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In this fascinating and urgent experience, Rodney Forster examines what it takes to be a marine biologist, dispelling myths and opening your eyes to the challenges that marine environments face. In episode one, Rodney introduces the field of marine biology as a broad and diverse field, and demonstrates the vital role oceans play in sustaining life on Earth. Rodney explains why this is a critical moment for ocean health, what biodiversity means, and how it has evolved over time, concluding with a snapshot of the main tools scientists use to study marine life. In episode two, Rodney explains that marine habitats don’t just house biodiversity — they create it, connect it, and protect it, while also driving key processes like carbon storage, nutrient recycling, water cleaning, and coastal defence. He then walks through the main threats and losses we’re facing, and shows how ocean resilience, targeted restoration, and even well-designed human structures can help habitats recover and sometimes enhance marine life. In episode three, Rodney introduces kelp, seagrass, and phytoplankton and explains what kelp forests and seagrass meadows are and why they matter. He then demonstrates how scientists map and monitor these habitats, using the Spurn Point project in Yorkshire as a real-life example of how restoration helps marine habitats recover. Finally, in episode four, Rodney covers some of the key skills needed to be a Marine Biologist. He then sets an activity that sees you step into the role of a junior marine biologist, asked to advise on an offshore wind proposal near sensitive habitats. Rodney encourages you to practice marine biologist thinking by identifying key habitats, linking them to biodiversity and ecosystem processes, assessing likely development threats, and suggesting a realistic restoration or enhancement response.
Rodney ForsterUniversity of HullEnvironmental and earth sciences
All episodes
1. An introduction to marine biology
2. Threats to our seas and oceans
3. A little kelp from my friends
4. Be a marine biologist
About the university
University of Hull
Change the world, or change your world? At Hull, you can do both. For nearly 100 years, we’ve inspired students to think differently. Rated Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework, we combine outstanding teaching with career-boosting placements. Learn from academics whose research tackles real-world challenges and shapes everything you study. Our safe, green campus in the UK’s most affordable student city has a library, sports centre, modern accommodation, cafés, and bars, all within a 10-minute walk. With over 130 clubs and societies, Hull is an inclusive, supportive community where every student can thrive. The University of Hull – unwritten futures available now.
Meet the academic
Rodney Forster
Rodney Forster is a Professor at the University of Hull, where he leads the Hull Marine Laboratory within the School of Environmental and Life Sciences. He teaches the 'Coastal Seas' and 'Oceanography' modules at level 5 (second year undergraduate) and supervises undergraduate and postgraduate research projects. His research work spans from basic marine ecology to applied issues such as the environmental impact of renewable energy infrastructure, with contributions to conservation and habitat restoration. His main focus is on primary production in coastal seas — especially phytoplankton, macroalgae, and microphytobenthos. He has substantial expertise in both in situ measurements and remote-sensing techniques, often combining underwater surveys with satellite data to study marine ecosystems.
At Hull, Prof. Forster leads initiatives such as:
- The Great Yorkshire Kelp Project, which uses SCUBA diving, underwater video, and satellite remote sensing to map the extent of kelp forests off the east coast of the UK.
- Restoration-oriented efforts under the REWRITE project, collaborating with EU partners to restore coastal habitats, including tidal flats and seagrass meadows.
- Research into how offshore wind farms affect the marine environment, including effects on water movement, sediment distribution, phytoplankton production, seabirds, fish and shellfish populations.
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