the level of support they need. Another is a fixed reward for using cleaner fuels. Both offer advantages. Both come with trade-offs.

Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 18/09/2026

The IMO’s Net-Zero Framework could help move zero- and near-zero-emission shipping fuels from early adoption towards the mainstream, but a lot depends on how the incentives are designed.

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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 17/09/2026

How can you build your ocean career if you don't even know what your career could look like? I'm hugely grateful to everyone who has done a career profile for this new resource 👏 If you work in an ocean-related role and would be interested in sharing your career story, send me a DM

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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 15/09/2026

Deltocyathus zoemetallicus is one of the @marinespecies.bsky.social ten remarkable new marine species from 2025, as voted for by taxonomists.

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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 15/09/2026

At depths of around 4,000 metres, conditions make it difficult for corals to build and maintain their skeletons. This nodule crown coral is one of the few to do so. As far as we know, the corals are dependent on the nodules - the very same that deep-sea mining enterprises hope to target.

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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 · 08/09/2026

Thanks to Fei Song at NTNU for chatting with me about their research, its limitations, and why these impacts could matter for life-cycle assessments for this imarest.bsky.social story champ.ly/PItIekGf

Microplastics: a new variable in the ocean carbon cycle

New research suggests microplastics may interfere with the growth of microscopic algae involved in the ocean carbon cycle

Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 08/09/2026

The good news is that, globally, the estimated impact on the carbon cycle is small. But some phytoplankton communities may be more affected by microplastics than others. That means the impacts on carbon sequestration could be greater in some regions than others.

Microplastics: a new variable in the ocean carbon cycle

New research suggests microplastics may interfere with the growth of microscopic algae involved in the ocean carbon cycle

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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 08/09/2026

Ever wondered whether microplastics could affect the ocean carbon cycle? New research suggests they may interfere with the growth of phytoplankton - microscopic algae that play an important role in absorbing and moving carbon through the ocean.

Microplastics: a new variable in the ocean carbon cycle

New research suggests microplastics may interfere with the growth of microscopic algae involved in the ocean carbon cycle

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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 07/09/2026

are you allowed to give away any spoilers?

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Reposted by Sam Andrews

Ocean Opportunities @oceanopportunities.org · 04/09/2026

Deadline approaching ⌛ There's still time to apply for the Falkland Islands Government Fisheries Observer position Check out the details and apply by September 10 👇 champ.ly/v4fOVZr8

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Huge thanks to Mike Mackay from DRIFT for spending the time to explain how the vessels work, why developing a completely new class of ship creates some interesting regulatory challenges, and how the technology could eventually be adapted for my latest @imarest.bsky.social story 👇 champ.ly/FNeN_oiJ

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Making it work means bringing together sailing technology, turbines, electrolysers, hydrogen storage, autonomous navigation, and some very clever weather routing - and all on a relatively small vessel.

That electricity is then used onboard to produce hydrogen from seawater, which can be stored and brought back to shore.

Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 01/09/2026

Ever heard of an "energy harvesting ship"? It's a pretty neat concept from @drift-energy.bsky.social. Autonomous wind-powered ships create electricity as they sail, using underwater turbines that work a little like propellers in reverse.

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There's also a trust dimension. Audiences, especially policymakers and journalists, notice when numbers go missing from findings that clearly had numbers. Specificity signals confidence. Vagueness can signal the opposite.

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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 01/09/2026

Vague language feels like it's making data more accessible. What it's actually doing is obscuring it. "A 40% decline in seagrass cover over twenty years" is clearer, more honest, and harder to misinterpret than "significant losses of seagrass habitat."

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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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Reposted by Sam Andrews

PIK_climate @pik-potsdam.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Europe's relatively mild climate is enabled by the #AMOC. 🌊 @rahmstorf.bsky.social explains how this oceanic "central heating system" transports immense amounts of energy as heat into the north Atlantic region before cooling and returning southward. Watch in full: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNOS...

