The Ocean Age
This podcast is for ocean entrepreneurs and innovators who want to grow and succeed in the blue economy. Through interviews with industry leaders, founders, and subject matter experts, I will share their stories, unpack their most important lessons, and extract actionable insights and best practices.
Latest Episodes
Intro:
Continuing on the quest to find out where the demand is for startups to build in the blue economy. Today we get a big-picture view that identifies three pillars, energy, food, and data, and the opportunities lying within each of them. Tom Pickerell thinks that this is where founders should look, and crucially he thinks that a lot of it can be done by leveraging existing technology. He's been an advisor to government ministers, heads of state, and company CEOs on scaling a sustainable ocean economy, so he's got a well-rounded understanding of the challenges, the opportunities, and what needs to be done.
Tom's bio:
Dr Tom Pickerell is Global Director of the Ocean Program at the World Resources Institute (WRI) and head of the Secretariat for the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, a group of 19 serving world leaders working to advance a sustainable ocean economy. He is a marine biologist with over 20 years in ocean sustainability, covering fisheries, aquaculture, climate impacts, and policy. He has worked in UK government and at Pew, WWF-UK, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch programme, and he was Executive Director of the Global Tuna Alliance, which grew under his leadership from a handful of UK founding members to 53 members covering roughly a third of the tuna sector. He holds a degree in marine biology, a master's in analytical biology, and a PhD in shellfish genetics.
WRI is a global research organisation working on climate, nature, and people, with over 1,700 staff and offices around the world. Its Ocean Program focuses on ocean-based climate action, sustainable blue food, ocean equity, and ocean finance, and serves as the Secretariat for the Ocean Panel, whose members have committed to sustainably managing 100% of the ocean under their national jurisdiction, guided by Sustainable Ocean Plans. Tom is based in WRI's London office.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:59 - Tom's role at WRI and the Ocean Panel
00:02:59 - The shift from conservation to food, energy, and security
00:04:26 - The three pillars of demand: energy, food, and data
00:06:22 - Five gigatons of savings using technology that already exists
00:09:20 - Decarbonising shipping and why ports are the bottleneck
00:14:04 - Marine protected areas and the return on investment problem
00:16:23 - The 100% approach: protect 30, sustainably use 70
00:26:51 - Blue foods, overfishing, and the 15% of the catch thrown away
00:28:16 - Getting 100% out of a fish, from Iceland to Namibia
00:37:04 - Seaweed and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture
00:39:26 - Ocean data, the funding gap, and who takes the first risk
Useful Links & Resources:
The Ocean Age Walk & Talk - Chris's bio: Chris Gorell Barnes is a Founding Partner at Ocean 14 Capital, an impact fund investing in the blue economy. Before he moved into ocean investment, he built a career in media and marketing, founding the brand communications agency Adjust Your Set, which he later sold to the OLIVER group, and producing the award-winning documentary The End of the Line, about the global overfishing crisis. He also co-founded the Blue Marine Foundation, a marine charity that creates marine reserves and works to establish sustainable models of fishing. Ocean 14 Capital backs growth-stage businesses across the blue economy, from sustainable aquaculture and alternative proteins to seaweed and plastics, all guided by UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water. Launched in 2020, its first fund closed at €201 million, making it one of the largest dedicated to the blue economy, with backers including Nestlé, the European Investment Fund, Monaco's sovereign wealth fund, and Skype founder Niklas Zennström. The firm is a certified B Corp. Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction Useful Links & Resources: The Ocean Age Walk & Talk - Link to join the waitlist Chris Gorell Barnes on LinkedIn Ocean 14 Capital: Website, LinkedIn, and Instagram Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host He's also an underwater photographer and installation artist and co-founded Ultramarine on Richard Branson's Necker Island, an initiative focused on protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030. 00:00:00 - Introduction Useful Links & Resources: Jeremy McKane on LinkedIn Jeremy McKane’s website OCN.ai: Website Blue Green Future: Website, LinkedIn and YouTube. Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!
00:01:25 - Who Chris is and what Ocean 14 Capital does
00:02:53 - The fund's two themes, food security and marine ecosystems
00:03:23 - Kingfish and the case for land-based fish farming
00:04:47 - Why the real gap is growth capital, not startup money
00:05:46 - Transitioning fish farms off Excel spreadsheets
00:08:38 - Venture fatigue and the shift to growth equity
00:11:33 - The biggest misconception about the ocean
00:12:30 - Why SDG 14 is the least funded goal
00:15:22 - Where investors lose money, insect protein and RAS
00:20:40 - The sales problem holding blue economy businesses back
00:26:23 - Final advice, do your homework first
Jeremy’s bio:
Jeremy McKane is the founder and CEO of the Ocean Currency Network (OCN), where he combines over 30 years of tech experience with marine conservation. His career began in tech, and he built OCN.ai, a platform that monitors marine ecosystems and verifies blue carbon credits using real-time data updated every 30 minutes, a major leap from the traditional five-year reporting cycle. Described as a "Fitbit for the ocean," the platform helps unlock revenue through biodiversity and blue carbon credits, with partners including PwC, The Crown Estate UK, and Blue Green Future.
