From jellyfish to basking shark, we’re developing 100 new signs to deepen deaf people’s connection with the ocean

For deaf people including schoolchildren, teachers and scientists, talking about marine species like the shortfin mako shark, loggerhead turtle and tiny phytoplankton usually means spelling out each term letter by letter. The lack of specific British Sign Language (BSL) signs for many marine species and concepts has made it challenging to have meaningful conversations about ocean conservation without resorting to tedious fingerspelling.