BBC Inside Science

Episode Overview This episode is available for the next 23 days.

As the lingering effects of 2023’s El Niño continue to haunt global weather patterns, the Pacific Ocean is once again witnessing the emergence of this recurring extreme weather phenomenon. With 2026 bringing what experts predict could be one of the most intense El Niño events on record, climatologist Amanda Maycock from Leeds University joins host Roland Pease to break down the science behind the phenomenon and forecast its global impact from October through the early part of next year.

In a journey back half a billion years, the program explores the origins of animal life. Scott Evans, a researcher at the American Museum of Natural History, shares his findings from the Mackenzie mountains in Canada’s Northwest Territory. There, he has uncovered a significant cache of fossils dating back to the Ediacara period, a time predating the Cambrian explosion of hard-shelled and boned creatures. These discoveries, found deep within ancient ocean floor rocks, suggest that early ecosystems may have thrived in the dark, deep seas rather than in shallow coastal pools. This ancient history stands in stark contrast to modern practices; today, bottom trawling—a fishing technique that drags heavy nets across the seabed to maximize yields—is cited as an environmentally devastating process that destroys marine habitats.

To discuss the potential of restoring ocean health, the show features Amanda Vincent, a professor at the University of British Columbia’s Institute for Oceans and Fisheries and founder of Project Seahorse. She examines the success of bottom-trawl bans, highlighting recent data showing a biodiversity renaissance off the coast of Scotland, where trawling has been prohibited for several years. Additionally, science journalist Gareth Mitchell analyzes how bottom trawling hinders technological and scientific progress. The episode concludes with brief updates on solar storms and a shortage of robotic wolves in Japan.

Credits * Presenter: Roland Pease * Producers: Alex Mansfield and Dan Welsh * Editor: Martin Smith * Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-05-21 20:00:00 UTC