Timestamps:
00:01:10 - Jeremy McKane’s mission at OCN.AI
00:02:10 - Technology as way of exporting value from oceans whilst preserving them
00:02:30 - What is a digital MRV platform and how it applies to ocean conservation
00:03:20 - What an healthy ocean and marine protection are worth to any individual
00:04:10 - Using the market forces as an answer to value the ocean without taking from it 00:06:30 - Better than ordinary carbon credits, with OCN technology tracking capabilities
00:07:10 - Developing Marine conservation areas as a parenting model: funding the development phase to pass the assets on the markets where they can self-sustain
00:08:10 - Misconceptions about carbon credits, learning from past mistakes to improve
00:09:30 - Pricing natural resources to bridge the language and understanding and language 00:10:50 - Working within the system rather than against the system
00:12:10 - Technology, AI, and spotting ocean anomalies before catastrophe
00:13:10 - Why risk assessment matters to ocean investors
00:15:10 - The British Virgin Islands pilot, capacity building, and a nature-based economy
***
Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn.
The Ocean Age Podcast is edited by Nebojsa Lešević. Sarah Carpenter and Giulia Leanza are our research assistants. The show notes for this episode were produced by Cecilia Bombonato.
We’re pleased to bring you, over the next few weeks, a series of in-person interviews we recorded at the World Ocean Summit in Montreal at the beginning of March. This first episode is with Emily Charry Tissier, Founder and CEO of Whale Seeker, a company that uses AI to detect and monitor marine mammals from visual data such as drone or satellite images. The data feeds into everything from shipping routes to marine protected area management. Emily also poses a question: ocean technological solutions already exist, they work, and regulators have approved them. So why aren't they scaling? She has a clear view on why. We sat down in a quiet corner of the conference venue, with a view of the city in the background and a full-size whale model hanging from the ceiling, which also explains the occasional whale noises you’ll hear in the background. It was an inspiring conversation in a special setting, and we hope you can catch a glimpse of that atmosphere and energy.
Emily's Bio:
Emily Charry Tissier is a marine ecologist and the CEO and co-founder of Whale Seeker, a company that uses AI to detect marine mammals from drone, aircraft and satellite imagery. With 20 years of experience in coastal and arctic ecosystems, she has built Whale Seeker into a tool used across environmental impact assessment, shipping route management and marine protected area monitoring. She has engaged with international bodies including the IMO and IHO, and works at the intersection of ocean technology and maritime governance. She was named one of the top 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics.
Timestamps:
00:00:10 - Introduction: Emily Charry Tissier and Whale Seeker
00:02:24 - What Whale Seeker does and why ocean data matters
00:05:10 - Who pays for ocean data?
00:06:00 - Government and industry mandates
00:08:37 - Dynamic shipping routes and marine life protection
00:09:03 - Working with regulators from day one
00:10:37 - Misconceptions about AI and why they matter
00:13:07 - Are we in an AI bubble?
00:15:05 - Hype cycles in ocean solutions: seaweed, carbon capture and beyond
00:17:19 - Why ocean tech isn't scaling: technology isn't the problem
00:20:44 - The psychology of change
00:22:47 - Ego as a barrier to adoption
00:24:45 - Certified routes: building a community around sustainable shipping
00:26:01 - The economics of whale-safe shipping routes
00:28:54 - Emily’s “Why”
Useful Links & Resources:
Emily Charry Tissier on Linkedin.
Whale Seeker: Website and LinkedIn.
Emily’s piece on The Journal of Ocean Technology:
Kate Streather is a documentary researcher with over five years of experience across some of the most respected names in natural history filmmaking, including BBC Studios, Silverback Films, Wildstar Films, and Open Planet Studios. Their credits include Ocean with David Attenborough and Blue Planet III.
Kate brings a rare combination of scientific rigour and production expertise to their work. As a biologist with a First-Class degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Durham, where they specialised in animal behaviour, ecology, and climate change, they bring a depth of understanding to the stories they help tell.
