I had the pleasure of attending OceanWise's Chowder Chowdown event in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in the Distillery District last night. It was a fantastic time catching up with friends and enjoying great sustainable food. 

The OceanWise program is designed to support and highlight restaurants/chefs that follow sustainable seafood practices. I spoke with some people at the event who mentioned that there was a definite difference in sustainable seafood practice between independent restaurants and franchise restaurants.  

There is still plenty of work to do to get more sustainable in the future, but programs such as OceanWise will help consumers and restaurants achieve them faster.

Do you follow a program similar to OceanWise? Share it in the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean.  

The Capelin Fishing community in Newfoundland and Labrador is concerned that the stock has declined to a point where their livelihoods are in trouble. The fishing community has observed Capelin spawning later in the summer than normal and the individuals that are spawning are smaller than normal. 

Fisheries and Oceans Canada scientists are not too concerned about the low numbers of capelin as the stock has gone lower in the recent past and has rebounded. Capelin are prey to cod, turbot, salmon, whales, and seabirds; therefore, their numbers are related to the number of predators. Capelin numbers fell to an all-time low right before the cod stocks collapsed in the late 1990s and it took them over a decade to recover. Cod and turbot stocks are doing better, which could lead to a decrease in capelin numbers in the short term.

The big question for this story is how do you manage a fishery, where the fish are being eaten by natural predators rather than humans. Let me know what you think of this situation in the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean.   

I happened to be tagged in a post in the Marine Biology Network and Job Postings Facebook Group last night that became riddled with comments from a variety of people. The post was an ad for an "internship" with the job requirements designed for a paid position for somebody with 5-10 of experience. 

I go on an almost 20-minute rant on how organizations need to stop taking advantage of experience-hungry early career marine conservationists and ask them to work for free in a position that requires them to work what would normally be considered 5 positions. 

Check out my rant and visit the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group if you want to see the job posting: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

We all know fisheries can have a negative effect on other animals as the gear tends to trap the animals, which can lead to injuries and even death. Researchers in France are witnessing the same effect, but at a larger scale as 600 dolphins washed up dead along a beach in France. Researchers believe there are more dolphins dead that sunk to the bottom of the ocean as well.

The dolphins had injuries, missing appendages and scaring along their bodies from fishing gear. 

Listen to the episode to find out how the dolphins get trapped and what solutions are being proposed to stop the deaths.

Do you think the proposed solutions are going to work? Share your ideas in the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

Illegal fisheries is a huge problem and the story that you are about to listen to will highlight why it is so difficult to stop. This episode has the components of a great movie with crime syndicates, high seas chases, fraud, and computer hacking. 

Let me know what you think about this story in the Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

Dr. Edward Hind-Ozan is back again for his segment "What's Going On In Marine Social Science This Week." Today, Edd and I discuss a participatory study of Indigenous communities within the Salish Sea. 

The study involves two marine social scientists who participate in a large community canoe trip to bring together the youth and elders of the communities as they connect with their culture through nature. 

Take a listen to find out how the event was designed to bring communities together by the sea. 

Share your thoughts on this episode in the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

There are many people out there that are posting about how they can't find a job in Marine Conservation. Finding a job in this field is probably the toughest thing out there for aspiring Marine Conservationists. There are more people graduating with similar degrees, but job availability doesn't seem to grow in the same way. This problem is why I feel that applicants need to be unique and provide their prospective employers with something the employers need (perhaps that they never thought they needed). 

Uniques skill sets, experiences, social media profiles could be what gets you that first job or it could reinvent your career (like it did mine). 

I am not saying that the strategy I present here will work for everyone, but it will work for some. It will work for the people that will put in the work to build something special, something unique.

Let me know what you have to say about the strategy that I propose in the episode. Share your thoughts in the Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

Danielle Eubank is an artist that is preparing to go to the Antarctic to paint the Ocean as part of her almost 2-decade long project called 1 Artist 5 Oceans. She paints the Oceans with a mission to connect her audience to the Ocean as they may not have had the chance to connect with it in other ways. 

