I found something quite interesting when I started to communicate Marine Science and Ocean Conservation to build an audience that wanted to live for a better Ocean. People didn't like to hear the doom and gloom that I was telling them related to all of the Ocean Issues. A friend of mine said she liked watching the videos I made on my You Tube channel, but she had to stop because it was depressing her. My message was having the opposite effect of its purpose. I was making people give up hope rather than inspiring them to do something about the problems that plagued the Ocean.

I had to change my tone and my message quickly. I did some research on what people were sharing on social media in relation to the Ocean. Most of the content was fun facts or a specific event that happened. For example, there was one video of a seal hitching a ride on a humpback whale to avoid being hunted by an orca that was following the humpback whale. The video was in relation to a study that found humpback whales often helped other species from harm. A great message identifying compassion in marine mammals that is quite unique in the Ocean. 

We need more of these messages to inspire people to fall in love with the Ocean again and want to protect it.

Enjoy the podcast!

Are you looking to change the way you eat for a better health and environment? Start using Arbonne nutrition and health care products that are all natural and environmentally friendly. I use them all the time and their nutrition line has transformed the way I eat and my health.

Email me today, andrew@speakupforblue.com to find out how you can transform your health.

Looking to transform your health and wellness using Arbonne products? Learn about our starter package to get you living for a better Ocean by contacting me at andrew@speakupforblue.com.

When I first started writing cover letters for the jobs that I wanted, I made them less than one page and they consisted of introducing myself and telling the person to which I was sending my application that my resume was attached. I had no idea that it was the wrong way of writing a cover letter.

It wasn't until a friend showed me how to write a proper cover letter that I was able to get interviews from my applications. The conversion was quite amazing. I applied to less jobs during the year (4 jobs) and got 3 interviews, which is better than the previous record of 1 in 400. 

Unfortunately, it was 6 years until I discovered how to write a proper cover letter and resume (I will discuss resumes next week) that I was able to focus my career path because I could finally get closer to the jobs I wanted. This style of writing cover letters is quite a bit of work, but your chances of getting the interview are much higher. 

Take a listen to the episode to find out how to write the proper cover letter for Marine Science and Conservation.

Are you looking to change the way you eat for a better health and environment? Start using Arbonne nutrition and health care products that are all natural and environmentally friendly. I use them all the time and their nutrition line has transformed the way I eat and my health.

Email me today, andrew@speakupforblue.com to find out how you can transform your health.

Looking to transform your health and wellness using Arbonne products? Learn about our starter package to get you living for a better Ocean by contacting me at andrew@speakupforblue.com.

Ocean Talk Friday is a fun tradition that Nathan and I started and we continue to have fun with it. We hope that you guys enjoy it too. After a brief update on our Marine Conservation Fantasy Football Pool, we talk about the following articles:

1) Insurance companies find wetlands could have saved $625 million in damage;
2) A brewing company made a beer to help study stellar sea lions;
3) Fish are drunk off CO2 and swimming into predators; and,
4) Whaling countries rallying to block South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary.

Are you looking to change the way you eat for a better health and environment? Start using Arbonne nutrition and health care products that are all natural and environmentally friendly. I use them all the time and their nutrition line has transformed the way I eat and my health.

Email me today, andrew@speakupforblue.com to find out how you can transform your health.

Looking to transform your health and wellness using Arbonne products? Learn about our starter package to get you living for a better Ocean by contacting me at andrew@speakupforblue.com.

In my Interview Wednesday episode today, I speak with Reggie Domingo; Founder of The Nakawe Project, also known as the WE Project.

The Nakawe Project  is involved in all sorts of Marine Science and Conservation projects in Costa Rica, Central America, and around the world. I first heard of The Nakawe Project when they were involved with the CITES project in getting the Silky and Thresher Sharks protected under the CITES agreement. 

Take a listen to the podcast for more details.

Today's Resource: http://simplystraws.com/

Simply Straws Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/362703480/simply-straws-presents-the-perfect-mason-jar-lid

Are you looking to change the way you eat for a better health and environment? Start using Arbonne nutrition and health care products that are all natural and environmentally friendly. I use them all the time and their nutrition line has transformed the way I eat and my health.

Email me today, andrew@speakupforblue.com to find out how you can transform your health.

Looking to transform your health and wellness using Arbonne products? Learn about our starter package to get you living for a better Ocean by contacting me at andrew@speakupforblue.com.

There are many battles in Marine Science and Conservation. If you speak to anyone who has been working in this field for over 20 years you will get much cynicism. It's probably due to the experience they have build over their careers. There is a good chance they didn't always with to protect the Ocean or it's species. It doesn't matter if they are working on government, non-profit or private sector, they lost some battles. But after all is said and done, they never gave up hope. It's why they are still working to protect the Ocean. They have hope!

Hope to win that one small/big battle that they have worked on. They love the feeling they get when they ARE able the protect the ocean. It makes it a pretty good day, week, month, or even year! Even after losing so many fights in the past. 

I linked up with some people who want to save the Vaquita, a small marine mammal that is endemic to the Sea of Cortez, and is critically endangered. There are estimated 60 or less left in the world. However, I chose this project because I have hope that we can save this marine mammal if we get together and protect it. There is a lot of work ahead of us here at Speak Up For Blue, but we are ready to take on saving the Vaquita because we have hope!

Take a listen to the podcast for more details.

Are you looking to change the way you eat for a better health and environment? Start using Arbonne nutrition and health care products that are all natural and environmentally friendly. I use them all the time and their nutrition line has transformed the way I eat and my health.

Email me today, andrew@speakupforblue.com to find out how you can transform your health.

Looking to transform your health and wellness using Arbonne products? Learn about our starter package to get you living for a better Ocean by contacting me at andrew@speakupforblue.com.

When I first started my career in Marine Science and Conservation, I searched for jobs everyday for 8 hours a day. No lie, I would check the same sites over and over again. It sucked. There were so many times were I wouldn't see new jobs and then I would lose hope. I got pretty emotional and angry. I was obsessed with getting a job. I would dream about it. Until one day, I figured something out.

I didn't want half of the jobs that I saw, but I was applying to all of them. I thought to myself, why in the hell would I apply for them. Why wouldn't I to everything that I could to get the jobs I wanted instead of doing a poor job in applying to jobs I didn't want. 

So I implemented 5 strategies to help me build my career and I continue to do so today:

1) Becoming an influencer in your field;
2) Keeping updated on the news, research, and happenings in your career path field;
3) Building Your Network;
4) Building Your Experience; and,
5) Get certifications pertaining to your field.

Take a listen to the episode for more description on each of the 5 strategies I still use today to build my career.

Are you looking to change the way you eat for a better health and environment? Start using Arbonne nutrition and health care products that are all natural and environmentally friendly. I use them all the time and their nutrition line has transformed the way I eat and my health.

Email me today, andrew@speakupforblue.com to find out how you can transform your health.

Looking to transform your health and wellness using Arbonne products? Learn about our starter package to get you living for a better Ocean by contacting me at andrew@speakupforblue.com.

It's Ocean Talk Friday again where Nathan and I get together and chat about 4 very important articles of the week...at least...to us. This week we talk about some great articles and we talk about our big Fantasy Football wins this week in our Marine Conservation Football Fantasy League. 

Here are the stories that we discussed this week:
1) Vogue lists 8 luxury hotels that are carbon neutral and help marine conservation;
2) Russia hosts a 24 member country delegation to vote on 2 Antarctic Protected Areas;
3) The Ocean absorbs more heat than we thought, but we are not out of the woods; and,
4) The Great Barrier Reef is not dead!

Are you looking to change the way you eat for a better health and environment? Start using Arbonne nutrition and health care products that are all natural and environmentally friendly. I use them all the time and their nutrition line has transformed the way I eat and my health.

Email me today, andrew@speakupforblue.com to find out how you can transform your health.

Looking to transform your health and wellness using Arbonne products? Learn about our starter package to get you living for a better Ocean by contacting me at andrew@speakupforblue.com.