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UK Seabird Monitoring Programme @smp-seabirds.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

So far in 2026, Black-headed Gulls have the highest number of breeding success submissions among the 25 SMP species — that means lots of juveniles like this one! Don't forget to submit your data by October 31st, the data deadline. #Seabirds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

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Reposted by Sam Andrews

Ocean Opportunities @oceanopportunities.org · 22/08/2026

What does Sarah wish for the ocean? That things are a bit cleaner #MakeAWishOnAFish

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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 26/08/2026

Where does a killer whale go for braces? The orca-dontist!

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But the relationship between knowledge and action is more complicated than the model suggests. No single social media post, blog article, activity with kids, or ocean festival is going to bridge that gap.

I don't think this means science communication that focuses on knowledge isn’t important - there is a real value in sharing knowledge in its own right.

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Understanding ocean acidification doesn't automatically produce a sense that you can do anything about it. Knowing about microplastics doesn't translate directly into changed behaviour.

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It's a tidy model. The problem is that it doesn't quite match how people actually respond to information, especially information about things that feel large and distant.

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Ocean Opportunities @oceanopportunities.org · 19/08/2026

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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Reposted by Sam Andrews

The Falkland Islands Government have an opening for a fisheries observer 🐟 Want to know more? Head here and apply by September 10 👇 champ.ly/YQvQ0ZUH

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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 13/08/2026

Named for its resemblance to Darth Vader’s helmet, this large crustacean reaches some 32.5 cm long and weighs over 1 kilogram! Bathynomus vaderi is one of the @marinespecies.bsky.social ten remarkable new marine species from 2025, as voted for by taxonomists.

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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Ocean Opportunities @oceanopportunities.org · 06/08/2026

What does Mohsen Kayal from L’Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD) wish for the ocean? It's all about action #MakeAWishOnAFish

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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 12/08/2026

A yacht can have all the right safety procedures on paper. But what happens when fatigue, inconsistent leadership, or fear of speaking up get in the way? I spoke with Engel-Jan de Boer and Stephanie McLay @lloydsregister.bsky.social for my latest @imarest.bsky.social article 👇 champ.ly/cvPSk_dU

Yacht safety culture: good on paper

A new survey highlights how the gap between procedures and practice undermines safety at sea, with fatigue management an area of concern

Ocean Opportunities @oceanopportunities.org · 01/08/2026

Reposted by Sam Andrews

Love the ocean 🌊? Love science 🔬? Want to get involved in some cool ocean research? 🙋‍♀️ Find your project in our directory of marine-themed community and citizen science projects 👇 champ.ly/nBl0qa22

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Ocean Opportunities @oceanopportunities.org · 04/08/2026

Podcast spotlight: Seas of opportunity: navigating the Blue Economy Embark on a nautical journey with law firm Simmons & Simmons and UK NGO @mcsuk.bsky.social with this podcast series dedicated to the Blue Economy.

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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 03/08/2026

If you wanted a fast-moving, agile vessel, what propulsion system would you choose? For the Indian Navy, the answer was waterjets. For my latest @imarest.bsky.social article, I spoke with Fredrik Appel and Göran Grunditz from Kongsberg Maritime about waterjet propulsion champ.ly/tO3GvUIy

Waterjets: the propeller alternative embraced by the Indian Navy

All propulsion systems have their trade-offs, and sometimes waterjets have the edge over propellers

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Reposted by Sam Andrews

Ocean Opportunities @oceanopportunities.org · 30/07/2026

Association spotlight: Marine Mammal Observer Association (MMOA) MMOA aims to bring together & represent individuals who work commercially & professionally as marine fauna mitigation professionals who implement measures to protect marine life during industry operations

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Sam Andrews @oceanoculus.com · 30/07/2026

Could sharks help us forecast the ocean? For my latest @imarest.bsky.social article, I spoke with @laurahopemc.bsky.social from @whoi.edu about research showing that data collected by tagged sharks could improve seasonal ocean forecasts by up to 40% 👇 champ.ly/NFpvP_qR