macquarie island

Macquarie Island is home to som pretty spectacular wildlife but the island’s inhabitants have for centuries been under threat from feral cats, rats, rabbits brought onshore by sealers and whalers in the 19th Century.

This episode details the history of Royal Australian Air Force operations in Antarctica with a focus on RAAF C-130 involvement, including airdrops at Macquarie Island.

Plans to establish a giant new Australian marine park in the Southern Ocean have re-sparked debates about the damage fishing does to marine environments. Is it possible to fish in a way that is environmentally sustainable and do Australian marine parks have the balance right?

Niamh Chapman and Kate Johnson talk to award winning illustrator and author Coral Tulloch. We learn how creating a picture book is remarkably similar to working on a scientific project, involving observation, collaboration and extensive research. We hear about Coral’s experience of Antarctica and Macquarie Island, the subject of some of her books, along with her collaborations with both Australian author Alison Lester and the many scientists she has worked with along the way. 

Show theme music: Kevin MacLeod

Host: Niamh Chapman (@nchapmanTAS) & Kate Johnson (@KatePlantPhys)
Production: Meredith Castles (@meredithcastles), Olly Dove (@littledove440) & Sarah Lyden
Media & Promotion: Olivia Holloway (@LivHolloway_), Kate Johnson (@KatePlantPhys)

Where endangered wildlife watches you showering with a bucket in the Antarctic wind.

Where endangered wildlife watches you showering with a bucket in the Antarctic wind.

Where elephant seals smell like feathers and petrels sound like dragons.

Where elephant seals smell like feathers and petrels sound like dragons.