In June, I was invited to give an illustrated presentation at a ‘Dinner and Talk’ evening hosted by the Mid Devon Green Party. They were keen to hear about the climate research happening at the University of Exeter – especially our recent expedition aboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough, still affectionately known to many as ‘Boaty McBoatface’. 

I gave a 45-minute talk titled ‘From Poles to Planet: How Plankton Shape the Global Climate’, offering an overview of the BIOPOLE programme. This included highlights from the 2025 BIOPOLE 2 cruise to the Southern Ocean, as well as the ARCWATCH 1 expedition to the central Arctic Ocean on board the FS Polarstern – together providing a broader picture of how polar plankton research informs our understanding of climate systems. 

The audience was small but engaged, and we began the evening with a delicious home-cooked (not by me!) vegan curry. After the talk, a lively discussion followed. Questions ranged from ‘what it’s like to work in such remote regions’ to more philosophical reflections – such as whether plankton should be granted legal rights as part of nature’s protection. As a self-confessed plankton nerd, I found it a fascinating (if tricky!) question.  

The Author of this Article Kathryn Cook (University of Exeter)