Deep-Sea Career Spotlight with Dr. Nigel Merrett

Episode Summary This month on the Deep-Sea Podcast, we are joined by Dr Nigel Merrett for a career spotlight episode highlighting his pioneering research, genre-defining technological advancements and personal connections with some of the most well-known names in the deep-sea research community. Check out our lovely new website where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading. In this episode… Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, your punk take on all things deep sea! This month, Thom is in Antarctica, trying to lure a giant squid into his research gear, and Alan is headed back to the Canary Islands after an international skirmish scuttled his travel plans. Our guest this month is Dr. Nigel Merrett, a British zoologist, ichthyologist, and former director of the fish section of the British Natural History Museum. In our first career spotlight episode we shine a light on Nigel’s incredible and adventurous past, including working on the last British whaling ship, developing ground-breaking gear that is still used today, and working with some of the most impactful names in deep-sea history. Nigel shines a light on his incredible past, the importance of his work, and how we can all build on the work of others to advance science once step at a time. In the news, get ready for updates on: A massive cold-water coral reef off the coast of ArgentinaCrowdsourcing a new species nameNew research on deep-sea fish eyesParasitic BarnaclesAntarctic sleeper shark We hear from Meghan Jones, cofounder of the Unseen Ocean Collective, with an update on the Juneau, Alaska, show, and the upcoming show and public events happening in Spokane, Washington, in April of 2026. Discord update A common toad Valentine’s Day PartyBranching snakes, and mystery gremlins. Museum dinosaur exhibitsParasitic louse mouth orgiesProbability of Alan being a robot Support the show The podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us: Maxim Check out our podcast merch here! Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on: [e-mail] We’d love to actually play your voice, so feel free to record a short audio note on our brand new answerphone! https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail Thanks again for tuning in; we’ll deep-see you next time! Find out more Social media BlueSky: @deepseapod.com Twitter: @DeepSeaPod Instagram: @deepsea_podcast Keep up with the team on social media Twitter: Alan - @Hadalbloke Thom - @ThomLinley Instagram: Thom - @thom.linley Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions BlueSky: Thom @thomaslinley.com Alan @hadalbloke Reference list News Deep-Sea News Deep Below Argentina's Coast, Researchers Filmed Coral Cities, Rare Sea Ghost, and Something Out of Place 8,000 Suggestions Later, a Newly Discovered Deep-Sea Species Gets Its Name Scientists discover a completely new life form wreaking havoc on deep-sea sharks On the Origin of a Novel Parasitic-Feeding Mode within Suspension-Feeding Barnacles - ScienceDirect Shark filmed in Antarctica for the first time | Polar Journal Discord Updates Unseen Ocean Collective Juneau Exhibit Video of the Unseen Ocean Juneau Alaska Show All the Fish Names Entymology Podcast BBC Audio | In Our Time | The Mariana Trench Interview Links The Whalefish Mystery | Deep Sea Demersal Fish and Fisheries Nigel Merret Wikipedia WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Careproctus merretti Andriashev & Chernova, 1988 Historical Perspective Paper: Dan Morris Cohen Credits Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel