Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Who keeps ocean science afloat miles off the coast? Zoe meets John ‘Mac’ McDonald, a former Royal Marine turned ocean operations expert at @PlymouthMarineLaboratory. With military precision and a passion for the sea, Mac plays a crucial role in supporting scientists to protect our oceans.
Zoe heads to sea to join Mac aboard a floating research lab and discovers how data is collected 24/7—from weather sensors to baby crab larvae. Plus, marine biologist Amanda Beesley shows Zoe how microscopic plankton reveal the bigger picture of climate change.
Join Zoe in this episode as she explores a career that proves science isn't always in a lab coat—and that the ocean is a high-tech, high-stakes frontier for discovery.
Timestamps:
00:00 - 00:27 - Teaser and intro
00:28 - 00:44 - Zoe meets Mac and gets ready to go out to sea
00:45 - 01:13 - Travelling off the Plymouth coast
01:14 - 02:11 - What Mac does
02:12 - 02:52 - Climbing aboard the floating lab
02:53 - 03:33 - Mac's journey
03:34 - 03:55 - Remotely operated vehicle or ROV
03:56 - 04:09 - Impact of Mac's work
04:10 - 04:23 - Meeting marine biologist Amanda Beesley
04:24 - 04:45 - Driving the boat
04:46 - 05:36 - Microscopic plankton and ocean health
05:37 - 06:21 - Hopes for the future of marine science
06:22 - 05:40 - Outro
Want to know more about the role the ocean plays in the health of our planet? Find out why the colour of the ocean matters: youtu.be/fbtOLCaAL60?si=POzbJzXcep-5fspS
This is season 3 of 101 Jobs that Change the World, our series on the people and roles that make research and innovation. Watch them all here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkjB0VcEl5P9yPj9tljiU1PMhadR7iU1C&si=0t-G7e_s0HxJoppB
.............................................................................................................................
We are UK Research and Innovation, the UK's largest public funder of research and innovation. If you're a UK tax payer, your contributions help fund the work we showcase on our channel. And if you liked this video, follow us on these channels:
Medium: medium.com/@UKRI
Instagram: instagram.com/weareukri
Facebook: facebook.com/weareUKRI
YouTube: youtube.com/c/UKResearchandInnovation
Or sign up for our weekly newsletter public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKRI/subscriber/new?topic_id=UKRI_newsletter
Who keeps ocean science afloat miles off the coast? Zoe meets John ‘Mac’ McDonald, a former Royal Marine turned ocean operations expert at @PlymouthMarineLaboratory. With military precision and a passion for the sea, Mac plays a crucial role in supporting scientists to protect our oceans.
Zoe heads to sea to join Mac aboard a floating research lab and discovers how data is collected 24/7—from weather sensors to baby crab larvae. Plus, marine biologist Amanda Beesley shows Zoe how microscopic plankton reveal the bigger picture of climate change.
Join Zoe in this episode as she explores a career that proves science isn't always in a lab coat—and that the ocean is a high-tech, high-stakes frontier for discovery.
Timestamps:
00:00 - 00:27 - Teaser and intro
00:28 - 00:44 - Zoe meets Mac and gets ready to go out to sea
00:45 - 01:13 - Travelling off the Plymouth coast
01:14 - 02:11 - What Mac does
02:12 - 02:52 - Climbing aboard the floating lab
02:53 - 03:33 - Mac's journey
03:34 - 03:55 - Remotely operated vehicle or ROV
03:56 - 04:09 - Impact of Mac's work
04:10 - 04:23 - Meeting marine biologist Amanda Beesley
04:24 - 04:45 - Driving the boat
04:46 - 05:36 - Microscopic plankton and ocean health
05:37 - 06:21 - Hopes for the future of marine science
06:22 - 05:40 - Outro
Want to know more about the role the ocean plays in the health of our planet? Find out why the colour of the ocean matters: youtu.be/fbtOLCaAL60?si=POzbJzXcep-5fspS
This is season 3 of 101 Jobs that Change the World, our series on the people and roles that make research and innovation. Watch them all here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkjB0VcEl5P9yPj9tljiU1PMhadR7iU1C&si=0t-G7e_s0HxJoppB
.............................................................................................................................
We are UK Research and Innovation, the UK's largest public funder of research and innovation. If you're a UK tax payer, your contributions help fund the work we showcase on our channel. And if you liked this video, follow us on these channels:
Medium: medium.com/@UKRI
Instagram: instagram.com/weareukri
Facebook: facebook.com/weareUKRI
YouTube: youtube.com/c/UKResearchandInnovation
Or sign up for our weekly newsletter public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKRI/subscriber/new?topic_id=UKRI_newsletter
