Today's interview is with Sami Kattan, Director of Digital Media for Beneath the Waves and a film maker that was inspired after a wonderful encounter with an iconic giant in the Ocean. Sami films a lot of stuff in his life from his exercises to marine conservation work. He learned to become a videographer on his own, experimenting with various cameras along his adventures in Central America and the Caribbean. 

I speak to Sami about how he got into making films and what drives his work. I also talk about his film submission to Beneath the Waves and how you can do the same thing. 

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.

Conferences is where people from the Marine Science and Conservation industry go to share information on their latest projects and to network with new and old colleagues. It's where we go to share stories, vent and get to know each other. 

The only problem with conferences is that there are only Marine Scientists and Conservationists in attendance. There is usually a lack of people from the public...essentially you. Why the hell would you attend a Marine Science and Conservation Conference?

I give you 3 reasons in this episode!

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.

Nathan Johnson and I are back at it again with another Ocean Talk Friday. Today we discuss the following stories:

1) Scientists design marine protected area based on protection and fish production for fishing community;
2) Rockfish larvae travel as a group of siblings;
3) DNA from Ocean can tell researchers where the fish and other species have been; and,
4) Jellyfish can also be used as a way to find out where the fish have been caught from based on the jellyfish's chemical composition.

Science education can be tough if teachers rely only on themselves and textbooks. It can be really boring for 13 year-olds to get inspired by science and picture themselves as future scientists of the world. Don't worry, there is a solution.

Patrick Goff goes above and beyond the textbook to bring his class real scientists to his students via webcam. I invited Patrick on the podcast to tell us how he does it so other teachers can do the same thing.

Enjoy the podcast!

Did you like this episode? Please consider supporting the show on my Patreon page: http://www.speakupforblue.com/patreon 

Marine Protected Areas are a big tool in the Ocean Conservation toolbox because they work. It has taken some time for them to catch on, but if they are created in the right way where they bring in stakeholders at the beginning of the process and it is science based, then they can do well. These types of protected areas have been documented well in the scientific literature. 

It seems as though more and more protected areas are being designated every month. Since September, one US Marine Monument in Hawaii was expanded to 4 times its original size, another has been created in the Atlantic Ocean (the size of Connecticut), the Ross Sea has been declared an MPA, and now the Philippines and Canada declared MPAs. 

I talk about how these last 2 MPAs got designated and where each country is going with Marine Conservation in the future. 

Enjoy the podcast!

Marine Science and Conservation Careers is what we've been talking about for the past month and a half. I've heard some great feedback from people who are currently seeking out a career, so I am glad I've been able to help out.

This episode is all about the different options you have for your career. Do you want a career where you work a 9-5? Well, I go into the different sectors (non-profit, government, and private environmental consulting) based on my own personal experiences. 

Do you want a career where you work for yourself? I talk about that as well because I am preparing to do the same thing. 

I think this episode is a great way to sum up what I talked about in this series and what you can do in the future.  

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.

Ocean Talk Friday is usually about two people (myself and Nathan Johnson) talking about 4 to 5 articles covering Ocean News that we think you should know about; however, Nathan was a bit busy this week and I decided to switch things up. I wanted to continue covering the theme of grassroots marine conservation since I think it is going to become one of the focuses on Speak Up For Blue.

Here are 3 American Grassroots Conservation Projects I covered in this episode (I will cover more international projects as I find them: please email me if you have a project in mind - andrew@speakupforblue.com).

1) Save Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge;

2) How you can ensure Climate Change remains a priority for the new US federal administration; and,

3) Stop Killing Fish by stop fertilizing so much!

Enjoy the  podcast!

I was feeling sick to my stomach last Tuesday after I realized that Donald Trump had been elected the next President of the United States. I was worried about basic Human Rights in my neighbouring country and I was also worried about the stance the President-Elect has taken on Climate Change. He clearly does not "believe" Climate Change is a human related issue and that is dangerous thinking. 

A major part of his platform is to undo much of President Obama's Executive Orders, which include protection of marine habitats in the Atlantic Ocean and off the coast of Hawai'i. Whether he will be able to undo this work is anyone's guess; however, the possibility is there. In addition, Obama used an Executive Order to establish the National Ocean Council to handle marine conservation projects and made it easy for today's guest, Dr. Rob Moir, to work with government to help establish protected areas and conservation action.

Dr. Rob Moir is the founder and Executive Director of the Ocean River Institute, which is a non-profit organization that works with its constituents and organizational partners to work towards conservation goals. In essence, Rob takes stories from individuals about what is important to them about the ocean, compiles those stories and brings them to politicians such as Senators and House Members on the federal level to bring conservation action. It's not easy, but Rob has managed to build quite the relationship with many federal politicians (Republicans and Democrats). 

Rob also works at grassroots levels to effect change within the community. During the interview, Rob talks about how he went to Florida to talk to County committees to show them how a few changes that homeowners can take to manage their yard such as refrain from fertilizing their lawn during the summer can change the algae blooms along the ocean coast. His work has been extremely successful within most counties in Florida and the counties who don't follow these practices can look at the examples set by neighbouring counties. 