Danielle is a prime example of how we need to connect with target audiences with messages that are meaningful. Her paintings inspire people to think about the Ocean in ways science and conservation haven't, which is a huge benefit to Ocean Health. 

Listen in on my conversation with Danielle to find out what an artist does to prepare to go to the Antarctic to paint the ocean!

Do you create art for Marine Conservation? Share your thoughts and work (if you can) in the Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

Danielle Eubank's List:

Website: https://www.danielleeubankart.com/

Twitter

Instagram

There is an increase in the number of people who are buying and/or exchanging 2nd hand clothing. A recent article in the Guardian highlighted a few women who buy, alter and sell used clothing to spread the awareness that we need more sustainability in the fashion industry. The method of the message is catching on. Sales in 2nd hand stores in some stores grew 30% over the last year. 

So why don't we wear more 2nd hand clothing? I for one don't. I will tell you why I don't and what I will do to change my ways to try and live for a better ocean.

Would you consider wearing 2nd hand clothing? Share your thoughts in the Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

Pacific White-Sided Dolphins have been observed swimming with Orcas during monitoring studies using drones. It's an interesting observation that has resulted in researchers asking the question: Why Do Dolphins Swim with Orcas? 

You may think that dolphins swimming with Orcas is normal and it is in a way; however, you must consider the fact that some Orcas prey on dolphins. Yet, dolphins continue to swim with Orcas. So why does this happen?

Take a listen to the episode to find out and share your thoughts in our Facebook Group (it's free to join): http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

Approximately 17 Orcas have died in Hudson's Bay over the past few years because they got stuck in the bay by the ice. The marine mammals went into the bay during the winter months when there was no ice present (during a period of warming) to stalk belugas and narwhals; however, the ice came back and the animals got stuck in the bay without food cause the animals to starve to death. 

The local Orca population is estimated have around 70 individuals, which means any number of deaths could be a huge hit to the population for these long-lived whales. 

Take a listen to the episode for more details on the story.

Do you think more species will endure hardship as they move to Northing habitats as they adapt to Climate Change? Share your thoughts in the Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

Imagine you are a local rock lobster fisher that relies on the sale of your catches to support your family. There are only 2000 fishers within the community, so it's relatively small. Now, the state government decides it is going to take 17% of the fishery to provide funds for the local community. 

How would you feel about that? This situation is happening in Western Australia right now. 

Listen to the episode and share your thoughts in the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

A long term great white shark survey conducted in False Bay, South Africa . has found that there has been a sharp decrease in Great White Sharks in 2017 and 2018. Those two years resulted in zero sightings of the once dominant shark species in the area. So what happens to a marine ecosystem when an apex predator disappears? 

Dr. Neil Hammershlag (University of Miami) and Chris Fallows (Apex Shark Expeditions) wrote a paper on the subject that was recently published in Scientific Reports. 

The authors found a drastic increase in sightings of seven gill sharks (120 sightings) when Great White Sharks weren't present. The seven gill sharks normally occur 18 km away hidden in the kelp forests away from their predator, the great white shark. Now that the whites are gone, the seven gills are ready to take over. 

Take a listen to the details in the episode. 

What did you think about the great whites disappearing? Share your thoughts in the Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

I have the pleasure of having a great discussion with Danni Washington about sustainable clothing and for the need for people to rethink the way they look at fashion as it affects the Ocean.

Danni is a Marine Biologist who is originally from Miami, but travels around the world to discuss Marine Conservation and support ecotourism and sustainable brands. She is THE definition of an Oceanpreneur. 

Danni and I discuss a clothing brand of which she is a spokesperson as it embodies some great things that she spreads: Women empowerment (and representation in STEM) and sustainability. 