A tug boat was pushing a fuel barge in British Columbia near Great Bear Forest when it ran aground and sank in 9 metres of water. The diesel fuel (over 200,000 GA worth) spilled into the coastal ocean from the tug boat and spread quickly. 

The nearby First Nations group of Bella Bella are working tirelessly to stop the diesel fuel from reaching the coast; however, 3 beaches have already been closed due to contamination. The clam bed, on which the tribe relies to get them through the winter will not be harvested due to contamination from the diesel fuel. The effects of this spill is devastating for the short term and may have longer term effects; however, this spill is considered small. It had a massive impact on a remote community that can only be accessed either by boat or plane. 

This was 1 boat and a relatively small one at that. Luckily, the fuel barge was empty or else this incident would have been worse. 

The Bella Bella community are frustrated by the lack of spill response by the provincial and federal government. Meanwhile, the provincial government is pointing the finger at the federal government. Both levels of government are in favour of adding a pipeline to the province to ship oil and gas to Asian markets.

The real questions here are:

1) What is the spill response procedure?
2) What will happen when the pipeline is implemented and running (more shipping); and,
3) Is there a plan for environmental emergencies in the future and when will it be implemented.

Are you looking to change the way you eat for a better health and environment? Start using Arbonne nutrition and health care products that are all natural and environmentally friendly. I use them all the time and their nutrition line has transformed the way I eat and my health.

Email me today, andrew@speakupforblue.com to find out how you can transform your health.

Looking to transform your health and wellness using Arbonne products? Learn about our starter package to get you living for a better Ocean by contacting me at andrew@speakupforblue.com.

SCUBA Divers love encountering sharks on more than one of their dives. Diving with sharks is an exhilarating experience, I know from personal experience. However, as a couple of videos that are circulating the web show, diving with sharks in a cage may not be as safe as you might expect. 

Shark diving occurs all over the world without incidents, so why did the events in the video happen. Was it just by chance or did something happen that caused the shark to enter the cage. Unfortunately, it was the latter. 

The Shark diving company that was running the show that day was doing something that was against the guidelines of shark cage diving. The cage had the bait bag (chum) tied to it, which caused the shark to get an up close and personal to the cage, a little more than expected. 

The chum should not have been attached to the cage, but it should have been floating out a certain distance from the cage. 

I chat more about this in the episode and what you should do to protect yourself future danger and enjoy the experience.

Take a listen to this episode to find out how.

Are you looking to change the way you eat for a better health and environment? Start using Arbonne nutrition and health care products that are all natural and environmentally friendly. I use them all the time and their nutrition line has transformed the way I eat and my health.

Email me today, andrew@speakupforblue.com to find out how you can transform your health.

Looking to transform your health and wellness using Arbonne products? Learn about our starter package to get you living for a better Ocean by contacting me at andrew@speakupforblue.com.

Attaining a sustainable marine science and conservation career is not easy. It takes focus, patience, and hard work. The first episode of this series gives you a breakdown on how to create goals for your career by setting your path. Now you need to start your journey down your path. Where do you begin?

As a recent graduate or someone who is shifting career, you probably don't have much experience in the career path field, which means your chances of getting a job is low. So this episode is dedicated to helping you gain experience through volunteering. 

Volunteering has its ups and downs. On one hand you can gain quite a bit of experience quickly. On the other hand, you may have to pay money to go far away to get that experience. Is there are problem with that...nope! If you can afford it, go because it's a great adventure and you do get some great experience even if it is short lived, but not everyone can afford to go away. They have to search for alternative methods of volunteering.

This episode will detail some steps you can take to acquire some great experience without having to pay money. This is important so remember, take notes!

Are you looking to change the way you eat for a better health and environment? Start using Arbonne nutrition and health care products that are all natural and environmentally friendly. I use them all the time and their nutrition line has transformed the way I eat and my health.

Email me today, andrew@speakupforblue.com to find out how you can transform your health.

Looking to transform your health and wellness using Arbonne products? Learn about our starter package to get you living for a better Ocean by contacting me at andrew@speakupforblue.com.

