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The Deep-Sea Podcast

The Deep-Sea Podcast

By: Thomas Linley
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 A couple of deep-sea scientists talk everything deep sea! Interesting facts, recent news, myth-busting and interviews with the most interesting people we know.Copyright 2024 All rights reserved. Biological Sciences Earth Sciences Science
Episodes
  • PRESSURISED: 063 – Bioluminescent Symbiosis with Margaret McFall-Ngai

    PRESSURISED: 063 – Bioluminescent Symbiosis with Margaret McFall-Ngai
    Nov 15 2025
    Welcome to the PRESSURISED version of episode 63, just the science, none of the waffle

    PRESSURISED: Bioluminescent Symbiosis with Margaret McFall-Ngai | The Deep-Sea Podcast | Episode 63

    Our guest this month is Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai, an animal physiologist and biochemist who is a staff researcher at Carnegie Institution for Science’s Division of Biosphere Sciences and Engineering, with her lab stationed at the California Institute of Technology in Biology and Biological Engineering. Dr. McFal-Ngai talks us through her work on the stable beneficial relationship between the Hawaiian bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes) and its partner, the luminous bacterium Vibrio fischeri. Although technically not a deep-sea species, this relationship and its details might help us understand how deep-sea life creates bioluminescence and the possible life cycle impacts for the creatures involved.

    Glossary

    Crypt - The chambers within the squid's light organ.

    Support the show

    The podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us:

    Sophie Bagshaw

    Laura

    Check out our podcast merch here!

    Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:

    podcast@deepseapod.com

    We’d love to actually play your voice, so feel free to record a short audio note on our brand new answerphone!

    https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail

    Thanks again for tuning in; we’ll deep-see you next time!

    Find out more Social media

    BlueSky: @deepseapod.com

    Twitter: @DeepSeaPod

    Instagram: @deepsea_podcast

    Keep up with the team on social media

    Twitter:

    Alan - @Hadalbloke

    Thom - @ThomLinley

    Instagram:

    Thom - @thom.linley

    Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions

    BlueSky:

    Thom @thomaslinley.com

    Alan @hadalbloke

    Reference list Interview Links

    A lasting symbiosis: how the Hawaiian bobtail squid finds and

    keeps its bioluminescent bacterial partner

    A lasting symbiosis: how Vibrio fischeri finds a squid partner

    and persists within its natural host

    Credits

    Logo image: Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai

    Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel
    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
  • Bioluminescent Symbiosis with Margaret McFall-Ngai

    Bioluminescent Symbiosis with Margaret McFall-Ngai
    Nov 7 2025
    Episode Summary In our newest episode, Bioluminescent Symbiosis, we speak with Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai, an animal physiologist and biochemist about her work with the Hawaiian bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes) and its partner, the luminous bacterium Vibrio fischeri. McFall-Ngai provides a great synopsis of how this stable beneficial relationship not only creates light, and supports the bobtail maturation, but can also help us understand what could be going on in the light organs of deep-sea animals. Check out our lovely new website where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading. In this episode… Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, your punk take on all things deep sea! The Professor is jetsetting as always, back in Edinburgh after a stint getting all the equipment ready in the Canary Island and is now happily being confused with professional racecar drivers. He will be back in Perth shortly to celebrate the Deep-Sea center paper publishing streak and reconnect with his Capybara spirit animal. Thom is being called out in New Zealand Parliament, for all the right reasons, and he spent some Deep-Sea conference time in China, avoiding typhoons and pondering science ideas. We are also celebrating 300,000 podcast downloads of the podcast, and appreciate our fans immensely! Our guest this month is Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai, an animal physiologist and biochemist who is a staff researcher at Carnegie Institution for Science’s Division of Biosphere Sciences and Engineering, with her lab stationed at the California Institute of Technology in Biology and Biological Engineering. Dr. McFal-Ngai talks us through her work on the stable beneficial relationship between the Hawaiian bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes) and its partner, the luminous bacterium Vibrio fischeri. Although technically not a deep-sea species, this relationship and its details might help us understand how deep-sea life creates bioluminescence and the possible life cycle impacts for the creatures involved. In the news, get ready for updates on: Plenty of Science and Art collaboration news including a new collective, social media feeds and an opportunity for scientists to connect with artists. Toxic Yellow worms, bright pink snailfish, and chewbacca corals.An immensely important treaty ratification with worldwide impact. Headteeth, yes you read that right. ‘ On the Discord, we’ve been busy with: Bobtail squid fostercareNew Boardgame recommendationsNeedle feltingNew community papers and a Juicy Booty Starfish Support the show The podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us: Sophie Bagshaw Laura Check out our podcast merch here! Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on: podcast@deepseapod.com We’d love to actually play your voice, so feel free to record a short audio note on our brand new answerphone! https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail Thanks again for tuning in; we’ll deep-see you next time! Find out more Social media BlueSky: @deepseapod.com Twitter: @DeepSeaPod Instagram: @deepsea_podcast Keep up with the team on social media Twitter: Alan - @Hadalbloke Thom - @ThomLinley Instagram: Thom - @thom.linley Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions BlueSky: Thom @thomaslinley.com Alan @hadalbloke Reference list News Links from Friends of the Show: Skype a Scientist Products | Support Skype a Scientist with the Squid Facts shop! Deep Sea Biology Society ArtSea Matchmaking Project Unseen Ocean Collective. Unseen Ocean Collective (@unseenoceancollective) • Instagram photos and videos https://bsky.app/profile/unseenocean.bsky.social Swedish Biodiversity Symposium, 21 - 23 October 2025 Deep Sea Art + Science Feed on Blue Sky News Deep-Sea Worm Produces Orpiment, a Toxic Yellow Pigment Used in Historical Art | Scientific American Mānoa: Chewbacca coral: New deep-sea species spotted in waters off Hawai‘i, Mariana Trench | University of Hawaii News Nations ratify the world's first treaty to protect international waters Ghost sharks grow teeth on their heads to mate | ScienceDaily Descriptions of Three Newly Discovered Abyssal Snailfishes (Liparidae) from the Eastern Pacific Ocean Discord Updates Applying Deep Learning to Quantify Drivers of Long-Term Ecological Change in a Swedish Marine Protected Area Diatoms | Board Game | BoardGameGeek Juicy Booty Starfish Join our Patreon to get access to the Discord Interview Links A lasting symbiosis: how the Hawaiian bobtail squid finds and keeps its bioluminescent bacterial partner A lasting symbiosis: how Vibrio fischeri finds a squid partner and persists ...
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • The Deco-Stop: 004 - No Word for Ocean with Yakup Niyazi

    The Deco-Stop: 004 - No Word for Ocean with Yakup Niyazi
    Oct 3 2025

    Here’s our fourth episode of The Deco-Stop; a deeper look into the humans behind deep-sea science and technology. We’ve done our science dive, and now it’s time to decompress, and discuss tales at sea, career paths and the social & political aspects of deep-sea science. We have gazed into the abyss, and now it's gazing back at us.

    Alan and Thom speak with Yakup Niyazi, a marine geoscientist who first saw the ocean at the age of 27. This fourth instalment in the Deco-Stop series, which focuses on the human element of deep-sea research, is an inspiring episode about one man’s journey from the desert to the bottom of the ocean, his challenges, achievements, and the deep community support he received along the way.

    Check out our lovely new website, where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading.

    In this episode…

    Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, this month we have a heartwarming Deco Stop episode and are again exploring …‘the human element in deep sea stories..’ - Alan

    In our fourth instalment of the Deco-Stop series, Alan and Thom speak with Yakup Niyazi about his journey from the edge of the Asian Desert to the bottom of the ocean. An ethnic Uyghur who grew up in the city of Aksu, at the edge of the Taklamakan Desert in Central Asia, Yakup grew up not only physically but also emotionally and culturally removed from the sea. Yakup's early experiences pose some interesting questions: What is it like to grow up in a culture that doesn’t really have a concept of the ocean, and few descriptive words for the ocean? How do you interact with the ocean if your only experiences are from movies and television?

    His incredible story is filled with overcoming adversity, fulfilled dreams, landscapes (and seascapes) that come full circle, and a deeper appreciation of the ocean than most people will ever experience. Despite humble beginnings, Yakup has an impressive roster of achievements and a social circle of supportive connections who only want to see him succeed further.

    This inspiring episode reminds us that, regardless of our original circumstances, the world is a vast place filled with incredible opportunities. One day, you might find yourself exiting a hadal submarine, surrounded by the heartwarming cheers of friends and colleagues, having successfully visited the bottom of the ocean you only saw for the first time at age 27.

    “I was a camel before, from the desert, but now I am a shark swimming in the ocean”- Yakup Niyazi

    Support the show

    The podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us.

    Check out our podcast merch here!

    Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:

    podcast@deepseapod.com

    We’d love to actually play your voice, so feel free to record a short audio note on our brand new answerphone!

    https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail

    Thanks again for tuning in; we’ll deep-see you next time!

    Find out more Social media

    BlueSky: @deepseapod.com

    Twitter: @DeepSeaPod

    Instagram: @deepsea_podcast

    Keep up with the team on social media Twitter:

    Alan - @Hadalbloke

    Thom - @ThomLinley

    Instagram:

    Thom - @thom.linley

    Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions

    BlueSky:

    Thom @thomaslinley.com

    Credits

    Logo image: Georgia Wells

    Theme: Going Home by Harvey Jones
    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
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