Their hands-on experience spans the full production process, from pre-production and development through to post-production as a core member of edit teams. In the field, Kate has set up and directed a wide range of shoots, including Cineflex, human, macro tank, dive, long lens, drone, and interview, across some of the world's most remote and challenging environments, including Antarctica and West Africa.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - How Kate Streather’s found her passions
00:04:10 - Branching into wildlife film making and the opening of new opportunities
00:08:40 - What it means to work as a scientist in the film making world
00:14:50 - Strengths and struggles of working in wildlife documentaries
00:18:30 - The opportunity to work with Sir David Attenborough in “Ocean”
00:22:00 - What to expect from “Ocean” and what it takes to develop such a project
00:28:10 - Structuring the content in film making: blending science and storytelling
00:33:20 - Why “no one today has seen a truly wild ocean” and a comparison to the past
00:35:00 - The challenging access to the fishing industry and how to convey difficult images
00:39:00 - How “Ocean” condenses a wealth of incredible experiences around the world
00:47:30 - Adventures on board of a Sea Shepherd’s campaigners boat in Antarctica
00:53:00 - Liberia: election tensions, coastal communities, overfishing and pollution
00:55:10 - More with Sea Shepherd’s cooperating with the Liberian Coast Guard
00:59:00 - The challenges of being a researcher for “Ocean”
01:02:30 - The incredible unbalance between Liberian and Norwegian fishing fleet
01:04:05 - Kate's once-in-a-lifetime experience working with Sir David Attenborough
01:07:10 - Post-production: editing, archive, fact‑checking, and premiere in London!
01:12:40 - The far-reaching impact of “Ocean” into politics and institutions
01:15:00 - Kate’s motivations and future plans
***
Useful Links & Resources:
Kate Strether on Instagram,
Dr Catherine Jadot is a marine biologist and blue economy finance specialist with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of climate resilience, ocean governance, and sustainable development. She advises governments and regional organisations in islands and coastal states on how to design and finance policies and projects that protect marine ecosystems while supporting inclusive growth. She currently leads blue economy and blue finance work for European and international institutions, including multi-country investment facilities, technical assistance programmes, and innovative financing mechanisms for coastal and island regions.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:03:15 - Catherine Jadot’s early career amidst the doom and gloom narrative
00:09:45 - The limits of project-level work and need for a bigger-picture approach
00:16:15 - Why governments and blue finance are necessary to the ocean economy
00:19:30 - Focusing on solutions and writing “How It Doesn’t End”
00:22:45 - The sources of a new, constructive perspective
00:29:15 - Social experiments to understand everyday climate behaviours
00:35:45 - The importance of people’s perceptions in changing cultural norms
00:37:45 - Finding impact investors to share the potential of the blue economy
00:42:15 - Behavioural science insights for ocean entrepreneurs
00:44:30 - Bankable vs investment-ready projects and mangrove finance examples
00:47:15 - Financial models: grants, blended finance, public–private partnerships
00:51:00 - Finding the right investors: what to do and what to avoid
00:55:45 - The Ocean Startup Blueprint, helping startups moving forward
00:59:30 - Learning to identify the impact investors and become investment-ready
01:02:00 - Closing reflections on the approach to ocean entrepreneurship
Useful Links & Resources:
Catherine Jadot’s book How It Doesn’t End (
Mechanical engineer, Master of Science in Engineering (Pontifical Catholic University of Chile) and a Master's in Industrial Systems (University of Cambridge, UK).
With more than 10 years of experience in Chile and abroad in the implementation of various projects and design of products in sectors such as aquaculture, astronomy, mining and consumer products.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction to The Ocean Age Podcast
00:00:32 - Guest Introduction: Jose Puga of ChucaoTech
00:02:03 - Defining the Problem in Aquaculture
00:05:48 - Seabed Remediation Problem
00:08:49 - Nanobubbles Explained
00:13:07 - Customers and Market for Chucao Tech
00:23:05 - Jose's Background: ALMA Project in Atacama Desert
00:28:48 - Transition to Cambridge and Product Development
00:35:01 - Founding ChucaoTech
00:42:03 - Pivot to Seabed Remediation Service
00:47:03 - Difficult Moments and Financial Strain
00:49:35 - Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
01:10:23 - Ocean Concerns and Environmental Purpose
01:12:59 - Difficult moment: From 65 to 13 People
01:14:29 - Final Message and Contact Information
Useful Links & Resources:
Jose Puga on LinkedIn
Get in touch with The Ocean Age's host Fed DeGobbi on LinkedIn, X or by emailing directly at fed@oceanage.co
***
The Ocean Age Podcast is produced by Charlotte Raffo and edited by Nebojsa Lešević. Sarah Carpenter and Giulia Leanza are our research assistants.
This episode is part 2 of a special series recorded as I was travelling across Argentina and Chile, connecting with ocean founders, entrepreneurs, experts and activists.
