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Harnessing the Tide

Episode 3 of 3

A seaweed farm harnesses the strong tides off Rathlin, while in County Down tidal power has a surprisingly long history. And the Arctic tide reveals a story with global reverberations.

In the last episode of the series, we explore how people harness the tide for different purposes. We join a swimming challenge that uses the tide as a catapult and explore tidal power technology. And we see how the Arctic tide is revealing a story that has global reverberations.

The Airbus A380 is currently the largest passenger aircraft in the world. What link can such a colossus of the skies possibly have with the tide? We discover that the tide plays a central role in this plane's story.

Rathlin Island is in an ideal location to take advantage of the strong tides and currents needed to nurture all kinds of seaweed. A pioneering island family business is harnessing Rathlin's strong tides to farm seaweed on ropes.

A lone fisherman still uses a traditional wooden mud horse to fish on the vast mudflats of Bridgwater Bay in the Bristol Channel. But as fish stocks decline, there are fears for the future of this unusual tidal tradition which has been part of the landscape here for generations.

On the beautiful island of Bernera, just off Lewis in the Western Isles of Scotland, an art installation bell harnesses the tide’s power to ring out at certain stages of the tide. Maritime lecturer and former fisherman Iain Macaulay is tasked with performing a vital repair to the bell - work which can only be done on a low spring tide.

Galway Hooker boats with their rust red sails are becoming once again a familiar sight off the west of Ireland. John Darba has a special delivery to make, one that depends on the tide.

On Strangford Lough tidal power has a long history. A maritime archaeologist explains the story behind his team’s discovery of the world's oldest tidal mills. Meanwhile in the strong currents of the Narrows, the dismantling of the eye catching SeaGen tidal turbine is truly a race against the tide.

In the Arctic a new tide is rising – a plastic tide. A team of young researchers find evidence of micro plastics, washed up and broken down by the tide. How can we explore the tide’s potential and harness its power for future generations?

59 minutes

Last on

Sun 9 Aug 2020 17:35

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