About Incredible Oceans

At Incredible Oceans CIC, our mission is clear: to educate as many people as possible about the importance of our ocean. We do this through fun, informative, and empowering presentations, workshops, events, and training sessions. 
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Raising awareness of the role a healthy ocean plays in our lives

We can inspire positive action for an ocean that we all deserve.

Our goal is to make the ocean accessible and enjoyable for everyone. By fostering a deeper understanding and respect for marine life and highlighting our interconnectedness with the ocean, we aim to create a world where the ocean thrives, biodiversity flourishes, and future generations inherit a vibrant and resilient planet.

Our story

The idea for Incredible Oceans was born out of a classroom. As a science teacher, Dr Russell Arnott realised that difficult and often dry subjects became more engaging when contextualised with his oceanography background. This sparked his interest in science communication and the possibility of moving science education beyond traditional classrooms. 
In 2014, after attending WhaleFest in Brighton, Russell suggested creating a hands-on ocean science area for WhaleFest 2015. The ocean science zone turned out to be one of the festival’s most popular attractions, attended by 15,000 people. However, despite its success, Russell felt that the event was preaching to the choir. To reach a broader audience, Incredible Oceans was created to bring ocean science into unexpected places. 
What started with school visits soon expanded to science festivals, music festivals, social media content, and even TV appearances. As Incredible Oceans continued to grow, so did its impact. Now represented by David Foster Management, we have the opportunity to engage more people than ever. We also offer communications training to marine scientists and have developed programmes for various audiences, from fishers and civil servants to eco-anxious teenagers, amplifying important environmental messages and increasing the likelihood that audiences will take action.

Who we serve

Since our inception in 2016, Incredible Oceans has participated in events across the UK, from the Orkneys to Cornwall and Pembrokeshire to Suffolk. As members of the EU4Ocean coalition and the European Marine Science Educators’ Association, we’ve also delivered events and training across Europe. Our active science communication work and ongoing marine research have taken us to conferences in both the USA and the UK.

With partners throughout the UK, we are well-positioned to provide speakers and ocean professionals for a variety of events, ranging from community festivals to large conferences. We pride ourselves on working with local talent, maintaining cost-effectiveness, and utilising low-carbon transport whenever possible. 

Our Values

Incredible Oceans is driven by the belief that if people understand the ocean, they will care more about taking action to protect it. The UK, an island nation with a proud maritime history, is shockingly disconnected from its surrounding waters. With 20% of under-16-year-olds having never seen the sea and 25% never having swum in a British sea, our mission is more important than ever. We aim to bridge this gap by making ocean conversations both enjoyable and inspirational. Our goal is to remove access barriers so that everyone can experience the beauty of our oceans, beaches, and coastlines.

As a non-profit community interest company, all profits from Incredible Oceans are reinvested to expand our reach, allowing us to share our vital ocean messages with even more people. 

Who we are

Dr Russell Arnott PGCE

Russell holds a degree and a Masters in Oceanography from the University of Southampton. His career has spanned from working as a survey oceanographer to retraining as a science teacher and serving as Head of Physics at a South London school. After leaving formal education, Russell founded Incredible Oceans and completed his PhD in Phytoplankton Dynamics at the University of Bath’s Centre for Climate Adaptation & Environment Research. Russell has worked with the University of Cambridge and University of Exeter and has spoken at events across the UK, Europe, and the USA. 
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Claudia Allen, MSc

Claudia first met Russell at SharkFest 2017 in Bristol. She quickly became involved with Incredible Oceans and officially joined as a co-director in 2022. In addition to her work with Incredible Oceans, Claudia teaches Pilates and serves as a Senior Policy Adviser in Defra’s Fisheries Sector. She holds a degree in Zoology and a Masters in Environmental Biology Conservation and Resource Management from Swansea University. Claudia has a keen interest in using sound to study the underwater world and enjoys discussing cetaceans and migratory fish.
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Are you interested in a career in marine science or science communication? At Incredible Oceans, we recognise that getting started can be challenging. That’s why we are committed to helping others gain experience, improve their confidence, and enhance their presentation skills without the need for restrictive unpaid internships or volunteering. We value your experience and qualifications. If you’re interested in becoming an Incredible Oceans associate, get in touch with us today
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Testimonials

Russell is inspiring. He seems to be plumbed in to every good idea on the planet, and lays them out to both entertain and educate in a way everyone can understand. Whatever he does, Russell brings verve and flair to it
Richard Robinson
Curator of Brighton Science Festival
Russell had great resources that really engaged the children and kept them focused and interested. His manner showed that he related to the children and his openness and sense of fun was infectious. The interactive nature of the activities was balanced well with the power point presentation.
Anne-Marie Fauvel
Year 6 Teacher, Lewes New School
Enthusiastic, well-organised and flexible to our needs
Becky Wycherley
Headteacher, Springfield Infant School, Worthing
Russell delivers inspiring, exciting and often explosive courses for the Youth University. Children leave bursting with ideas and new knowledge about areas of science that they may have never otherwise encountered.
Emily Quinn
Youth University Co-ordinator, Davison High School for Girls, Worthing
Fully engaged with students and visitors to the event, suited to all age groups. Very easy to book, to talk to and provided a good range of resources to encourage interest and conversation.
Maxine Green
Big Bang Project Manager, Northbrook College, Sussex
A full and descriptive, fun educational piece on whales and other sea creatures, which appealed to children.
Liam Brosnan
Science Coordinator, Middle Street Primary School, Brighton
A fun and informative assembly; the children were really fascinated.
Vania Seevaramen
Teacher, St Peter’s Community School, Hove
Kept thirty 6-to-10 year olds captivated while actually teaching them something about our planet. It was a brilliant evening.
Graham Tarrant
Leader, 1st Fittleworth Cub Pack
Opened children’s eyes to the variety of life within our oceans. Interesting and well-pitched to each year group. Our children loved the talks and the teachers enjoyed them too!
Chris Laughton
Head of Science, St Andrew’s Prep School, Eastbourne
Engaged ALL of the children from Year 1 to Year 6. They were enthused and wanted to ask lots of questions.
Lucinda Groves
Science Coordinator, Hogarth Primary School, Essex
Your talk about dolphins & whales using bubbles was brilliant. My son especially loves science & I think it's exactly the type of thing kids need to thrive.
Rosina Bright
Parent, attendee of Bubbleology at Brighton Science Festival
The Tentacular Spectacular event was great, both entertaining and informative. My 10-year-old nephew thought the same.
David Sang
Editor, Catalyst GCSE Science Magazine
Great with the facts and spot on with enthusiasm. The drop-in stand was a great way to connect with even more students. We’ll certainly be contacting you for next year!
Jo McKinney
STEM Sussex / Big Bang Fair South East
Incredible Oceans CIC,
2a Harbour Court, New Street,
Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 3HY
info@incredibleoceans.org +44 (0) 7592 984 021
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