Nathan Johnson and I co-host Ocean Talk Friday again to discuss this past week's important articles. I love doing these episodes because Nathan and I get to chat about all things Ocean. The best thing about talking about these Ocean articles is to get the ideas flowing and hopefully come up with solutions as a community.

So thanks for listening!

Here are the articles:

1) We revisit a new aquaculture techniques that will benefit the Ocean and contribute to reducing climate change;

2) Some people think that Canada can become an Ocean Economy super power;

3) Seagrass is important and some people want you to know about it; and,

4) China is building islands for military bases and could be destroying the environment.

Are you looking to change the way you eat for a better health and environment? Start using Arbonne nutrition and health care products that are all natural and environmentally friendly. I use them all the time and their nutrition line has transformed the way I eat and my health.

Email me today, andrew@speakupforblue.com to find out how you can transform your health.

Looking to transform your health and wellness using Arbonne products? Learn about our starter package to get you living for a better Ocean by contacting me at andrew@speakupforblue.com.

Have you ever wondered the state of all of the Oceans? We often here stories, articles and research coming from all parts of the Ocean (Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Antarctic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Labrador Sea, etc.); however, it's rare to hear about the Red Sea. Well, I am pleased to say that we are now going to talk about the Red Sea tanks to Matt Tietbohl, who is doing his Masters Thesis at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). 

Matt is originally from a small town outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania growing up in the outdoors surrounded by lush forests and lakes/rivers where he would explore the wild searching for new creatures under rocks and in crevices. Fast forward to high school where he took a trip in his Junior year to Jamaica on a school trip to explore the Ocean for the first time, followed by a second trip giving you Matt, the young man who now wanted to become a Marine Biologist. 

His undergraduate experience did not expose him to much Marine Biology; however, one course gave him an assignment that would change his outlook on Marine Biology and life in general. Matt had to review a journal article and present his findings to the class. His paper? A study from KAUST. 

Matt came across this person's name when searching for something to do in the year he wanted to take off from school before doing graduate school. He contacted the chief scientist of the lab about an internship and ended up doing a Masters degree (funny how things can change with a phone call). 

Now Matt lives in Saudi Arabia surrounded by the culture of his host country as well as international students from all over the world. 

Matt's thesis is on tracking the types of algae and plant matter herbivores, who live on reefs, eat to identify functional diversity to direct future management of Red Sea Coral Reefs. 

Listen to the podcast to find out more about Matt's research and life at KAUST.

Are you looking to change the way you eat for a better health and environment? Start using Arbonne nutrition and health care products that are all natural and environmentally friendly. I use them all the time and their nutrition line has transformed the way I eat and my health.

Email me today, andrew@speakupforblue.com to find out how you can transform your health.

Looking to transform your health and wellness using Arbonne products? Learn about our starter package to get you living for a better Ocean by contacting me at andrew@speakupforblue.com.

How important are the upcoming US Election for Marine Science and Conservation? Does your vote really count? Does it matter who is President or Senator in regards to policies for the Oceans? If you want the answer, maybe you should ask Dr. Chris Lowe who stated on a previous podcast that the combination of a number of laws and regulations allowed the increase in white shark populations and sea lion population (which are related) along the coast of California. 

The current presidential race seems to focus more on attacks than on proposed plans and policies. There has never been a more divisive election than the current one due to the attacks on each candidate. There are so many attacks that it is easy to lose focus on why people vote in the first place: to determine who will take the country in the right direction. 

The direction really depends on which way the majority of the voters want the country to go. It is not based on, which candidate can attack the other the best. 

When you vote for your next president and senator representing your state/territory, you should focus on the candidate that proposes the policies you feel will take the country in the right direction.

Are you looking to change the way you eat for a better health and environment? Start using Arbonne nutrition and health care products that are all natural and environmentally friendly. I use them all the time and their nutrition line has transformed the way I eat and my health.

Email me today, andrew@speakupforblue.com to find out how you can transform your health.

Welcome back to another Ocean Talk Friday. Nathan Johnson and I are back at it again to discuss this week's important stories on the Speak UP For Blue Podcast. 

