“Seadragons are a great entry point for people to learn more about marine biology and conservation.” - Chrissy Tustison Dive into the secret lives of seadragons in our latest episode! This week, Master of SciComm student Emma sits down with PhD candidate Chrissy Tustison (The University of Western Australia & Scripps Institution of Oceanography) to discuss Chrissy's passion for studying the unique biology and ecology of these beautiful creatures and the crucial role of citizen science in this research.

Also covered: Australia’s unique marine landscape, the biology and ecology of the three seadragon species, the importance of community engagement, the challenges of conducting research across a vast range, and the powerful impact of collective efforts in citizen science. Episode links:

Seadragon Search website and social media @seadragonsearch

Great Southern Reef Foundation

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List: www.iucnredlist.org

The University of Western Australia

Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Chrissy's PhD Supervisors Dr Nerida Wilson & Dr Heather Bray

This episode was brought to you by:

- Producer, Host, & Editor: Emma Gill

- Guest: Chrissy Tustison

- Audio Engineering & Editing: Guanyu Zhai

- Show notes: Felice Ng, Emma Gill

- Socials: Follow The SciComm Collective on Instagram   

- Website: thescicommcollective.com

- Sponsor: UWA Grand Challenges

Keywords: Science Communication, Citizen Science, Marine Biology, Sea Dragons, Leafy Seadragon, Ruby Seadragon, Weedy Seadragon, Conservation, Community Engagement, Biodiversity, Great Southern Reef, UWA, Public Engagement, Science Education, Environmental Awareness, Interdisciplinary Research, Marine Ecosystems, Machine Learning, Population Studies, Reproductive Behaviours, Climate Change, Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Marine Photography, Ecological Research