Take a listen to the episode to find out more about the brand, Round + Square, and how Danni is bringing an ocean focus to the brands sustainability conversation.

Find Out More About Danni Washington:

Website - https://www.danniwashington.com/
TV Host - https://www.xplorationstation.com/show/Xploration-Nature-Knows-Best
Her Non-Profit - https://bigblueandyou.org/
Sea Youth Rise Up - http://seayouthriseup.org/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/danniwashington/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/danniwashington
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/danniwashingtonTV/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danniwashington/

Round + Square - https://roundplussquare.com/

Do you have any questions about the brand or about Danni? Share them in the Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

Florida loves to fish! They love to fish for sharks from the beach. It's quite popular to fish for sharks from the beach in many parts of Florida. The fishing practice is a bit controversial as many anglers have been taking selfies with the sharks they catch. 

Why is that so controversial? The fishers are excited about what they caught. They followed the rules, for the most part; however, the act of taking a selfie many not be allowed anymore because it is not good for the shark.

The big problem with taking a photo with sharks on the beach is that the anglers will drag the sharks out of the water and hold them there for the perfect shot. sharks need water to breathe; therefore, holding the shark out of the water is torturing them. 

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has taken the advice by various shark scientists, policy makers and the conservation community and are getting ready to accept and implement rules of no photography of sharks after the catch. 

Take a listen to the episode for my thoughts on the matter and the challenges that come with this type of rule.

Note: Click here to listen to Dr. David Shiffman speak on why the rules are so important.

Do you think this new rule will be easy to implement? Share your thoughts in the Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

Dr. Andrew Wright joins us on a special episode today as we recorded this interview about his field work in Antarctica while he was still in ANTARCTICA!!!!

Andrew is working with on a team of scientists to gather information on fish-eating Orcas that frequent the Ross Sea as part of a monitoring program for the Ross Sea MPA. 

Andrew and I discuss the field work that involved great encounters with Orcas, Emperor Penguins and Seals, but we also discussed the challenges that the team faced while working in such a tough environment. 

Take a listen to find out about Andrew's experience in Antarctica and what an Orca gave the principle investigator. 

Do you have questions for Andrew? Ask them in our Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

I am pleased to have Dr. Edward Hind-Ozan back on the podcast to do discuss "What Is Happening In Marine Social Science This Week?" It's a weekly segment where Edd brings us articles that he and I discuss where we focus on people and their interaction with the Ocean. 

On today's segment, Edd and I discuss a paper by Dr. Angela Dean on how conservation messaging should be different for different groups of people when trying to change a behaviour around the Ocean. It reaffirms the thought process that conservation messaging should not be the same for everyone as everyone has different values. 

Listen to the episode and let Edd and I know your thoughts on conservation messaging in the Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

Dolphinariums in North America are thriving. I just came back from a trip the Caribbean where I saw advertisements for "swimming with dolphin" experiences. People flock to these tourism attractions because dolphins are such an iconic species that everyone loves (except some don't). 

We see advertisements for dolphinariums all of the time, but we rarely think about the effect of the facilities on the animals. Dolphins tend to perform and interact with humans most days of the week. The frequent interactions are stressful on the dolphins, where the stress could lead to infections or diseases as the immune system is weakened due to stress (just like in humans). Stress is difficult to noticed and often goes undiagnosed, especially when the animals are the main attraction.

Tourists often don't realize the stress the animals are under and rarely speak about concern for their health until an animal, or in today's case, 4 animals die at 1 facility.

Dolphinaris Arizona, a dolphinarium in the desert that opened in 2016, has had 4 dolphin deaths at their facility. Some "experts" are chalking it up as sad while real experts are worried about the stress on the animals. 

Listen to the episode to find out how two of the dolphins died and why the facility is temporarily closed. Also find out why experts say the dolphins at this facility were stressed.

Do you think the Dolphinarium should reopen? Share your thoughts in the Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

The short answer is, yes, they are. The long answer is that it depends on other factors, which I will get to soon. 

