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Paul North wants everyone to be as excited about plankton as he is.
The National Geographic polar expedition diver knows that whipping up enthusiasm for the microscopic drifters of the sea isn’t easy. But showmanship goes a long way. On his podcast, Meet the Ocean, North, who once ran his own theater company, uses creative sound design and his own storytelling prowess to discuss everything from the critically endangered vaquita to the Marianas Trench.
He considers all of it important, but he knows that talking about the role phytoplankton play in providing oxygen to the atmosphere is not as instantly attention-grabbing as killer whales. That’s where the bells and whistles—and the kazoo-like hoot of a narwhal—come in.
“That sort of brings people there,” says North, who produces the show from his basement in Southeast Portland. “I think if their mind is suddenly in the Arctic and they feel it, they hear it, their imagination takes hold, and that opens up the channel for them to receive the information a little better.”
It seems to be working: Meet the Ocean has racked up more than 50,000 downloads in 45 countries since launching in November 2016. North, who also runs a nonprofit of the same name, knows there’s a lot going on in the world right now, but he hopes the health of the planet doesn’t get lost in the fray. With his particular set of skills, though, he believes he’s well-suited to keeping it in the conversation.
“I don’t know any other playwrights who are fascinated with plankton and have a microphone,” he says.
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