Title: BBC Inside Science

Episode Overview

This episode, available for the next 24 days, examines the return of El Niño to the Pacific Ocean in 2026. With the lingering negative effects of the 2023 phenomenon still fresh in public memory, this new iteration is predicted to be one of the most intense on record. Climatologist Amanda Maycock from Leeds University joins presenter Roland Pease to explain the mechanics of this climate event and forecast its global impact from October through early next year.

The program also explores deep time with Scott Evans of the American Museum of Natural History. Evans has been investigating the Mackenzie Mountains in Canada’s Northwest Territory to study the biology and ecology of Earth’s earliest life forms, dating back to the Ediacara era. This period preceded the Cambrian explosion, which saw the rapid diversification of animals with hard shells and bones. While some global sites expose older ocean-floor rocks revealing soft-bodied, unusual creatures, Evans has uncovered a significant new fossil collection from even greater depths in those ancient seas. This discovery raises the question of whether animal life originated in the dark, deep ocean rather than in coastal shallows.

Turning to modern marine issues, the episode addresses the environmental devastation caused by bottom trawling, a widespread fishing technique that drags heavy nets across the seabed, destroying habitats to maximize yields. Professor Amanda Vincent, head of the Institute for Oceans and Fisheries at the University of British Columbia and founder of the international conservation group Project Seahorse, discusses the potential benefits of banning this practice. Her insights are contextualized by recent reports of a biodiversity resurgence off the coast of Scotland, where trawling has been prohibited for several years.

Finally, science journalist Gareth Mitchell details how bottom trawling can interfere with technological operations, alongside a roundup of other news stories, including developments regarding 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 Programme Website

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