In this episode, I speak with Dr. Stephen Thackeray, a Freshwater Ecologist in the UK. We learn a lot about plankton, invasive species, we talk climate change and warming. And then, we learn that Steve has an artistic side, too! Join Julie’s World for additional content! Go to https://www.patreon.com/juliesworld Many ecologists don’t use their “Dr” title. (0:00:24) Dr. Thackeray’s work as a freshwater ecologist (0:01:28) The kinds of tools to use to observe life in lakes (0:03:41) What are Plankton? (0:08:00) What are bacterial plankton? (0:09:35) The role of plankton. (0:10:49) What causes algal blooms? (0:12:44) Nutrients for growth of organisms (0:15:18) Can you grow algae at home? (0:16:03) Invasive species in lakes (0:16:40) Light penetration in lakes (0:22:56) Diseases in lakes (0:25:12) Steve’s favourite creature (0:26:07) How Steve got interested in wildlife (0:28:06) Communicating science to the public (0:29:33) Tardigrades in lakes? (0:34:26) Steve’s research and what it tells us about climate change.(0:35:42) What causes warming? (0:39:23) How to deal with the denial of science? (0:40:17) What does Dr Thackeray do for fun? (0:41:43) Decisions to make after a PhD. (0:46:46) Looking forward to life after the pandemic. (0:50:53) Follow Dr Thackeray on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SteveThackeray Visit Planet B612 on the web: http://planetb612.fm/ Follow Planet B612 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlanetB612fm Support Planet B612 on Patreon: https://patreon.com/juliesworld