A recent article authored by Terry Hughes, a very well-known coral reef scientist, proposed that widely used sunscreens with oxybenzone and octinoxate are not that bad for coral reefs as previously reported by scientific studies. Terry's reasoning is because it doesn't represent realistic scenarios. 

Terry's article "deeply disappointed" many people in the coral reef community because they say the studies address realistic conditions and conclude sunscreens are indeed bad for coral reefs (and bad for humans as the chemicals are carcinogenic). 

There is no doubt that other factors such as climate change and destructive fishing practices threaten reefs on a global scale; however, there are scenarios where sunscreens can threaten coral reef health at a local level in high tourist traffic areas. 

Listen to the episode to find out why I believe it is important for people to use "reef safe" sunscreen.

Do you share my thought? Share your opinion in our Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

The time of marine mammals in captivity is slowly dwindling. We are seeing people speak volumes with their wallets and actions as they deliberately leave out Sea World and other marine mammal entertainment facilities off of their family excursions thanks to the movie such as Blackfish and the decades of advocacy and science worked to show that marine mammal captivity is bad for their health.

Organizations are now searching for sites they call Whale Seaside sanctuaries as the future home for the retired marine mammals such as orcas, beluga whales, dolphins and more. The next Seaside sanctuary could be located in Nova Scotia according to Change for Animals Foundation. The organization and their partners are currently holding meetings in various towns along the Atlantic Shore. 

The sanctuary could provide great economic benefits for the neighboring communities as it would bring jobs to the area as well as the purchase of tons of frozen fish.

This Whale Seaside Sanctuary is targeted for Beluga Whales.

Share your thoughts on Whale Seaside Sanctuaries in Nova Scotia in our Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean. 

Elephant Seals at Point Reyes National Park decided to take over a beach during the US Government Shutdown when the staff was a third of its regular size. Now the beach is closed down along with some access roads due to the new Elephant Seal pups that were born during the take over time. 

The Park staff are ensuring the pups and mother seals are protected during a vulnerable stage of the population's life cycle in order to have a healthy class of pups for this year. 

Park staff use non-invasive techniques to stop the Elephant Seals from taking over the beach when there is a full staff present; however, the shutdown forced the staff to be one third of its normal size leaving access to the beach for the Elephant Seals. 

Now the park staff will wait until April for the pups to wean off their mothers and head to the ocean to forage for themselves before the beach opens up to the public. 

Listen to the episode for more details.

Do you think the Park Staff handled the situation correctly? Share your thoughts in the Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean.  

Ban Straws. Ban Plastic Straws. The movement to ban single-use plastics is growing. There are still many issues; however, the movement is starting to tackle some of these issues. New Zealand seems to be leading the pack.

New Zealand has rolled out a Plastic Packaging Declaration that grocery stores seem to like. Foodstuffs, a grocery store, has signed on to the declaration with glowing results. Reports state that fruits and vegetable sales in plastic free stores show a 300% increase. 

The country's efforts to go plastic free will continue as the pledge requires stores to be plastic free or package their fruits and vegetables in material that can be recyclable or compostable by 2025. 

The system is not perfect, as I highlight in this episode, but it is a great step forward in the plastic-free movement. 

Share your thoughts on the Plastic-Free Movement in the Facebook Group: http://www.speeakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean.  

Dr. David Ebert (@lostsharkguy) joins me on the podcast today to discuss why scientists go to fish markets. He has been going to fish markets all over the world building relationships with fishers on what, where and when they catch fish (mostly sharks). 

David has many reasons to go to a fish market rather than catching the fish himself. 

Listen to the episode to find out what those reasons are.

Would You Go To Fish Markets to do Marine Conservation Research? Share your thoughts in the Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Want to get started on living for a better Ocean? Sign up for the Grove Collaborative and get a free gift: http://www.speakupforblue.com/goocean.