My guest today is Catalina Cendoya, whom I met when I visited a marine conservation organisation called Por El Mar (literally translates to "For the Sea"). Por El Mar coordinates projects across Patagonia, including, for example, rewilding subantarctic kelp forests in Tierra del Fuego and working on the conservation of a biological corridor off the coast of Argentina that includes 5 major marine species: sharks, orcas, whales, sea lions and dolphins.
Catalina, or Cata, as everybody calls her, specifically is the Director of the Global Salmon Farming Resistance, which is the group behind the campaign that resulted in the ban of open-net salmon farming in Argentina, and it is now (as the name suggests) a global network.
It was a really open and honest conversation, looking at all the different perspectives on the matter. And it was a nice way for me to get out of my bubble and challenge my own assumptions.
So if you’re up for the challenge, please enjoy!
Catalina's Bio:
Catalina feels at home by the coast, close to the sea, surrounded by nature. That deep sense of belonging has shaped her path, leading her to join The Global Salmon Farming Resistance (GSFR) in 2022. In 2023, she became the Director.
She holds a degree in Political Science, driven by a commitment to creating meaningful change in people’s lives. She has worked in government roles supporting people in vulnerable situations and studied in Germany, where she learnt the language and was inspired by a culture deeply rooted in environmental care.
As Director of the GSFR, Catalina leads the alliance’s actions and works with the team to shape strategies that protect the ocean from the harms of industrial salmon farming.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction to The Ocean Age and Guest Introduction
00:02:04 - Catalina Cendoya's Background and Journey
00:05:15 - Por el Mar and the Campaign to Ban Salmon Farming in Argentina
00:10:06 - What Is Open Net Salmon Farming?
00:12:58 - Environmental Impacts: Pollution, Disease, and Escapes
00:21:12 - Social and Economic Challenges for Local Communities
00:27:05 - Consumer Awareness and Norway's Marketing Success
00:31:00 - Can Salmon Farming Be Made Sustainable?
00:42:49 - Economic Arguments: Norway, Chile, and Tourism
00:49:10 - The Problem with Regulation and Certification Schemes
00:58:06 - Salmon vs Other Protein Sources: A Comparison
01:04:36 - Alternative Ocean Economies and Other Fish Species
01:06:12 - Global Movement: Key Victories and Milestones
01:09:48 - The Power of Global Collaboration with Local
For the last month or so I've been travelling through Argentina and Chile, exploring what is an incredibly beautiful and important region for the world ocean economy, but one that we don't really hear much about, particularly in Europe and North America. Through the last four weeks or so, I have connected with lots of brilliant, brilliant people, from founders and entrepreneurs to experts and activists. Some of these in-person conversations will be turned into podcast episodes, and this is the first episode of this Patagonia Special series. My first guest is Daniela Allerbon, who is the CEO of Aquit, a startup that developed preventative treatment for infections in farmed fish that replaces antibiotics.
The WHO predicted that by 2050 more people could die from super-resistant bacteria than cancer. Antibiotic overuse, a lot of which happens in animal production, including aquaculture, is one of the main causes of this global problem. Something that reduces the use of antibiotics could have a big positive impact. We recorded the interview at their office in Buenos Aires, but the company operates down here in Patagonia, mostly on the other side of the Andes, in Chile.
Daniela's Bio:
Daniela is an economist specialising in the marketing and development of science-based products, with a focus on sustainable aquaculture and biotechnology. She has 15 years of experience as an entrepreneur, 4 of which were devoted to developing and commercialising feed additives, utilising pre-clinical trials for human health products. She has also worked across the private and public sectors, as well as with NGOs and international organisations.
Prior to founding Aquit in 2022, Daniela led research and development initiatives at Silvateam, where she managed the launch of a new business unit and coordinated international research on the microbiome and COVID-19.
She has received several notable recognitions in the sector, including her participation in the Hatch Blue and Conservation International Ventures "Women in Ocean Food" program, and her completion, coming up first place, of the BIGinBIO program with the Ganesha Lab, focusing on biotechnology management.
Daniela holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Universidad de San Andrés and has completed postgraduate studies in management and policy in culture and communication.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction to The Ocean Age and Patagonia Special Series
00:01:04 - Guest Introduction: Daniela Allerbon and Aquit
00:02:23 - Innovation Park and Team Dynamics
00:03:57 - Daniela's Early Career and the 2001 Economic Crisis
00:08:16 - Adapting to Change and Entrepreneurial Spirit
00:13:12 - Public Perception of Aquaculture and Communication Challenges
00:19:10 - Daniela's Career Transition to Aquit