Ever wonder how, and why, we research microscopic life in our oceans? In this episode, I speak with plankton ecologist, and head of the Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey about marine life, research, and more! (0:00:26) Plymouth, England. (0:02:07) Publication and reputation over a PhD in the UK. (0:04:56) What are plankton? Phyto and Zoo. (0:06:27) Zooplankton: Starting small. (0:08:35) Microscopic crustaceans: It's all relative.  (0:09:23) Copepods: A keystone species. (0:10:30) Key species: Playing a pivotal role. (0:11:54) Phytoplankton: Diatoms and Dinoflagellates. (0:13:29) Changing seasons and how it affects populations. (0:15:44) Marine Tardigrades. (0:17:02) What is the best way to sample marine plankton communities? (0:18:00) Microscopic Jellyfish and CPR Samples. (0:19:00) Why study the microscopic? The canary in the coal mine. (0:20:56) Moving North: The changing latitudes of plankton populations. (0:21:30) Calanus Finmarchicus and Calanus Helgolandicus. (0:23:16) The Global Association of CPR Surveys. (0:25:30) The origin of the Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey. (0:27:21) Plankton and changing water colours. (0:29:25) Red tides, toxic blooms and the Environmental Agency. (0:32:39) Ships of opportunity: How the CPR runs. (0:35:45) The CPR design. (0:36:40) Holographic 3D imaging and upcoming changes. (0:37:34) Data collection: Getting more accurate positioning in the future. (0:38:45) How far down does the CPR go? (0:39:44) Testing the plankton of the deep. (0:40:48) Long term trends and changes: What the data is used for. (0:42:56) CPR: High success, low errors.  (0:44:32) Surprising results and the diatoms of the NorthWest Atlantic.  (0:48:01) CPR: Free and available for everyone. (0:49:09) The CPR Survey and scientific research in the UK. (0:52:08) Hobbies and interests: Natural History and the outdoors. (0:53:04) If you could go anywhere, when and where would you go? (0:53:49) Observing the natural world around us. Visit the Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey: https://www.cprsurvey.org/ Follow David on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidGJOHNS1   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