Have you ever had someone say to you that they are over the bans on plastic straws or changing their behaviour to help the ocean is too hard? It's a frustrating experience, but it tells us that people are not educated on ocean issues and may not want to be.

However, we need to make sure the right information is out there so that people who want to be educated on the ocean can do their part. 

In this episode, I discuss how we can change our SciComm approach to blend in better on digital platforms and help people live for a better Ocean.

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We often wait too late until we change the bad things we do in society. Climate change is wreaking havoc on our planet and we are still debating on whether it's real. 

Now, a study showed that microplastics are in the human bloodstream so are we going to do something more radical about plastic pollution so this doesn't become a bigger problem than the crisis it already is?

Link to article: https://bit.ly/3iGHWK7

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In this episode, I am going to show you why there is hope for you and your career by offering you one piece of advice that helped me when I was in your position.

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Many scientists love communicating their science to the public and they know that science communication is the key to improving conservation, but when they do SciComm they tend to not be their authentic selves causing their audience to disengage.

Therefore, in order for SciComm to be effective scientists must connect with their audience by being themselves.

In this episode, I provide advice and reasons why you should be yourself and the benefits that go along with it when doing SciComm.

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Mass bleaching is happening more often for longer periods of time every year causing more damage than in previous years and it looks as though coral reefs will change in composition unless something is done to help them adapt, but climate change is not a switch that can be turned on and off.

Therefore, certain adaptations will need to be taken in for the survival of coral reefs as we know them.

In this episode, I am going to tell you about a study that tests whether corals can be trained to tolerate heat.

Link to article: https://bit.ly/3KYI8Ar

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Climate change is rearing its ugly head in many forms, including wildfires, mass coral bleaching, major glaciers and ice sheets melting, and an increase in major storms. the damage of climate change consequences are costing governments billions upon billions of dollars forcing the same governments to develop policies to help curb greenhouse gas emissions.

The governments are also calling on individuals to change the way they behave to also help reduce their footprint. One change is to buy an electric vehicle (EV). 

Buying an EV is not an easy step as there is a ton of misinformation out there, but it is getting easier to buy an EV as they are cheaper and more available (for the most part).

I am now in the market for an EV and in today's episode, I am sharing with you my journey to purchasing my first EV. 

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Angelo Villagomez joins me on the podcast to discuss what Indigenous-led conservation means and how it is important to include it in marine conservation. 

Link for Angelo:
Twitter: https://bit.ly/3tkzerf
Website: https://www.angelovillagomez.com/
Website: https://www.americanprogress.org/

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Dr. Nathan Robinson was part of a sea turtle research team when the team discovered that one of the sea turtles had a straw stuck up its nose. The entire ordeal was recorded and the video went viral on YouTube and contributed to the global ban the plastic straw campaign. The virality of the video changed Nathan's future career as he now focuses on how video can help identify deep-sea creatures and study the behaviour of oceanic animals. 

However, the one thing that doesn't get talked about enough was Nathan's study topic during the research expedition where the viral video was recorded. 

Nathan was studying the animals that would settle and hitch rides on the backs of sea turtles, called epibionts. He continued to study epibionts for the past ten years and recently created a database of studies and information on epibionts from all over the world. 

Nathan recently published a paper on the database and the questions that it answered. He sat down with me to discuss those answers and where he would like the epibiont database to lead other researchers in the future.

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However, there are certain times where I have an smh (Shake My Head) moment as a small number of people use certain language that will certainly offend a group of people. 

In this episode, I will tell what those comparisons are and why you should avoid using them when speaking about the ocean. 

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Marine science papers can be hard to interpret if you are not a scientist so I decided to take you through how to interpret them and where there could be some room for error.

You may or may not have read a marine science journal article in the past, but there are certain things you need to know before you read them. First off, marine science searches for the truth using the scientific process. The studies can be proven wrong down the road, but the studies go through a rigorous review process before they are published.

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One way to repair these relationships is to conduct a study that incorporates all parties at the same table. The Apoqnmatulti'k project combines Indigenous knowledge, Western science, and local knowledge to gather information about three important marine species in Nova Scotia, Canada. 

Find out why this partnership has become successful.

Mongabay Article: https://bit.ly/3ChnZT7

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I know you were expecting an episode on Marine Science and Conservation today; however, I am quite distracted by the news of the invasion of Ukraine this past week. I don't feel very inspired to podcast after watching the videos online of the war. 

So I decided to take a week off to get my mental health in check so I can come back next week with some great energy and content.