Rob is currently focused on protecting the status of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge from getting stripped of its protection status due to pressure from the big sugar industries who are dumping dirty water in the refuge and is getting fined heavily for doing so. Getting rid of the Refuge status would allow the sugar companies to continue to dump their dirty water in the Refuge boundaries and ruin the diverse wildlife in the area. You can get more information and learn how you can take action by going to Ocean River's website.

During the interview, Rob and I discussed how grassroots marine conservation will be the way to go under the next government administration and reminded ourselves that grassroots conservation has always been a great way to create conservation change and it will continue to be that way not matter who is running any country. 

I want you to listen to the podcast and understand that there is still hope to protect the ocean in the US and around the world. We will need to fight harder, but our passion will show us the way. 

Speak Up for Blue is going to take the call to action and help lead you towards some grassroots projects that you can support and participate. 

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.

Conservation is about people. It Starts with people. It ends with people. Democratic governments cannot stop the people.

Those words may not be that profound, but they are true. A change in government is the US means that ocean conservation is going to become harder to do when compared to the last administration if Trump and his administration plan to do what they said they were going to do. There are also questions as to will he be able to completely ignore climate change even though he doesn't "Believe in it." Time will tell, I guess. 

The fact remains that if we want to continue to work towards protecting the Oceans, then we will have to do it at the grassroots level and build enough momentum from the bottom to rise to the top where politicians will have no choice but to listen to the majority. 

I discuss how we can really build grassroots movements by not reinventing the wheel and using the resources that are available to us and partnering with some great organizations to create change from within. 

Speak Up For Blue will also be creating a tight nit grassroots community that will focus on changing things not only at the government level, but also and the community level. 

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.

Continuing with helping you get a job to help you build your career in Marine Science and Conservation, I talk about The Interview today. The Interview is a way for the hiring manager and other committee members to get to know you and evaluate whether you would be a right "fit" for the workplace.

In today's episode, I talk about how to prepare for an interview, what your attitude should be during the interview and how it can help you get a job and how you should follow up.

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.

The election really threw everyone, or most people for a loop, especially the Marine Science and Conservation community. The President-Elect, Donald Trump, has been determined about denying climate change and reducing environmental government departments such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Environment (DOE), and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

The reduction in government resources to adequately deal with Ocean issues such as Climate Change, Over fishing, Ocean Mining, Plastic Pollution, etc., will mean that there will have to be grassroots movements to ensure the federal government will honour what is important to their constituents. It will require strategic planning to ensure your environmental values (similar to your country's values) are upheld. 

For the next four years, Speak Up For Blue will do our best to provide you with the guidance required to effectively get your environmental values heard by the current administration.

The US Election is over...FINALLY!!! Here are some stories you might have missed while you were bombarded with election news:

1) Canada announces Ocean Protection Plan;
2) Too many puffins die due to warming of oceans; and,
3) SeaWorld loses more money and decides to cut more costs to please investors.

Enjoy the podcast!

The Ross Sea MPA has forced me to reflect on how regulators and policy makers who are in charge of managing the Ocean through Marine Protected Areas, Quotas and other regulatory tools manage Ocean Users. 

Ocean Users are not used to being managed. They could generally do whatever they want as long as they show the government that they could contribute to the economy in the short or long term; however, recent events (BP Oil Spill) have driven governments to manage all Ocean Users as some can affect others, including the environment (as an Ocean User per say). 

I try to provide you with some examples on how Ocean Users are being or have been managed, but I would really like to here what you have to say about this subject matter. 

Email me andrew@speakupforblue.com to let me know how you think we should manage Ocean Users.

The sole purpose of a job application is to get to the next step in the job-getting process. There are hundreds, sometimes thousands, of applicants and you have to set your aside apart from the pack. So what do you do?

You make sure that you have the best application out there and you ensure the human resource person and/or hiring manager are not forced to make any assumptions on whether you qualify for the position. For example, if you are applying to a position where you will be trawling and are required to identify species and record length and weight, then don't just say that you have experience with trawling, you should elaborate that you are able to identify fish species and some invertebrates (if you have the experience of course, never lie on your application!!!).

In this bonus episode, I teach you how to right the perfect resume that will force the person reading it to add you to the interview pile. 

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.

Nathan Johnson and I are back at it again on Ocean Talk Friday where we talk about the latest news and updates in Marine Science and Conservation.

On the show today, we discuss:

1) National Science Fund planning for Ocean Science's future;
2) Rhode Island creates the first marine plan;
3) Australian government cuts 42 marine protected areas from plans; and,
4) An amphipod is found to wear an invisibility cloak.

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.

Imagine spending the last ten years (really the first 10 years) of your career trying to get a piece of Ocean protected that is managed by 24 countries with a treaty that was written in 1959. There are countries who can't win the argument to establish Marine Protected Areas within their own country, let alone getting 23 other countries to agree to your propositions.

That is what happened to Cassandra Brooks with Ross Sea MPA. Cassandra followed the MPA process from every aspect possible starting as a Fisheries Biologist to a Science and Conservation Communicator then to studying a PhD in Marine Policy where she was able to sit in the MPA planning meetings during the last part of the process.

Listen to the podcast to find out how she found the process and the evolution of her career.

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.