Zoe Lyons speaks out about beach litter

As lockdown restrictions continue to be lifted across England, comedian and Brighton resident, Zoe Lyons told us that she’s baffled by how people can leave the city’s beaches in a worse state than they found them. Zoe says people are really proud of Brighton and want to take care of it, but sadly the city’s huge appeal to visitors means its beaches are also a magnet for litter.

Our year-round Beachwatch programme and annual Great British Beach Clean are both great opportunities to clear up the UK’s beaches and get a sense of what’s polluting outdoor spaces. Zoe will be helping to launch the Great British Beach Clean later this spring.

Also on the podcast…

Ocean Ambassador and host, Fernando, speaks with the winner of our first Young Ocean Optimist of the Year Award.

Axminster-based Georgie Bull talks about her love of seagrass and the benefits it brings not just to the ocean, but to humans too.

Georgis says: “Obviously as a diver I see it as a fantastic dive site but it also has a broad range of roles in providing ecosystem services. By that I mean things that provide value for humans. It acts as a nursery for lots of different commercial fish species and it helps as a barrier for flooding. So there’s lots of materialistic ways in which seagrass is fantastic. But it’s also beautiful and hosts amazing marine life like seahorses, gastropods and snails.”

Georgie received her award at the end of 2020, not long after winning the British and Irish Underwater Photography Championships with a stunning seagrass image. She’s currently studying marine biology and coastal ecology at Plymouth University.

Georgie appears on Oceancast alongside Zoe Lyons and underwater camera operator and filmmaker, Inka Cresswell. It’s available to download at anchor.fm/mcsoceancast or from your usual podcast provider.

Oceancast is sponsored by SF Stefan Civil Engineering and Utility Contractors Ltd.