Under the Surface is the first episode of Cornwall's Climate Stories. Presented by beach cleaner Claire Wallerstein, it looks at how the huge rise in public awareness about the impacts of plastic pollution may have diverted attention from an even more urgent environmental problem affecting the sea - climate change. The film features interviews with marine experts talking about the impacts of a changing climate on Cornwall's basking sharks, plankton, seals and seabirds - but also looking at positive stories about local projects to restore the marine environment, which could help to protect us from the worst effects of climate change.
Click below to listen to the full interview with Dr Matthew Witt, talking in greater depth about basking sharks, but also how climate change is affecting other species he works with – and how the focus on plastics among the public, politicians and academia may be distracting attention from other urgent environmental problems.
Click here to listen to the full interview with James Doddrell, giving a more detailed explanation of reef cubes and why he believes they are so urgently needed in a future world likely to see greater exploitation of and construction on the seabed.
Click here to listen to the full interview with Fiona Crouch, talking in depth about the many benefits of seagrass, the urgent need to protect and restore it – and the challenges that will entail.
Click here to listen to the full interview with Marianne Wootton, talking in much fuller detail about plankton, the Continuous Plankton Recorder, and how crucial it is for policy to encompass plankton – which are undergoing huge changes, yet are the base of the entire marine food web.
Click here to listen to the full interview with Mark Grantham, talking in more detail about kittiwakes and the problems they face, how climate change is affecting birds in general – and what we can do as individuals to help lessen the impacts.
Click here to listen to the full interview with Nikki Banfield, talking about the many ways in which climate change is affecting both the animal and human inhabitants of the Isles of Scilly – and how the resourceful islanders are preparing to face the greater challenges likely to come in future.
Click here to listen to the full interview with Ruth Williams, talking about how the conservation world needs to urgently shift its dominant focus away from land-based solutions to embrace ambitious new models to protect and restore marine habitats – both to boost biodiversity and to protect us from the growing impacts of climate change.
Click here to listen to the full interview with Sue Sayer talking in more depth about Cornwall’s grey seals and why they are so important, how climate change is affecting them – and also the potential for a high-tech solution to help seals that become entangled in fishing gear.
Click here to listen to the full interview with Tim van Berkel, talking about the amazing properties of seaweed and how it could help in the battle against climate change - and the challenges of running a seaweed business.
Cornwall-based NGO Surfers Against Sewage are campaigning on the ocean and climate change. Visit their site here to learn about how the climate crisis is affecting our oceans and how you can take action to support their crucial lobbying work.
Plankton (Marine Biological Association)
Kittiwakes (Cornwall Birds - CBWPS)
Highly protected marine areas (the Wildlife Trusts)
Grey seals (Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust)
Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust
Seagrass restoration (Ocean Conservation Trust)
As a project to document the facts around climate change in Cornwall, we take our own carbon footprint very seriously and aim to tread as lightly as possible.
We operate in accordance with an environmental policy that covers everything from our transport (which accounts for the bulk of our emissions) and banking to data storage and battery charging.