Paramount Importance
Welcome to Paramount Importance — where science meets curiosity.
Hosted by marine scientist Kurt Krispyn, this podcast dives into the weird, wonderful, and wildly important questions about our world. Through open, honest, laid-back conversations with scientists, explorers, and big thinkers, we unpack the mysteries of nature, discovery, and human innovation.
If you're into the unknown, the unexplained, and the unbelievable, you're in the right place.
Paramount Importance
2025 Ep 17 Scientific detection dogs: Dr. Megan Barnes
What do rare orchids, endangered reptiles, invasive species, and medical conditions have in common? They can all be sniffed out by dogs, if you train them right.
In this episode, Dr. Megan Barnes, conservation ecologist and founder of Detection for Good, takes us deep into the fascinating world of conservation detection dogs. From dragon-hunting Labradors in Queensland to sniffing out subterranean orchids in Western Australia, Megan’s work sits at the intersection of ecology, animal behaviour, and cutting-edge field science.
We unpack the surprisingly complex science behind training dogs for precision detection, the logistical and ethical challenges of deploying them in the wild, and why the only true limits of this field might be our own imagination. Whether it's tracking invasive ants, preventing bird deaths at wind farms, or detecting oil beneath ice, dogs are fast becoming an indispensable part of the scientific toolkit.
This is a story about curiosity, innovation, and the untapped power of the canine nose, and how it could transform the way we do conservation and research forever.