Here are the stories for today:

1) International web database for Marine Cave studies;
2) CITES protects three sharks under Appendix II and what it means;
3) Community-led marine reserve experiences great success; and,
4) Waste reduction campaign with major corporations.

Do you want to work in a career in Marine Conservation

Connect with me andrew@speakupforblue.com

You can also connect with me to find out how you can live for a better Ocean by using Arbonne health and wellness products that are healthy for you and the Ocean. Contact me andrew@speakupforblue.com

You can also support this podcast by contribution to our Patreon Campaign

Enjoy this Ocean Talk Friday Episode!

Imagine that you apply for a job and when the hiring manager comes across your name, she/he already knows who you are because you worked hard at becoming an influencer within your niched within Marine Conservation and you did one hell of a job.

Many of your colleagues will apply to jobs and expect to hear back from an interview. If they qualify for the position and they demonstrate it on their application, then they will be able to further compete with others for the position. However, what happens after that point in the application process. You might have to write a test or attend an interview with everyone else who qualifies based on the same criteria. What can you do to set yourself apart from the rest of the crowd? Become and influencer.

If you are known within the public domain for your career interest, then you have impact power. If you have publications within scientific journals, then you have impact power. This means that not only can you do the work, but you can make that your project results reach more people because you have impact. 

I cover how you can become an influencer in today's social and tech savvy world that will help your career. 

Do you want to work in a career in Marine Conservation

Connect with me andrew@speakupforblue.com

You can also connect with me to find out how you can live for a better Ocean by using Arbonne health and wellness products that are healthy for you and the Ocean. Contact me andrew@speakupforblue.com

You can also support this podcast by contribution to our Patreon Campaign

Enjoy this Saturday Bonus Episode!

Today is a the launch of a new bonus series that I will be providing on the Speak Up For Blue Podcast. I wanted to provide you with the best information I could on starting and maintaining a career in Marine Science and Conservation as that is part of the mission of Speak Up For Blue: Empower people to live for a better Ocean!

These bonus episodes will normally be on published on Saturdays, but I decided that I would launch this episode today to peek your interest. 

The first episode of this Marine Science and Conservation Careers series deals with what I think is the most important aspect of launching your career. You need to PLAN out your career. Here are the steps you need to take to plan your strategy:

1) Pick 1 or 2 career interests;
2) Research the types of jobs people working in your interest filed hold;
3) Figure out what job title you want to do 15-20 years from now;
4) Learn the skills and experience of the people who work the job you want in the future;
5) Reverse engineer your career path focusing on getting jobs where you can attain the skills and experience you will need to get the job in the future; and,
6) Execute that plan.

Do you want to work in a career in Marine Conservation

Connect with me andrew@speakupforblue.com

You can also connect with me to find out how you can live for a better Ocean by using Arbonne health and wellness products that are healthy for you and the Ocean. Contact me andrew@speakupforblue.com

You can also support this podcast by contribution to our Patreon Campaign

Enjoy this Career Building Episode!

The Ocean is in trouble. There is no doubt about that.However, there are ways that we can fix it. And it starts with us!

There are a number of things that you can do to live for a better Ocean. It starts at home and we've discussed it on the podcast many times. I figured since some of you have been loyal listeners to the Speak Up For Blue podcast for the past year and a bit and have changed the way you lived at home to an Ocean conscious life, then you might be ready to step up your Marine Conservation game and make more of a commitment to protecting the Ocean. If you are still changing things at home, no worries. Listen to this podcast for the future. You might just get motivated (#MotivationMondays)

In this Episode, I present 4 steps to better protect the Ocean:

Step 1: Learn About an Ocean Issue
Step 2: React properly to the Ocean Issue
Step 3: Find out who is working on the solution to the Ocean Issue
Step 4: Get involved with those who are working on a solution to the Ocean Issue

Do you want to work in a career in Marine Conservation

Connect with me andrew@speakupforblue.com

You can also connect with me to find out how you can live for a better Ocean by using Arbonne health and wellness products that are healthy for you and the Ocean. Contact me andrew@speakupforblue.com

You can also support this podcast by contribution to our Patreon Campaign

Enjoy this Motivation Monday Episode!