The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Swiss Abroad
Top stories
See all Swiss abroad stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland
Climate adaptation

Science podcast: The invasion of quagga mussels – and how it can be stopped

The Swiss Connection science podcast
SWI swissinfo.ch

The small quagga mussel is causing problems across the northern hemisphere, changing ecosystems in its path, attacking water supplies and leading to costly damage. Technology and international cooperation are now being deployed to fight the invasion.

This content was published on

I lead diverse teams of distribution specialists and multimedia journalists in creating multilingual content for a range of online platforms. I oversee the strategic development of our podcast and video products, driving innovative content creation and audience engagement. After training as a broadcast journalist at City University of London, I worked in production and on-air as a journalist or contributor for a range of prime-time TV and radio programmes at top-tier broadcasters including the BBC, NPR, Deutsche Welle, and various commercial networks.

My work is focused on making videos and podcasts about science and technology topics. I specialize in developing explainatory video formats for mobile viewing, mixing animation and documentary styles. I studied filmmaking and animation at Zurich University of the Arts and began working as a video journalist at SWI swissinfo.ch in 2004. Since then I have specialised in creating different styles of animation for our visual products.

I have a wealth of experience as a journalist working in Switzerland and enjoy producing videos, articles and podcasts on a range of subjects, recently focused mainly on politics and the environment. Born in the UK, I studied law at Nottingham University, then went on to attend the first-ever post-graduate radio journalism college in London. After working as a radio journalist in the UK and then Switzerland from 1984 to 1995, I returned to the UK to complete a post-graduate diploma in film at Bournemouth Film School. I have been working as a video journalist ever since.

External Content

In this episode of ‘The Swiss Connection’ science podcast, reporter Julie Hunt takes us to the bottom of Swiss lakes, where the quagga is a threat to biodiversity and water-based infrastructure.

Quagga mussels originally come from the Black Sea region and were first spotted in Switzerland in 2014 in the Rhine river near Basel. The mussel can reproduce almost all year round and can inhabit deep-water zones where there are few predators.

We talk to specialists from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology EawagExternal link about the problem and look at some technical solutions to keep the invasive mollusc at bay.

Find out more about the ‘The Swiss Connection’ science podcast and our other podcasts in English here, on Apple PodcastsExternal link, or SpotifyExternal link.

More

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR