Have you ever wanted to visit a place so badly that you dream of it every night and look at beautiful pictures? How did you feel when you showed up to that place after years of dreaming about it and finding out that it has been ruined by other tourists who had the same dreams.

It happened at a beach in Thailand that was made popular by the movie "The Beach" that starred Leonardo DiCaprio (an environmental advocate no less).

Did you ever wonder whether we need to see all of these places or should we just leave them alone?

These are the questions that I dive into during this episode. I would love to hear you weigh in on this matter in the Facebook Group.

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The popular organization OCEANARCH led a team of 26 researchers to find some Great white Sharks in the waters off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada in search to find a mating sight hypothesized to be in the area. 

Two of the their tagged sharks, Lydia and Hilton, were tracked in the Canadian waters. Researchers wondered why the sharks migrated so far North. 

During the expedition, the team found and tagged six sharks that they will track over the next year or so in hopes that the apex predators will reveal a pattern. 

I know there are groups of people who do not like to see sharks tagged and think that they should be left alone; however, the results from the data have lead to huge advances in our knowledge of not only Great White Sharks, but other species as well. Hammerhead sharks are protected in Florida State waters due to the data that revealed the species is highly sensitive to being caught by fishing. The data was gathered during a tagging expedition. 

Do you think sharks should be tagged? Let me know in the Facebook Group. 

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There are 100s of people that try to get in the Marine Science and Conservation field every year. It's difficult to find a job let alone build a career in Marine Conservation. However, there are certain things you can do to help increase your chances to get a job within your career path. Well, you need to have a career path in the first place.

This episode, I discuss why you need to have a career path, or 2, planned to focus your job search and stick to a plan to get your Marine Science and Conservation. 

For those of you trying to develop a career, you need to listen to this podcast. 

If you have questions about your career, ask them in the Facebook Group.

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The International Shoreline Cleanup occurs in September every year. It's a way to get people to understand how much plastic and debris washes up on beaches. 

Greenpeace Canada has released a report identifying the common pieces of trash that was found along the shorelines in Canada. The CBC covered the report and why the corporations should be responsible for the items they create. Some corporations blame the recycling and waste management system.

How do you think the corporations should react to their items being found on Canadian Shorelines? Let us know in the Facebook Group.

Source

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What do you do when your government doesn't follow up on its pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? You take them to court. That is what a group of organizations did to the Dutch Government. An appeals court ruled that the government had to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020. This cut will include closing a coal plant that was just opened last year. 

The ruling opens the discussion as to whether every government will be taken to court to ensure they follow up on their international pledges. 

Do you think most government will have to be taken to court? Let me know if the Facebook Group. 

Source

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Local communities can be great examples of showing great conservation examples as they conserve their community in order for them to survive for generations. A recent example was brought to the forefront by Mongabay's Jennifer O'Mahony. The example was of a Senegalese Community that went through a transformation of the way they management their land and water resources to sustainably live as a successful community. 

Of course, they are not without problems, but their story is amazing and is one that is spreading to neighbouring villages.

Check out this episode to find out the community's story. Let me know in the Facebook Group wether you think more communities should be managed in the same way, especially when it comes to enforcement. 

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I'm confused. First, an article comes out with a list of the 100 companies that contribute 71% of the Global Greenhouse Gases (the list was made up primarily of oil/gas and coal corporations). Then, an article comes out saying that the meat industry is responsible to contributing more than the oil and gas industry. Which one contributes more? And does it matter?

Here are the sources:

List of 100 Companies producing 71% of Global Greenhouse Gases

Meat Industry to surpass oil and gas industry as top Greenhouse Gas Contributor

Do you have information on this that could help us choose what is best for the Ocean? Let me know in the Facebook Group.

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I've met with many people over my career you provide them with advice on how to get a Marine Conservation Career. In fact, I created an online course for it a few years back. I enjoy helping people as I got helped by my colleagues; however, there are somethings that I wish I could provide better advice on. That is harassment in the workplace. 

I recently was told about a situation a friend of mine within Marine Conservation was going through at their current workplace. The situation has gotten my friend anxious, stressed out and fearful for her safety. A bunch of us are trying to provide her help, often times just being there to listen to what she has to say to get her frustrations out. I still feel helpless in trying to help because I don't have experience in this situation.

I thought I would dedicate an episode on my thoughts on how to deal with harassment within the field of Marine Science and Conservation in order to start the conversation to that you and other audience members may continue the conversation in the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group. It would be great if you could tell your story to help others realize that they are not alone. Or provide a an ear for people going through a bad situation.

Thanks!

Another IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change) report has been released and things haven't gotten better regarding Climate Change...things are worse. The report predicted that massive droughts and flooding will occur that will change coastlines forever and it will happen sooner than expected. 

Am I surprised, no. We have not done enough as a human species to reduce climate change. In fact, we've done worse. the climate change debates and governments that continue to do business as usual are not helping us to implementing the solution. 

I explore whether the IPCC reports really help communicate the dire situation that were are in or do they make things worse. 

Take a listen to the episode and let me know what you think in the Facebook Group.

NY Times Source

Guardian Source

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On of the main arguments for reduce meat content lately has been to help reduce climate change. According to studies, cow flatulence emits methane, a greenhouse gas. In fact, the meat industry is said to contribute 4% of the global greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. An estimate puts 3 tons of methane for every cow...that's a lot of farts and burps! However, there may be a way that the amount methane from cows could be reduced. 

A Swiss company claims to have created a feed for the animals that will reduce the flatulence by 10%. The company also says that it can benefit farmers by increasing the cows milk yield and feed efficiency. 

Can this help the meat industry reduce their methane output? Is it enough? Let me know what you think in the Facebook Group.

Source

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A quick episode today. This episode is based on the various reactions of a family who encountered two whales during their family adventure in Puget Sound. Let's just say some family members were enjoying the once in a lifetime experience and others were scared out of their wits. 

The whales were under the boat and lifted the boat slightly, so I can understand why some of the family members were afraid. However, it was interesting to hear calmer heads prevail as they calmed down their fellow family members to show that the whales meant no harm and that they will never experience it again...so take it all in.

I have some family members that get frightened at specific wildlife around my neighbourhood. I tell one of those stories in this episode. 

Let me know your irrational fears for animals in the Facebook Group.

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Jellyfish are amazing creatures, just ask Rebecca Helm; however, some jellies can get a little dangerous if one happens to get stung by a jelly. 

In this episode, I talk about how Climate Change is causing concern about a specific kind of jellyfish in Australia that is moving south due to warming waters. The sting of this particular jellyfish can cause extreme pain and "make you want to die." Quite scary. The Australian government is worried about the southern migration and its effect on tourism.

Are you afraid of Jellyfish? Let me know your jellyfish story in our Facebook Group. 

Source

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Sei Whales were hunted to population collapse back before the 1960s and there hasn't been another Sei whale spotted in the Canadian North Pacific since. Until now that is...

Canadian Government researchers heard what seemed to be Sei Whales sounds during a summer monitoring study in 2018. The research team spotted the whales swimming with a pod of fin whales not long after they heard the sounds. Sei whales are listed on the Canadian Species At Risk Act. 

The monitoring study was conducted after the US Marine Mammal Protection Act demanded countries who exported seafood to the US would have to show that their fishing activities did not negatively impact marine mammals. A great initiative!

Listen to the episode for more details.

Do you agree the country policies are should affect other countries? Let me know in the Facebook Group.

Source

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You can't stop natural disasters from happening, but you can protect the people who live along the coastlines through emergency planning policies. 

This episode I use the events that happened in Indonesia this past week to discuss how important it is to have governments who are willing to ensure emergency planning procedures are implemented, are tested and changed based on vulnerabilities found through testing. 

There is a call to action at the end that you don't want to miss. 

Do you know your emergency policies as you live along your coast? Let me know in the Facebook Group.

Source

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A new study was published looking at the future of global Orca populations and the results are not good. We've discussed the challenges that the Southern Resident Orca Population face with lack of Chinook Salmon and contamination problems; however, we have not yet discussed the health of other populations. The Orca study that the Guardian wrote about covers global populations.

Results of the study showed Orca populations having problems with contamination when populations were in close proximity to industrialized coastlines that dump/dumped contaminants such as PCBs. The story is not all doom and gloom. 

Orca populations in more remote areas, or orcas living away from highly industrious areas such as the Arctic or Antarctic are in much better shape in the long term.

How do you think Orcas should be managed in the future? Let us know in the Facebook Group.

Source

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It's not secret that I am not a fan of the Ocean Clean Project that is spearheaded by Boyant Slat. I don't think the device that he is building will clean up the Oceans from plastic pollution or even the Pacific Garbage Patch; however, a colleague and friend John Davis has a different perspective on the project giving me more hope about the evolution of the project. 

John is well versed in how the marine debris experts think about various project around the world dealing with marine debris (and plastic pollution). He knows these things because his organization, Open Communications for the Ocean (OCTO), operates the leading online community of marine debris professionals called the Marine Debris Listserv.

In the episode, John talks about how and why OCTO started the listserv and what it has meant to him and the field of marine debris.

Take a listen and find out some exciting updates for the Ocean Clean Project and gives me hope in Boyant's vision.

What do you think about the Ocean Clean Up Project? Let us know in our Facebook Group.

Click Here To Join The MARINE DEBRIS listserv.

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Mongabay just published an article on how researchers have discovered 3 new species, including a blood red-coloured branching coral in a protected area off the coast of Panama. 

The species Thesea dalioi is 1 of 2 species found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and 1 of 27 species in the coral group. The species was named after Ray Dalio, a US philanthropist who funded the research and made it possible for the species to be discovered. 

It's important to provide funding to research similar to this so that we have an opportunity to discover new species. Any new species, especially those with regenerative properties, can be useful in the biomedical markets to help find cures for various human diseases. 

What do you think of the species? Let me know in the Facebook Group. 

Source

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It's been a while since I've done an episode where I told you the purpose of this podcast and why I recently made the business, Speak Up For Blue Media and Communications Inc., real! 

I also wanted to do this because there are many new users as of late and I wanted to make sure that all of you know what Speak Up For Blue (SUFB) is about and why I made it a business. 

You also find out where I want to take this business in the future. 

If you have any questions about the me, the podcasts or the company, feel free to connect with me via email (andrew(at)speakupforblue.com). 

Join our Patreon Community to help our company create more content and grow the company. 

Japan has hunted whales in the South Pacific Ocean for decades killing hundreds of whales each year under the "scientific purpose" tag. We all know the tag is not true, but no country can do anything about the loophole in the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) policy. 

However, after the latest vote of maintaining a moratorium on whaling, Japan threatened to leave the IWC. If they leave, they will want to start whaling in full force, but will there finally be legal action to take on Japan's whaling efforts? Some people in Australia think so and are pressuring their government to try and stop Japanese whaling whether or not Japan remains part of the IWC. 

Find out how by listening to the podcast.

Do you think Japan will leave the IWC? Share your answer in the Facebook Group.

Source

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Two people were bitten by sharks in Australia within a 24 hour period. I don't even know what the chances of having a shark bite within the same bay in 24 hours are; however, the right thing to do is not kill sharks. We know it doesn't reduce the incidents of shark bites. Politicians think that it helps solve the problem. 

Take a listen to the episode and let me know what you think in the Facebook Group.

Source

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There are so many marine parks that hold marine mammals in captivity in Asia. It's ridiculous!!! It seems that the marine mammal theme park in Asian countries is thriving, except maybe it has hit a bit of a downturn. A marine park just outside Tokyo, Japan closed its doors due to low attendance. The problem is that the owners LEFT THE ANIMALS AT THE PARK!!!!

Fish, penguins and a lone dolphin named Honey was left behind with only a few people to take care of there well being. This is just a small problem with the lack of accountability of these types of theme parks. 

The Rick O'Barry Dolphin Project team was allowed to visit the dolphin to check on its well being. The team reported that the dolphin was in water that was below standard and that it didn't swim around the entire 2 hours of the visit. 

How can anyone leave an animal abandoned like that is beyond me!!!

You know how I feel, now let me know your thoughts in the Facebook Group.

Source

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I took part in a discussion in a different Facebook Group that had to do with growing a Social Enterprise. The discussion was a question regarding Dead Zones in the Ocean. The question came up after I introduced myself in the group as a Marine Ecologist to which I usually get a reply regarding a question about the Ocean.

The question of what is a Dead Zone in the Ocean was quickly followed up by someone saying they didn't think Scientists new the cause of the dead zone. As a Marine Ecologist, I had to step in. I told the person what they were, how they were caused and what we can do to decrease the spatial extent of these dead zones. 

I decided to reiterate what I wrote in the discussion here, on the podcast in case you hadn't heard of them either. 

Listen to the episode and let me know in the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group whether you have heard of dead zones.

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PETA is spending some energy on a small Lobster Shell Company in New Brunswick, Canada as the company was in the news due to the smell coming from the plant. The smell was bothering neighbours. The company has since worked on rectifying the issue, but PETA has a permanent solution for the plant. You won't get a smell if you stop killing lobsters and other shellfish.

However, the are some problems with that way of thinking. Firstly, the people who work at the plant or even in the shellfish industry would be out of work. How would they earn a living when they are only trained as fishers and fishing has been in their family for generations. Secondly, the company recycles the unused shells of lobsters, crabs and shrimp to grind them into a powder for export to asian markets for the bio-medical industry and fertilizer. The process uses the wasted parts of the shellfish, which is great because now the entire animal is put to great use. 

PETA wants all people to convert to a vegan diet as it will keep animals alive; however, they lose credibility when they equate lobsters as people. Their campaigns are aggressive and show no compassion for the fisher, in this case. It's all or nothing for PETA and that isn't how conservation works. 

Take a listen to the podcast and let me know in the Facebook Group if you agree/disagree with me.  

Source

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The Trump administration is holding a set of public listening meeting between August 31st and November on the topic of allowing commercial fishing in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). You might be asking "why would anyone allow commercial fishing in MPAs that are probably designed to protect habitats from overfishing?" And you are completely right. There really is no reason for this type of deregulation.

The reason the Trump administration is using is because of the country's seafood trade deficit. The Seafood trade is measured based on the value of the country's exports vs the country's imports. 

I take the time to run through why Dr. Martin Smith form Duke University says the US should have a Seafood Trade deficit.

Source

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There is a BIG problem in the Marine Science and Conservation field and it goes with how the science and research is shared. Science in itself is supposed to be freely shared amongst the public; however, that is not the case. Journals hold the vital research methodologies and results behind a paywall that is only available to people who can afford the annual access of a set of journals that could equal upwards of $5 million.

Over a number of episodes, I will be speaking with today's guest, Nick Wehner from OCTO (Open Communications For The Ocean) about the ins and outs of the journal field that holds one of the biggest problems in sharing information.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Check out MarXiv that allows authors to share their pre-print papers in Marine Science and Conservation.

MarXiv Twitter

OCTO Twitter

If you have a view on this issue, let me know what you have to say in the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group.

The Southern Resident Orca population is a terrible shape. The Orca known as J50 has recently disappeared causing concern for scientists, conservationists and advocates in Canada and the US. There are now only 74 Orcas left in that population. 

The major contributing factors to the situation with the Orca population are the lack of chinook salmon and the increase of ship traffic along the West Coast of North America causes risk of ship strikes and underwater noise.

There are a number of organizations that do not think the Canadian Government is doing enough to protect the Orcas, so they decided to sue them. 

I discuss what they want the Government to do and why during this episode.

Source

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Do you think the organizations should sue the government for the action that is rarely used? Let me know in the Facebook Group.

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Overfishing is putting a dent in the oceans seafood supply; however, it is difficult to quantify what damage has been done. Scientists are trying to determine the damage from overfishing by trying to determine the amount of the ocean we are fishing. There are a couple of labs that used a global fishing dataset to assess the amount of ocean is taken up by fishing. The two labs have come to very different conclusions based on one particular difference in the analysis. 

I cover the difference and discuss the ramifications of those differences for managing the future of our ocean's fish stocks.

Source

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Let me know in the Facebook Group which method you think is correct.

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A juvenile Tiger Shark was caught off the coast of Nova Scotia surprising researchers and the public. Some commenters were worried about the fact that tiger sharks may be present in Canadian waters. However, it doesn't seem likely that Tiger Sharks will be plentiful in the cool, temperate waters of Canada. Not yet anyway.

I take time during the episode to explain two possibilities as to why a tiger shark might be present in temperature waters. 

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Let me know what you thought of the show in the Facebook Group. I like explaining some Ocean process and think I might do more in the future.

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A student was bitten by a shark in the shallow waters off a popular beach in Cape Cod. The student, from Brazil, was boogie boarding with his girlfriend's brother when the shark bit him. He lost his leg and later died of his wounds at the hospital. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends during this tragic time.

During this episode, I comment on the way the news depicts the event and go over how to avoid get bitten.

Source

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Do you have any tips on how you can avoid a shark bite that I didn't cover here? Let me know in the Facebook Group.

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Hurricane Florence came through North Carolina, South Carolina and parts of Virginia whirling 105 mph winds and ocean waves recorded as high as 80 feet. Rains, winds and floods have taken the lives of 17 people in the states and causing an estimated $22 Billion. The hurricane is moving north towards New York and New Jersey after it moved back out to sea where it is now classified as a Category 2.

Now we discuss getting people safe and looking to the future on how to put people in office that will provide regulations to help their state adapt to climate change safely.

Source

Flooding Areas Update

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Do you live in a hurricane state? Let me know in the Facebook Group what your thoughts are on the damage and the lack of management in certain states.

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The second portion of my conversation with Dr. Austin Gallagher goes a bit deeper into what behaviour is expected and required for Oceanpreneurs. 

Remember, these tips are based on our experience. You may have different experiences based on your entrepreneurial path. We would love to here what your tips would be in our Facebook Group.

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I have had the opportunity in life to pursue a business idea that I feel will leave a legacy in Marine Science and Conservation. I wanted to do it because I felt that the ideas that I had could not be done with any other organization, government department or company as I have a vision as to how it would move forward. I became an Oceanpreneur and I am not the only one out there.

There are more people everyday seeking a way to innovate and create an new path to conduct Marine Science and Conservation. Dr. Austin Gallagher is one of those people and he contacted me last week with an idea for a show. The idea was to offer 10 tips for Oceanpreneurs as a way to share our experiences and lessons learned over our careers. 

This episode consists of tips 1-5 (the show is longer than our regular intervals...sorry, but we had a lot to say) and tomorrow's episode will consist of tips 6-10. 

If you are, or thinking about becoming an Oceanpreneur, listen to this episode and let us know what you think in the Facebook Group.

Austin's Information:

Website: Beneath The Waves

Twitter

Instagram

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Consider joining the Patreon Community to support our show and check out what we are doing with Speak Up For Blue, after all, I am a self proclaimed Oceanpreneur. 

Coral Reefs all over the world have been plagued by increasing temperatures due to Climate Change over the past 100 or so years. Researchers, conservationists and the rest of the world are concerned about the well being of one of the most diverse habitats in the world. 

Coral Reef habitats have been around for millions of years as they build their skeleton with symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae, which are microscopic algae that conduct photosynthesis in the coral skeleton and whose byproducts allow the coral to build it's skeleton. 

Increasing temperatures in the Ocean cause the zooxanthellae to leave the coral as the temperatures are too warm. The result is a white coloured coral that could die if the algae does not come back to the coral. The term for this process is known as coral bleaching. 

Bleaching is occurring everywhere and as long as temperatures continue to rise, bleaching will not stop; however, there may be a solution that lies in the diversity of the zooxanthellae.

Many of the species that we know today have a narrow temperature range, but there are some species that tolerate higher temperatures. These species could carry some corals into the new temperature ranges that we are seeing today.

Check out the episode for more information on this topic and let me know what you think in the Facebook Group.

Source

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The California Governor has signed the bill to halt the Federal Oil and Gas expansion. The Bill is in response to the Trump Administration's heavy push to expand fossil fuel development to drill in every ocean surrounding the US. 

The governors of the Western States have protested the expansion, especially California where they have suffered through 2 oil spills since 1969. The people of California do not forget the economic troubles they had after the Santa Barbara spills. The governor of California does not want to put his citizens through that ordeal again.

So California has made a stand. Will it be enough? Let me know what you think in the Facebook Group.

Source

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A crazy story emerged out of Kuwait recently where a fish market was shutdown because it pasted googly eyes on its fish that it was selling. I am not lying...this actually happened. Insane...right?!?!

Sharkwater was responsible for the inspiration of thousands of people to become shark advocates, film makers and conservationists. The movie exposed the lucrative and destructive industry of shark finning. 

Rob Stewart's new movie, called Sharkwater Extinction, was released by the his family and friends after the director/film maker passed away in a diving accident. The movie is designed to inspire more people to work to protect sharks. 

I had the opportunity to attend the Movie Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff). Angelo Villagomez invited me to attend the movie with him as he received an invitation from Rob's family (Angelo was close to Rob). 

I wanted to share my thoughts with you on the movie during this episode.

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The New Zealand Government realized that its Department of Conservation's Wildlife Act does not have the authority to provide permits to dive operations that offer Shark Cage Diving Tours as it goes against the Wildlife Act. A court of Appeals recently ruled that the Wildlife Act has the authority to manage whether animals can live or die based on a permitting system, but not as a tourism focus.

The decision arose as the Paua Industry sued the government for giving permits to Shark Dive Tour Operators as they claimed it caused the sharks to get used to approaching humans for food (conditioned to approach the cage).

I feel bad for the operators as it will hit their income hard; however, managing the Ocean needs to include all stakeholders. The Stakeholders are users that may have a conflict with one another. 

I talk more about this during the episode. Have a listen and let me know what you think about in the Facebook Group.

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The Great Barrier Reef Foundation recently received a whopping $443.3 million to help the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) adapt to climate change. 

Climate Change has taking its toll on the GBR destroying close to 90% of the reef through mass bleaching events. The Australian government trying to protect the reef by investing in its protection. However, there are some critics that believe the GBR Foundation is not capable or qualified to use/distribute the money.

Dr. Peter J. Mumby, who is an esteemed expert in Coral Reef Management in the face of climate change, was recently appointed as part-time chief scientist. He wrote an article in The Conversation, where he justifies why the foundation is well suited for this project.

Take a listen to the podcast as I discuss his reasons and why I feel better that Dr. Mumby is involved in this project.

Source

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Did Peter Mumby make you feel better about the fact that the Great Barrier Reef is in charge of the money? Share your thoughts in the Facebook Group.

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How do you get rid of an invasive species (lionfish) that has reeked havoc on coral reefs along the east coast of the US and in the Caribbean? You build a killer robot of course!!! 

Students from the Worecester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)have creator an autonomous underwater vehicle that can identify lionfish, spear them and float the fish to the Ocean surface. Pretty cool, right? 

Check out the podcast to find out how it's done.

Source

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When 100 seals were found in August (2018), researchers were concerned that there is something in the water that is causing the mass die off. The data shows that this is an above average mortality rate, which is normally 38 (10-year average). Unfortunately, researchers still don't know the cause. 

Susan Shaw a marine mammal biologist that specializes in contamination hypothesizes that the die off is due to PCBs in the water. 

More information is in the episode...take a listen.

Source

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Let me know what you think is causing the mass die off of seals. Go to the Facebook Group.

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The High Seas take up most of the Oceans, but they are not governed by any one entity. The lack of governance opens the High Seas to plundering of fish and allowing more pollution that is unregulated. 

There is a meeting taking place this week at the UN in New York City this week with the goal for countries to sign a treaty to protect the high seas and manage its resources better. Not all countries are interested though. It could be a tough sell.

Check out the episode and let me know in the Facebook Group whether you think all of the countries will sign on to the treaty.

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It's my 40th Birthday!!! I don't normally say much about my birthday, but since this is my 40th...it's a big deal.

As I get older, I want to make sure that I take care of my health to avoid any health problems in the future. I am also more aware about the types of food that eat to make sure they are sustainable. 

Ensuring food is sustainable is not easy. In this episode, I talk about an article in the Guardian that discusses some of the common misconceptions in the health & sustainability food industry.

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Want to be more sustainable? Order a Speak Up For Blue Travel Mug from our store. Click Here.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

How do you makes sure you live sustainably? Let me know if the Facebook Group.

Do you like how we are building our platform for Ocean Awareness and Action? Consider supporting our mission to provide more information on the Ocean through podcasting and videos (videos coming soon).

The fight against Climate Change can be a difficult battle, at least when you look at it from the Canadian Government's perspective. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been trying to get a pipeline approved that will run from the tar sands in Alberta to the coastline in British Columbia. However, the Canadian courts have a different viewpoint. 

The court ruled that the approval process for the pipeline expansion was flawed in that in did not consider increased shipping traffic in the environmental assessment and the government did not consult properly with Indigenous people.

It's a complicated story, so I explain it in this episode.

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Let me know what side you fall on in the Facebook Group.

Also, join our Patreon Community to check out two of our new shows: Deep Dive and Dugongs and Seadragons.

Kelp habitat is one of the riches and most diverse habitats in the Ocean. It's why most governments will do their best to protect them. Scotland is one of those countries. It anyone in Scotland wants to get a permit to use kelp in their business, they would only be able to cut the tops to allow for regrowth. That makes sense...it's sustainable.

However, there is a company called Marine Biopolymers, a biochemical company, that would like to dredge swaths of kelp beds for its own use. Not very sustainable. 

I don't really understand why the company would choose to dredge the kelp forests when they could farm it. 

Check out the episode to find out more.

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Do you think the company should start farming the kelp? Let me know in the Facebook Group.

Consider joining the Patreon Community to check out more Marine Conservation Shows.

A collaboration of researchers and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute discovered an 85 linear mile swath of deep sea Coral Reef off the Atlantic Coast of the US. The discovery comes after the Okeanos had mapped a number of deep sea mounds. 

The coral reefs can house a diverse array of species and attract predators such as the swordfish that was observed by Woods Hole's ROV, Alvin. The reef could become a protected area as it would be important for fisheries and it would prevent oil and gas develop that is earmarked for the Atlantic Ocean.

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Do you think the deep sea coral reef will become a protected area? Let us know in the Facebook Group (it's free to join!!!).

Do you like Dungeons and Dragons? Check out our Dugongs and Seadragons played by a number of Marine Conservationists in our Patreon Community.

A huge Marine Conservation win today as the State of California passed a law that would ban the use of drift gillnets for the swordfish licenses in state waters. There are less than 20 swordfish permits in the state and compensation will be offered to those who retire their nets and/or permits early. 

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Tell us your thoughts on this huge win in our Facebook Group.

Don't forget to check out the Deep Dive show in our Patreon Community.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are wonderful tools that can help replenish fisheries and maintain biodiversity within their boundaries; however, MPAs are quite expensive. Funding of each MPA can determine whether it will function properly as operational costs, such as enforcement, matter to the sustainability of the MPA.

I have the pleasure of interviewing John Bohorquez, a PhD student at Stony Brook University, who is studying finances of MPAs. I talk to him about how MPAs are financed and how the areas areas are funded. 

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

What did you think about the financing of MPAs? Let me know in the Facebook Group.

Do you want to learn more about John's Career and his thoughts on crowdfunding MPAs in the future? Check out his Deep Dive episode in the Patreon Community.

My wife and I went to New York City with two other couples to celebrate our 40th birthdays together. I've reflected a lot over the past year on my 40th year on this planet, especially how I can make it better. With that in mind, I now notice many things about the environment when it comes to how we utilize containers, straws and other single-use plastics. I noticed a few things in New York City that I discuss in this episode. 

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Do you live in New York City? Do you agree with me about what I said? Let me know in the Facebook Group.

Join our Patreon community to listen to our new shows Deep Dive and Dugongs and Sea dragons.

No matter how you feel about who is causing climate change, the housing market is aware that sea level rise is playing a part in the price of homes that are along vulnerable costs. Homes that are prone to flooding due to storm activity, increased sea level and low elevation are losing value to their homes every year. 

A new study by the First Street Foundation showed homes within 8 states along the East Coast of the US lost more than $14 Billion between the years 2005 and 2017. 

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Let me know in the Facebook Group if you would buy a home along the coast with this information.

Check out The Deep Dive, where Brooke Tully and I talk more candidly about conservation marketing and how it applies to the Ocean.

Humpbacks are a great conservation story because their populations have rebounded since they were almost hunted to extinction in the early 1900s. Their population rebound around the world provides optimism inside and outside the marine conservation field; however, the humpback whale still faces dangers such as fish gear entanglement, ship strikes and oil spill pollution. 

The humpback population along the Pacific Coast of North America is doing well, but it is still on the Endangered Species List. The Endangered Species List designation comes with certain protections, especially for critical habitat; however, the humpback's critical habitat was not being protected by the federal government. Three organizations got together to sue the federal government to ensure they protected the humpback's critical habitat. Guess what, they won!!!

Find out what the result was by listening to the episode.

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Let me know your thoughts on this conservation win in the Facebook Group.

Check out The Deep Dive, where Brooke Tully and I talk more candidly about conservation marketing and how it applies to the Ocean.

Nutrients are playing a huge role in disrupting our coastal ecological stability. We have blue-green algal blooms that are so think it smells like dead people. We also have red tides that kill everything in its path for short (lately longer) periods of time. These algal blooms are popping up all over the world causing heaps of trouble. Unfortunately for Florida, the two types of algal blooms mentioned here are present at the same time and they are reeking havoc along the Southwest coast.

Nutrients that fuel the algal blooms come from the coastline. The nutrients are derived from industries and sewage treatment plants. You and I contribute nutrients to our sewage treatment plants; therefore, it would be good if we could reduce our nutrient input through more eco-friendly products.

I talk about some of those products in hops that you will go out and try some. 

Here is a link to some available Laundry Detergent products from this Amazon search.

Let me know your favourite eco-friendly products in the Facebook Group.

Want to hear more form Brooke? Check out The Deep Dive, where Brooke and I talk more candidly about conservation marketing and how it applies to the Ocean.

Brooke Tully joins me again on the podcast to discuss the second part of the interview that we started yesterday. Today, we are discussing how to create a conservation movement. 

I thought it would be good for you, the audience, to understand how a movement is put together, starting with the purpose. It's important to realize that a movement usually ends with a specific action or behaviour change. The campaign for the movement is based on creative marketing purposes hopes to results in a behaviour change of a certain group around an Ocean Issue.

Brooke works with conservation organizations to create campaigns that will help groups conserve the Ocean with a specific behaviour change. 

Enjoy Part 2 of 2 episodes on Conservation Marketing with Brooke Tully.

Check out her work here: www.brookes2cents.com

Brooke's You Tube Channel

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Want to talk about it? Join our FREE Facebook Group to discuss the Oceans with Ocean-minded people.

Want to hear more form Brooke? Check out The Deep Dive, where Brooke and I talk more candidly about conservation marketing and how it applies to the Ocean. 

I used to think that Ocean Awareness was the only component needed to get the public to not only understand the issues facing the Ocean, but it would also give them enough information and inspiration to conserve the Ocean. Unfortunately, the behaviour change needed to conserve the Ocean for a particular issue does not happen just through Ocean Awareness. 

Behaviour change leads to action for conservation, which happens through marketing campaigns. Brooke Tully joins me on the show today to discuss how to bridge the gap between Ocean Awareness and Ocean Action. She is a conservation marketer with a background in Creative Marketing. 

She drops a lot of knowledge around this subject. So much knowledge that I had to divide her show into 2 parts to make sure it fit our new shorter episode model. 

Enjoy Part 1 of 2 episodes on Conservation Marketing with Brooke Tully.

Check out her work here: www.brookes2cents.com

Brooke's You Tube Channel

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Want to talk about it? Join our FREE Facebook Group to discuss the Oceans with Ocean-minded people.

Want to hear more form Brooke? Check out The Deep Dive, where Brooke and I talk more candidly about conservation marketing and how it applies to the Ocean. 

Whale Sharks are a huge and iconic species that are found to have migrated long distances; however, there is still much to be discovered about the species. For instance, do juvenile Whale Sharks travel the same long distances as the adults? The answer is yes...and no.

A recent study found that juvenile Whale Sharks swam a large distance for the 126 day study period (2,580 km); however, the sharks stayed within the same islands in the Philippines where there was plenty of food. So they same quite a bit, but didn't move to across an ocean like some of the adults. They stayed within specific regions. 

Mongabay covered the story and did a great job and hitting some interesting facts, which I discuss in this episode.

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Want to talk about it? Join our FREE Facebook Group to discuss the Oceans with Ocean-minded people.

Want to listen to new shows that we are testing? Check out The Deep Dive, where I talk to our guests about their careers and Ocean issues/topics about which they are passionate.

"Everyone loves Marineland" is what I grew up listening to the Marineland commercial. Ask anyone that grew up in Southern Ontario, Canada and they will know the saying; however, not everyone loves Marineland anymore. There have been some major problems with the marine theme park over the past few decades as they have been cited under the Ontario SPCA Act for the way they mistreat their animals. 

A former trainer at Marineland has been speaking out against the park since 2012 after being sick and tired of the mistreatment of the animals. Phil Demers quit in 2012 and has since been a strong advocate in fighting Marineland over their lack of care of their animals.

Tune in to the episode to find out why Phil is worried about belugas and walruses lately at Marineland.

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Want to talk about it? Join our FREE Facebook Group to discuss the Oceans with Ocean-minded people.

Want to listen to new shows that we are testing? Check out The Deep Dive, where I talk to our guests about their careers and Ocean issues/topics about which they are passionate.

I remember learning about marine ecology with a popular example of the relationship among the sea otter, sea urchin and kelp forest. Sea otters eat sea urchins and sea urchins eat kelp. A decrease in one population could give rise to another. A lack of sea otters caused sea urchin populations to increase, which fed on the kelp, severely decreasing its coverage. The reintroduction of the sea otter along the Pacific Coast decreased the sea urchin population allowing the kelp forests to flourish.

What I didn't realize is that there is a new factor in the otter-urchin-kelp relationship that has an affect on the system. That organism is the sea star. New research from monitoring before, during and after the sea star wasting disease event that nearly wiped out sea stars revealed a dependence of kelp of the sea stars for keeping the sea urchins in check. 

Check out the episode to find out how.

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Want to talk about it? Join our FREE Facebook Group to discuss the Oceans with Ocean-minded people.

Want to listen to new shows that we are testing? Check out The Deep Dive, where I talk to our guests about their careers and Ocean issues/topics about which they are passionate.

The Coelacanth is one of those fish species that could easily be my favourite fish. It's prehistoric history and evolutionary importance fascinates me. The manner in which the pelvic fins move is captivating. As you can see, I am very passionate about coelacanths. 

Unfortunately, the coelacanth is critically endangered with only 30 left in the population off the coast of Africa. The species is also facing some trouble that could wipe them out if there is a major problem in the future. 

An Oil company, called Eni, is vying to start exploring and drilling in the region. Eni conducted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that had little mention of the potential problem an oil spill might have on the critically endangered species. We've heard that promise before.

Check out the rest of the article by clicking below:

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Want to talk about it? Join our FREE Facebook Group to discuss the Oceans with Ocean-minded people.

Want to listen to new shows that we are testing? Check out The Deep Dive, where I talk to our guests about their careers and Ocean issues/topics about which they are passionate.

I covered something different than I am used to over the past week. I talked about businesses that benefit the Ocean. The businesses are usually Social Enterprises, companies that have a triple bottom line for profit, environmental and social change.

There are many profiles in the news about specific Ocean Start Ups that have had success and received extra training, but I wanted to ensure that you know something about entrepreneurship. It is something that I learned over the past 7.5 years. Entrepreneurship is hard!!!

Entrepreneurship is not for the faint at heart. It's for people who like to hustle and take risks. The people that realize the risk could lead to failure in a business or they need to pivot their business. 

I talk about my experience with Entrepreneurship and the challenges that I faced over the past 7 years as an example of how hard it is to own a business that helps protect the Ocean.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Want to talk about it? Join our FREE Facebook Group to discuss the Oceans with Ocean-minded people.

Want to listen to new shows that we are testing? Check out The Deep Dive, where I talk to our guests about their careers and Ocean issues/topics about which they are passionate.

The water along the beaches in San Diego are known for it's surfing and majestic sea life. The waters are also cooler as the Californian Current is influenced by the Alaskan Current and Northern Pacific Current; however, the global heat wave has raised the temperatures of the water to a point where researchers are worried about the affect this change could have on sea life in the area, particularly local coral reefs and kelp forests. 

Coral Reefs and Kelp Forests are stationary habitats (they can't move if they don't like the conditions) that have a narrow range of ocean variables that helps them grow and be stable. An increase in sea surface temperatures could degrade the habitats that are home to a diverse community of species. 

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Check out why the stability of coral reefs and kelp forests are important by listening to this episode. 

Want to talk about it? Join our FREE Facebook Group to discuss the Oceans with Ocean-minded people.

Want to listen to new shows that we are testing? Check out The Deep Dive, where I talk to our guests about their careers and Ocean issues/topics about which they are passionate.

Yesterday, I introduced you to some start ups that were going to be part of an accelerator program for an Impact Investing Program. 

Today, I speak to the CEO and Founder of Katapult Ocean, which is a new Impact Investing firm that is focused on searching and investing in start ups that help make the Oceans more sustainable. 

Maren Hjorth Bauer is our guest. She defines Impact Investing and tells us about the Accelerator Program they are launching in January 2019 to help Start Ups scale their business.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Let me know what you think of this program in our Facebook Group. Maren is also in the Facebook Group, so feel free to ask her any questions you might have about Impact Investing.

Check out our Deep Dive show in the Speak Up For Blue Patreon Community.

Talking about Ocean issues everyday can get a little tiring, so I've been doing some research to see what is being done about solutions. 

There are some organizations such as Conservation X Labs that help engineers, innovators and entrepreneurs to create prototypes that will provide conservation solutions and scale their business. 

There are also impact investing firms that are trying to incentivize start ups who are helping the Ocean and create programs to help them scale their business to have a wider reach.

I talk about some of the start ups that were announced for the Sustainable Oceans Solutions' "Ocean Solutions Accelerator Program."

Check out some of these companies and the positive impact they could have on the Oceans.

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Let me know what you think of these companies in our Facebook Group.

Check out our Deep Dive show in the Speak Up For Blue Patreon Community.

I keep talking about the Ocean Clean Up Project because I get angry at the fact that there has been little criticism about the project in the mainstream media. So when I found this story, I had to talk about it on the podcast. This article really dives into the problems with the apparatus. I wanted to go through it because it's good to have criticism. 

I should get one thing straight. I do support start ups that help the Oceans; however, not if it will affect wildlife. 

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Check out our new show on Patreon called Deep Dive.  

The Southern Resident Orca Population are considered a Schedule 1 Endangered Species by the Canadian Species At Risk Act. The main reason for the decline of the Orca population which only has 75 individuals left is because of the lack of Chinook Salmon, this according to Dr. Naomi Rose. 

Dr. Naomi Rose is our guest on the podcast today in the second of a two-part interview where we discussed the endangered Orca population.

Naomi describes some of the biggest barriers (physical and policy) that are creating such a low level population of the Orcas' only food source. There are some quick fixes that will help Salmon and Orca populations increase...and no, it's not a sea lion cull.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Check out our new Deep Dive show where Naomi discusses why an increase in SeaWorld business is proof that the Blackfish Effect is working!!!

We have our most popular guest on the podcast today, Dr. Naomi Rose. She is a Marine Conservation Advocate who works for the Animal Welfare Institute where she specializes in Whales in Captivity. 

Naomi came on the podcast to discuss the plight of wild Orcas of the Southern Resident Population; however, we first got on the topic of Marine Conservation Advocacy and discussed it for a while. It was such great advice and content that I thought I would divide the interview into 2 parts: Today's interview focusing on marine advocacy when it comes to Orcas; and, tomorrow's interview focusing on what is causing the depletion of the Southern Resident Orca population.

If you ever wanted to know what it was like to be a good marine advocate, or an environmental advocate in genera, then this is the episode for you.

Check out the episode and let me know what you think about advocacy in our Facebook Group.

Want more of Naomi? Check out her thoughts on why she hopes that SeaWorld does well under a new business model in our new episode of the Deep Dive.

There is a big United Nations meeting that is going to happen in New York City soon that some researchers say will dictate the long term survival of the Ocean. The meeting has been in the works for years with countries expected to sign on to a pact that will manage the high seas over a number of issues from water quality to fisheries. 

Scientists have published on the way the high seas (ocean areas that are not governed by any country) have been treated in the past and have been outspoken on the need to better protect them. 

Some researchers say the oceans will be in trouble if countries do not sign on to protect the high seas at this meeting. 

Do you think that is true? Do you think Accords such as the Paris Climate Change Accord will help reduce climate change impact?

Let me know in the Facebook Group.

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Check out our new shows that we are testing: Deep Dive and Dugongs and Seadragons (Coming soon)

Marine Conservation can be a tricky business at times. This episode covers one of those tricky times and it has to do with the porbeagle shark. 

The porbeagle shark is a "mini-great white" that only feeds on fish. It's population on the east coast has dwindled to 10% of its initial population. The Canadian government has put them on the Species At Risk list to help protect them; however, the shark crosses the Canadian-US border where it is not protected and it is fished and allowed to be taken. 

Researchers in Canada are worried after they have seen an increased amount of social media posts with dead porbeagle sharks that were legally caught. 

What would you do in this predicament? 

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

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Check out our new show were are trying out called The Deep Dive, where you get to hear more from our guests about their passions, careers and opinions on various Ocean topics.

There is a report that was released by the Ocean Conservancy that states over 80% of the marine debris that enters the Ocean comes from 20% of the countries, primarily in the Asian Region of the world. Most of it could be attributed to lack of a waste management infrastructure. Since then, the focus of marine debris has been on those countries, but over in North America, we are not perfect. 

The lack of perfection was highlighted after a story came out that a Canadian Mall's food court staff had managed to reduce the number of garbage bags by 117 bags/day. They now throw out 3 bags of garbage per day.

How did they do it? You will have to listen to the episode to find out!

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

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Check out our new show were are trying out called The Deep Dive, where you get to hear more from our guests about their passions, careers and opinions on various Ocean topics.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Joni Pini-Fitzsimmons, who is also known as @MotherOfRays - a fantastic Twitter handle!!! We discussed a recent paper that she published on the feeding behaviour of smooth rays around a recreational fishing cleaning area. 

The fishers clean their fish and discard the fish "waste" into the ocean where the rays feed; however, this feeding behaviour could be detrimental to the overall survival of the rays, especially if the cleaning station disappears leaving the rays to fend for themselves.

If you want to here more from Joni about how she got into Marine Science, here graduate career and her views on Shark Week, Steve Irwin and more, check out the new Deep Dive show we have on our Patreon.  

Links for Joni:

Joni's Stingray Diaries Website

Stingray Diaries Facebook Page

Stingray Diaries Instagram Page

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Become par to the Speak Up For Blue Nation by joining our Patreon Campaign. 

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SeaWorld is rebounding with higher attendance in the first 2 quarters fo this year pleasing investors and making them think that the fallout from the Blackfish documentary that showed the entertainment park was ignoring scientific evidence that the small tanks and shows were harming the mental and emotional state of the captive orcas. 

An investigation is still under way by the SEC into allegations that SeaWorld misreported the gravity of the effect of Blackfish on attendance to its investors back in 2014; however, the penalty will be minimal. 

Attractions such as the Electric Eel roller coaster at the San Diego Park and offering free beer to customers at the Orlando park are believed to increase attendance. 

These attractions are not related to the orca captivity issue itself; however, should people still support SeaWorld knowing that the park is not releasing the orcas or any other marine mammal? I would love to hear your answer. 

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Sponsor: Solid Sun Logistics specializes in skin care and UV protection for outdoor enthusiasts like you and me. Solid offers a complete 3-step skin care system to keep you on the water all day, day in and day out. Use any of the products individually, or get the Essentials Kit for the complete sun protection and skin rehabilitation experience.

Solid donates 5% of the revenue of the sale to Ocean Conservation Organizations that you can select.

Add SUFB15 at checkout for an extra 15% off of your order.

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Become par to the Speak Up For Blue Nation by joining our Patreon Campaign. 

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Do you know we launched more Ocean Related Podcasts?

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As if plastic pollution in the ocean wasn't bad enough, now researchers have revealed that as plastics degrade in the light (photo-degradation), they emit greenhouse gases. 

Researchers at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa published an article in PLOS One recently were they tested how gases were released as different forms of plastics degraded in saltwater.

Surface area increased as the plastics were degraded increasing the amount of gasses that were introduced to the atmosphere. 

Plastics were created 70 years ago and researchers predict that production will double over the next 2 decades. We need to engage with plastic manufacturers to decrease the amount of plastics that are used in current products. 

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Sponsor: Solid Sun Logistics specializes in skin care and UV protection for outdoor enthusiasts like you and me. Solid offers a complete 3-step skin care system to keep you on the water all day, day in and day out. Use any of the products individually, or get the Essentials Kit for the complete sun protection and skin rehabilitation experience.

Solid donates 5% of the revenue of the sale to Ocean Conservation Organizations that you can select.

Add SUFB15 at checkout for an extra 15% off of your order.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Become par to the Speak Up For Blue Nation by joining our Patreon Campaign. 

I would love to hear your opinion on this episode. Join the Facebook Group to chime in.

Do you know we launched more Ocean Related Podcasts?

Subscribe to Marine Conservation Happy Hour and ConCiencia Azul

A couple of weeks ago, I published an episode on a number of Sea Turtles floated ashore dead from a red time bloom off of Southwest Florida. The long term prognosis did not look good as the red tides usually happen in the winter, where cool water from the land break up the red tide; however, this red tide happened in the summer, where cool water is absent.

I thought I would do an update on the situation for this episode, but the update is worse than the initial story. There are almost 400 Sea Turtles dead. There are a number of manatees dead as well. Thousands of fish are also dead and shellfish in the red tide are not going to be consumed by anyone as they are likely contaminated.

Instead of focusing on the numbers of dead animals for this episode, I thought I would focus on how changes in water quality management has really caused this horrible event. You can trace the cause back to deregulation of important environmental management practices. 

Check out the podcast for more.

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Sponsor: Solid Sun Logistics specializes in skin care and UV protection for outdoor enthusiasts like you and me. Solid offers a complete 3-step skin care system to keep you on the water all day, day in and day out. Use any of the products individually, or get the Essentials Kit for the complete sun protection and skin rehabilitation experience.

Solid donates 5% of the revenue of the sale to Ocean Conservation Organizations that you can select.

Add SUFB15 at checkout for an extra 15% off of your order.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Become par to the Speak Up For Blue Nation by joining our Patreon Campaign. 

I would love to hear your opinion on this episode. Join the Facebook Group to chime in.

Do you know we launched more Ocean Related Podcasts?

Subscribe to Marine Conservation Happy Hour and ConCiencia Azul

Researchers at the University of Exeter have discovered that European sea bass lose some of their sense of smell when pH dips in tiny amounts, which means that Ocean Acidification with cause this fish to become vulnerable.

The study showed the bass have to be 42% closer to their prey, to their habitat and their predators to detect them leaving them vulnerable to hunt for food, find suitable habitat and be at risk of predation.

This study opens up the question as to whether other fish will show similar results in more acidic waters.

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Sponsor: Solid Sun Logistics specializes in skin care and UV protection for outdoor enthusiasts like you and me. Solid offers a complete 3-step skin care system to keep you on the water all day, day in and day out. Use any of the products individually, or get the Essentials Kit for the complete sun protection and skin rehabilitation experience.

Solid donates 5% of the revenue of the sale to Ocean Conservation Organizations that you can select.

Add SUFB15 at checkout for an extra 15% off of your order.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Become par to the Speak Up For Blue Nation by joining our Patreon Campaign. 

I would love to hear your opinion on this episode. Join the Facebook Group to chime in.

Do you know we launched more Ocean Related Podcasts?

Subscribe to Marine Conservation Happy Hour and ConCiencia Azul

Andrew Forrest's Minderoo Foundation decided to give $100 million dollars towards marine conservation in Australia as he criticizes the Australian government for their lack of protection for proposed roll backs on Marine Protected Areas within the country.

On top of that, Andrew is doing his PhD in Marine Conservation as he tries to find ways to create ways of economic and marine conservation sustainability.

Check out the episode to find out what the money will go towards.

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Sponsor: Do you like Speak Up For Blue, or ConCiencia Azul, or Marine Conservation Happy Hour? If you are an avid listener to any or all 3 shows, consider supporting us to help us continue to build our platform of Ocean Awareness and Helping People Live For A Better Ocean by contributing to our Patreon Campaign. $1 or more dollars will get you access to our Patreon Feed as well as other great incentives. Click here to become part of the community now!!!

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Become par to the Speak Up For Blue Nation by joining our Patreon Campaign. 

I would love to hear your opinion on this episode. Join the Facebook Group to chime in.

Do you know we launched more Ocean Related Podcasts?

Subscribe to Marine Conservation Happy Hour and ConCiencia Azul

There is a population on the Ile aux Cochons that is located between South Africa and Antarctica that holds a significant portion of the populations of King Penguins. Unfortunately, the population of those penguins has decreased by 90% over the past 40 years going from 2 million individuals to 200,000. 

Researchers have been using satellite imagery to measure the population change over the years and discovered the huge loss of penguins. The hypothesize that the loss could be due to climate change and El Nino events, Competition for Food and Avian Cholera. 

The researchers plan on visiting the island to determine the cause(s) on a trip in 2019.

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Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Sponsor: Do you like Speak Up For Blue, or ConCiencia Azul, or Marine Conservation Happy Hour? If you are an avid listener to any or all 3 shows, consider supporting us to help us continue to build our platform of Ocean Awareness and Helping People Live For A Better Ocean by contributing to our Patreon Campaign. $1 or more dollars will get you access to our Patreon Feed as well as other great incentives. Click here to become part of the community now!!!

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Become par to the Speak Up For Blue Nation by joining our Patreon Campaign. 

I would love to hear your opinion on this episode. Join the Facebook Group to chime in.

Do you know we launched more Ocean Related Podcasts?

Subscribe to Marine Conservation Happy Hour and ConCiencia Azul

I learned about the Ocean Conveyor Belt that influenced the climate for the Northwestern Atlantic and Northeastern Atlantic regions when I was in school quite some time ago. It fascinated me that the ocean can have such a prolific role in regulating Climate. 

It seems that it also has a role in controlling, or accelerating Climate Change, as well. Researchers from China have recently published an article in Nature regarding how the conveyor belt can help take Greenhouse Gases out of the atmosphere and bury them 1,500 metres below the Ocean's surface. Alternatively, if the belt slows or stops, then the gases will have nowhere to go and will remain in the atmosphere. 

According to the article, the authors predict that the belt has slowed and will remain in this state for another 20 years. This does not look good for global temperatures.

Source

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

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Thomas Cook, a major UK tour operator, has officially stopped selling Seaworld tickets due to the captive mammal facility not abiding bu ABTA guidelines on animal welfare. 

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Organization has been working with Thomas Cook for the past 18 months to investigate whether the park was adhering to the guidelines. The investigation resulted in a failure and the tour operator took action.

This could be the beginning of a slew of other tour operators that stop selling tickets to captive marine mammal parks due to ethical reasons. 

The Blackfish documentary blew lid off of the captive marine mammal parks and how the animals were going crazy being help in those tiny tanks. Blackfish shone a light on the problems that advocacy groups had been telling the public for decades. 

It's a great battle won for the movement to free captive whales and stop parks like Seaworld from keeping marine mammals captive.

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Sponsor: Do you like Speak Up For Blue, or ConCiencia Azul, or Marine Conservation Happy Hour? If you are an avid listener to any or all 3 shows, consider supporting us to help us continue to build our platform of Ocean Awareness and Helping People Live For A Better Ocean by contributing to our Patreon Campaign. $1 or more dollars will get you access to our Patreon Feed as well as other great incentives. Click here to become part of the community now!!!

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In cool ocean news, Scientists at Cascadia Research Collective have discovered a new dolphin hybrid species off the coast of the Kauai, Hawai'i. The hybrid was the product of a melon-headed-dolphin and a rough-toothed dolphin, where the former is rare in Hawaiian waters. 

A two-week study revealed observations of the melon-headed dolphin and another rare species called pantropical spotted dolphins. Both species were tagged and will be monitored for future observations.

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I talked about how the Marine Conservation Community views Boyan Slant's Ocean Clean Up project before and I even touched on my frustrations as to how mainstream media outlets haven't shown the criticisms to their audience.

FINALLY, a mainstream media platform showed the criticisms to their audience. And it made me happier to see it. I hope this type of journalism persists with this topic because the audience really needs to hear both sides. 

Check out the podcast for my thoughts and how proud I am of Deep Sea News and Southern Fried Science as their articles were used in this story.

Check out the video on CBC's website here

Listen to the episode and go to our Facebook Group to let me know what you think.

Sponsor: Solid Sun Logistics specializes in skin care and UV protection for outdoor enthusiasts like you and me. Solid offers a complete 3-step skin care system to keep you on the water all day, day in and day out. Use any of the products individually, or get the Essentials Kit for the complete sun protection and skin rehabilitation experience.

Solid donates 5% of the revenue of the sale to Ocean Conservation Organizations that you can select.

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Patima Tungpuchayalkul was this year's awardee for the Jairo Mora Sandoval Award at the International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC5). Patima was given the award for the work she has done freeing fisheries slaves in Southeast Asia. The events that happened after the award was given was a great example of how the award was supposed to work.

Listen to the episode to find out what happened.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

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Sea Turtle populations are endangered for all 7 species and there are groups working very hard to ensure their survival; however, a summer red tide event in Southwest Florida is causing high mortality on Sea Turtles that are way above the normal mortality rates for these species. 

The average number of Sea Turtle deaths in one year in the Southwest Florida area in 30-35; however, conservation groups have already collected 53 sea turtles in June and July alone (in the Sannibel Island area). 

There seems to be no end in sight as the red tide season usually occurs during the winter, where cool water from the mainland breaks up the red tide blooms. The current bloom won't be broken up by cool water as it is summer and practitioners are worried that the red tide could last until the winter. 

Sometimes, we have to deal with bad news...not my favourite part of the job.

Sponsor: Solid Sun Logistics specializes in skin care and UV protection for outdoor enthusiasts like you and me. Solid offers a complete 3-step skin care system to keep you on the water all day, day in and day out. Use any of the products individually, or get the Essentials Kit for the complete sun protection and skin rehabilitation experience.

Solid donates 5% of the revenue of the sale to Ocean Conservation Organizations that you can select.

Add SUFB15 at checkout for an extra 15% off of your order.

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Nassau Grouper populations have been dwindling since the 1950s and the fisheries collapsed in 1990. Since then, marine scientists and conservationists have been working tirelessly to try and revive the fishery. 

Island nations throughout the Caribbean have been monitoring their local populations to find ways to help revive the fishery along each island. 

The Cayman Islands have recently shown a successful case with positive growth in local populations using a collaborative model that included government, non-profit organizations and academia. 

A written article suggested by @WhyOceansMatter (Matt Teibohl) and written by Ben Shouse from the Lenfest Ocean Fund talked about the collaborative process that helped make this project successful.

Source

Sponsor: Solid Sun Logistics specializes in skin care and UV protection for outdoor enthusiasts like you and me. Solid offers a complete 3-step skin care system to keep you on the water all day, day in and day out. Use any of the products individually, or get the Essentials Kit for the complete sun protection and skin rehabilitation experience.

Solid donates 5% of the revenue of the sale to Ocean Conservation Organizations that you can select.

Add SUFB15 at checkout for an extra 15% off of your order.

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The North American Congress for Conservation Biology happened in Toronto, Ontario, Canada this past week and I had the honour of attending. The conference was mostly focused on terrestrial research and conservation; however, there were some great talks. Unfortunately, I learned some lessons while attending a conference in my hometown.

For one, when a conference is in your hometown, you have to make sure you commit to attending the conference like there is nothing else going on. 

Second, I didn't plan the conference like I normally do. I didn't look at the program the week before for the names of the speakers and make a list of people I wanted to meet. Networking is a big part of my plans and I work hard to ensure I meet the right people. 

I was able to meet some people at the socials that went on for the conference, which was wonderful, but planning ahead would have allowed me to do a better job to meet more people.

Listen to the episode to find out the rest of the highlights of the conference.

Sponsor: Do you like Speak Up For Blue, or ConCiencia Azul, or Marine Conservation Happy Hour? If you are an avid listener to any or all 3 shows, consider supporting us to help us continue to build our platform of Ocean Awareness and Helping People Live For A Better Ocean by contributing to our Patreon Campaign. $1 or more dollars will get you access to our Patreon Feed as well as other great incentives. Click here to become part of the community now!!!

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

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If California can reduce its Greenhouse Gas emissions to pre-1990 levels, then why can't other states/provinces and countries do it as well. We are in a time where we need to make changes to our energy uses and California has worked hard to make those changes. Not only did they make those changes, but they did it while growing their economy by 26% since 2004. 

So why can't others do it as well?

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Sponsor: Do you like Speak Up For Blue, or ConCiencia Azul, or Marine Conservation Happy Hour? If you are an avid listener to any or all 3 shows, consider supporting us to help us continue to build our platform of Ocean Awareness and Helping People Live For A Better Ocean by contributing to our Patreon Campaign. $1 or more dollars will get you access to our Patreon Feed as well as other great incentives. Click here to become part of the community now!!!

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

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There is a huge movement to ban plastic straws in cities across North America and other places in the world; however, some people have been pointing out that it will not save the Ocean. 

An article was recently published in the National Post (a Canadian Newspaper) that pointed out a number of reasons why the straw ban will not protect the Ocean as there are other problems with Ocean Plastic Pollution that we know are a bigger problem for the Ocean (waste management in different parts of the world and ghost fishing nets). 

In this episode, I let you know that I agree with some of the article, but I also feel strongly that we need the plastic straw bans on the world to make people think about how we use plastic. 

I also feel we need to rephrase how we propose the plastic straw ban. 

Source

Sponsor: Do you like Speak Up For Blue, or ConCiencia Azul, or Marine Conservation Happy Hour? If you are an avid listener to any or all 3 shows, consider supporting us to help us continue to build our platform of Ocean Awareness and Helping People Live For A Better Ocean by contributing to our Patreon Campaign. $1 or more dollars will get you access to our Patreon Feed as well as other great incentives. Click here to become part of the community now!!!

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

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Great White Sharks are the species that EVERYONE wants to know about. We know Shark Week loves their Great White Sharks, but I find they always cover the same kind of thing. So I thought that I would ask my buddy Dr. Dave Ebert whether he would be interested in coming on again to discuss why there were so many more Great Whites in Northern California.

Dave was happy to record another episode about sharks...because he loves sharks. So we had a great discussion. Take a listen!!!

Sponsor: Solid Sun Logistics specializes in skin care and UV protection for outdoor enthusiasts like you and me. Solid offers a complete 3-step skin care system to keep you on the water all day, day in and day out. Use any of the products individually, or get the Essentials Kit for the complete sun protection and skin rehabilitation experience.

Solid donates 5% of the revenue of the sale to Ocean Conservation Organizations that you can select.

Add SUFB15 at checkout for an extra 15% off of your order.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

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As Shark Week is on it's way, I thought it would be great to get our friend of the podcast, Dr. Dave Ebert (aka @lostsharkguy) on the podcast to discuss his journey to the wonderful island of Sri Lanka to discover more sharks.

If you are not familiar with Dave's work, he discovers and studies new shark, ray and chimera species. It's quite amazing what his team has accomplished over the past few decades and will accomplish in the next few decades as well.

If you like sharks, take a listen to this episode as Dave journeyed to Sri Lanka to discover new sharks.

Sponsor: Solid Sun Logistics specializes in skin care and UV protection for outdoor enthusiasts like you and me. Solid offers a complete 3-step skin care system to keep you on the water all day, day in and day out. Use any of the products individually, or get the Essentials Kit for the complete sun protection and skin rehabilitation experience.

Solid donates 5% of the revenue of the sale to Ocean Conservation Organizations that you can select.

Add SUFB15 at checkout for an extra 15% off of your order.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

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Shark Week has been running for 29 years and this year will be its 30th year running as it had educated, inspired, scared and trick many people over its tenure. Shark Week seeks to educate and entertain; however, 3 years ago, Discovery (the company who puts on Shark Week) focused more in the entertainment rather than the education. 

There was a period of a few years where the programming focused more on fake documentaries rather than education on sharks. For example, the was a program that said the megalodon existed and was targeting humans. Discovery barely told the audience that the episode was fake. It caused a lot of fear and a lot of anger from shark biologists, such as Dr. David Shiffman.

David joins me on the program today to discuss the 30-year Legacy of Shark Week as we discuss the good, the bad and the ugly parts of that legacy. We also go through some of the interesting previews of this week's programming. Finally, we discuss our favourite shows over the past couple for years (as Discover got their act together) and some of the show we would like to see based on new research. 

Sponsor: Do you like Speak Up For Blue, or ConCiencia Azul, or Marine Conservation Happy Hour? If you are an avid listener to any or all 3 shows, consider supporting us to help us continue to build our platform of Ocean Awareness and Helping People Live For A Better Ocean by contributing to our Patreon Campaign. $1 or more dollars will get you access to our Patreon Feed as well as other great incentives. Click here to become part of the community now!!!

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

Become par to the Speak Up For Blue Nation by joining our Patreon Campaign. 

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One of the great things about the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group is that people who are facing marine science and conservation problems can post in the group and other people (scientists/conservationists) can provide some advice best on past experiences and their expertise in the subject matter.

A recent post by a member named Emma provided a similar opportunity for advice to be given by other members in the group.

The organization for which Emma volunteers posted a graphic photo of an injured loggerhead sea turtle that was trying to nest and lay her eggs, but was hit by a boat propeller before she got to the beach. The turtle died of her injuries before she could get to the beach and lay her eggs. 

Emma was searching for advice from other members of the group as to how the organization can move forward with this issue. Ideally, the organization would want to stop the motorized water sports from occurring during nesting season; however, the industry needs to make money within 6 months to survive for the entire year; therefore, stopping the water sport activities may be futile. 

Dr. Edd Hind-Ozan and Loch Land offered a few suggestions that seemed like the proper avenue to take. 

Listen to the podcast to find out what those avenues are.

Sponsor: Do you like Speak Up For Blue, or ConCiencia Azul, or Marine Conservation Happy Hour? If you are an avid listener to any or all 3 shows, consider supporting us to help us continue to build our platform of Ocean Awareness and Helping People Live For A Better Ocean by contributing to our Patreon Campaign. $1 or more dollars will get you access to our Patreon Feed as well as other great incentives. Click here to become part of the community now!!!

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

Become par to the Speak Up For Blue Nation by joining our Patreon Campaign. 

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The Florida Fisheries and Wildlife Commission decided in April to consider limiting Land-based shark fisheries occurring along its coasts in order to protect swimmers and sharks alike.

The initiation of this policy change came to be because of the number of pictures and videos posted on social media with people posing with sharks that they reeled in out of the water, where the sharks can't breathe, dragged them across rough terrain such as sand and/or concrete and posed for pictures with their catch in painful positions for the shark. 

Many of the pictures had hammerhead sharks in them, which are a protected species in Florida State waters due to the species' sensitivity to being caught with a hook and line. 

Dr. David Shiffman, a friend of the podcast, was on this podcast recently to discuss the policy changes and how there was a need for change in the policies and enforcement. He is happier now that the Commission is considering possible restrictions.

Take a listen to the podcast for the possible restrictions being considered.

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Sponsor: Solid Sun Logistics specializes in skin care and UV protection for outdoor enthusiasts like you and me. Solid offers a complete 3-step skin care system to keep you on the water all day, day in and day out. Use any of the products individually, or get the Essentials Kit for the complete sun protection and skin rehabilitation experience.

Solid donates 5% of the revenue of the sale to Ocean Conservation Organizations that you can select.

Add SUFB15 at checkout for an extra 15% off of your order.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

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Alissa Barnes of the Dakshin Foundation discovered 7 hermaphrodite bigeye houndsharks of the East Coast of India at a Port of Odhisa during a survey of fishers. The survey was to determine whether a gear change was the cause of a decrease in sharks and rays catches.

The discovery is rare in sharks; however, it is not the only time hermaphroditism was discovered in sharks. A 2005 study found a large proportion of longhead catsharks were hermaphrodites and a study in the 1990s also discovered bigeye houndsharks to be hermaphrodites not far from where the 7 sharks were caught in 2017. 

Alissa is super curious about how this occurred and wants to find how whether the cause is human-related or otherwise.

Source

Sponsor: Solid Sun Logistics specializes in skin care and UV protection for outdoor enthusiasts like you and me. Solid offers a complete 3-step skin care system to keep you on the water all day, day in and day out. Use any of the products individually, or get the Essentials Kit for the complete sun protection and skin rehabilitation experience.

Solid donates 5% of the revenue of the sale to Ocean Conservation Organizations that you can select.

Add SUFB15 at checkout for an extra 15% off of your order.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

Become par to the Speak Up For Blue Nation by joining our Patreon Campaign. 

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Do you know we launched more Ocean Related Podcasts?

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Conferences in the Marine Science and Conservation fields are super important in sharing information, establishing collaborations, networking for your career and your work; however, conferences for some have been a nightmare that included sexual harassment, being passed up for talks and feeling isolated within a conference. 

Many societies that put on conferences are trying to become better at attracting great scientists who would normally not attend due to the negative aspects I mention above. Establishing a Code of Conduct, Hiring a Safety Officer, ensuring there is more diversity in the keynote and plenary speakers.

The system is far from perfect and we are reminded of that every once and a while after someone does what happened recently at a Conference. 

Take a listen to find out what they did and never do it!!!

Sponsor: Solid Sun Logistics specializes in skin care and UV protection for outdoor enthusiasts like you and me. Solid offers a complete 3-step skin care system to keep you on the water all day, day in and day out. Use any of the products individually, or get the Essentials Kit for the complete sun protection and skin rehabilitation experience.

Solid donates 5% of the revenue of the sale to Ocean Conservation Organizations that you can select.

Add SUFB15 at checkout for an extra 15% off of your order.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

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The Columbian government have dispatches the army to protect migrating Black Land Crabs who travel to the coast from the dry, dense forests on the Island of Providencia to lay eggs and where the larvae develop in the Ocean for a few weeks after which they migrate back to the forests where they become adults. 

Tourism has shot up over the past few decades adding pressure to the survival of the black crabs as the crustaceans are delicacies on the island. The decrease in population has left fishers and businesses that rely on the crab fishery as its primary source of income out fo work. 

The Columbian army is dispatched to ensure that the crab migration is not interrupted by hunters and fishers to allow for a more sustainable food and income source.

Source

Sponsor: Solid Sun Logistics specializes in skin care and UV protection for outdoor enthusiasts like you and me. Solid offers a complete 3-step skin care system to keep you on the water all day, day in and day out. Use any of the products individually, or get the Essentials Kit for the complete sun protection and skin rehabilitation experience.

Solid donates 5% of the revenue of the sale to Ocean Conservation Organizations that you can select.

Add SUFB15 at checkout for an extra 15% off of your order.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

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Oceana has written a report blasting countries such as Italy, France, Malta and Greece for not enforcing fisheries regulations. The report called out Italy, specifically because they allowed over 10,000 hours of trawling in a MPA that was designed to protect young hake. 

The Oceana report stated that 90% of the Mediterranean is overfished and countries need to step up their efforts and put protection into action rather than just committing to protect fisheries. 

Oceana used AIS to track boats in the study area, but noted that many foreign-flagged ships did not have AIS, which would up the estimate significantly.

Source

Sponsor: Solid Sun Logistics specializes in skin care and UV protection for outdoor enthusiasts like you and me. Solid offers a complete 3-step skin care system to keep you on the water all day, day in and day out. Use any of the products individually, or get the Essentials Kit for the complete sun protection and skin rehabilitation experience.

Solid donates 5% of the revenue of the sale to Ocean Conservation Organizations that you can select.

Add SUFB15 at checkout for an extra 15% off of your order.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

Become par to the Speak Up For Blue Nation by joining our Patreon Campaign. 

I would love to hear your opinion on this episode. Join the Facebook Group to chime in.

Do you know we launched more Ocean Related Podcasts?

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Basten Gokkon wrote a great article on Mongabay News that was an interview with one of the plenary speakers at the International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC5) in Kuching, Malaysia. the presenter is named John Aini, who founded the Ailan Awareness in Papua New Guinea. 

The subject of the plenary and interview that John gave was about decolonizing conservation, which means conservation needs to work towards conserving the marine environment that line up with the needs of the local or indigenous community. 

Here is a link to the article/interview: https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/decolonizing-conservation-qa-with-png-marine-activist-john-aini/

In this episode, I reiterate the need for conservation to address the local community rather than the agenda of International NGOs.

Sponsor: Solid Sun Logistics specializes in skin care and UV protection for outdoor enthusiasts like you and me. Solid offers a complete 3-step skin care system to keep you on the water all day, day in and day out. Use any of the products individually, or get the Essentials Kit for the complete sun protection and skin rehabilitation experience.

Solid donates 5% of the revenue of the sale to Ocean Conservation Organizations that you can select.

Add SUFB15 at checkout for an extra 15% off of your order.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

Become par to the Speak Up For Blue Nation by joining our Patreon Campaign. 

I would love to hear your opinion on this episode. Join the Facebook Group to chime in.

Do you know we launched more Ocean Related Podcasts?

Subscribe to Marine Conservation Happy Hour and ConCiencia Azul

Nurse sharks have been in the news lately, but not for good reasons. There have been two incidents in the recent weeks that have been published where two people have been bitten by nurse sharks. 

The first person was feeding a nurse shark in Australia. Her hand was sucked into the mouth of the shark who was trying to eat the bait set out for it to eat.

The second person decided that they would swim within a school of nurse sharks, floating on her back, to get a great pic for her social media. 

I talk about how these incidences and viral news stories can have a potential negative effect on the population on nurse sharks in the future because of the bad decisions that a few people make.

Sponsor: Solid Sun Logistics specializes in skin care and UV protection for outdoor enthusiasts like you and me. Solid offers a complete 3-step skin care system to keep you on the water all day, day in and day out. Use any of the products individually, or get the Essentials Kit for the complete sun protection and skin rehabilitation experience.

Solid donates 5% of the revenue of the sale to Ocean Conservation Organizations that you can select.

Add SUFB15 at checkout for an extra 15% off of your order.

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

Become par to the Speak Up For Blue Nation by joining our Patreon Campaign. 

I would love to hear your opinion on this episode. Join the Facebook Group to chime in.

Do you know we launched more Ocean Related Podcasts?

Subscribe to Marine Conservation Happy Hour and ConCiencia Azul

The Canadian Government recently implemented a 200 m minimum distance for any ship in the area of Orcas. They also chopped the Chinook Salmon quota by 35%. The government is doing this because the Southern Resident Orca population only has 75 individuals (estimated) left. The Orca population relies heavily on Chinook Salmon for their diet and they won't diversify their diet. 

An article in the Toronto Star highlighted an important factor that face the Orca population: the Orcas are around ships 85% of the time. The government recognizes that the Orca populations are in need of help, but are the measures taken too late or too extreme?

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

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We all dreamed about this day, but now that Scott Pruitt has resigned as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is it really what we want? As Scott Pruitt leaves office, Andrew Wheeler replaces him. Unfortunately, they are the same person in terms of beliefs (climate change deniers) and supporting fossil fuels. 

It comes down to the fact that Scott Pruitt did not resign due to bad policies as everyone, including the President, made comments as to how great of a job Scott did while in office. Pruitt is leaving because his scandals caught up to him and he could not handle the pressure from the media and public. 

Andrew Wheeler used to work for a coal lobby group. The same lobby group that allegedly wrote the new policies for Scott Pruitt to implement. 

So out with the old and in with the, um...old!!!

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The Second Part of my conversation with Andrew Thaler on the last 10 years of Marine Science and Conservation Communication. 

If you are someone who has been doing SciComm in the same field, how have you noticed the field has evolved?

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

Become par to the Speak Up For Blue Nation by joining our Patreon Campaign. 

I would love to hear your opinion on this episode. Join the Facebook Group to chime in.

Do you know we launched more Ocean Related Podcasts?

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500 EPISODES!!! I can't believe the time has finally come where the Speak Up For Blue Podcast has reached 500 episodes!!! What do I do to celebrate? I announce that I will be posting from 3 times a week to 7 times a week. More frequency will result in shorter episodes, but that doesn't mean I won't be diving deep into the topics of each episode. Some episodes, like today's, will be a 2-parter. 

Today's episode, Andrew Thaler joins me to help celebrate the 500th episode as we record together from the Singapore Crowne Plaza Hotel at the airport on a 22 hour layover. 

We reflect on our efforts to communicate Marine Science and Conservation over the past 10 years. We look at how it started and how it has evolved over time. We also look at how it has changed both of our lives. 

Check out Part 1 of this 2-Part episode on Marine Science and Conservation Communication. 

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

Become par to the Speak Up For Blue Nation by joining our Patreon Campaign. 

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Do you know we launched more Ocean Related Podcasts?

Subscribe to Marine Conservation Happy Hour and ConCiencia Azul

A global whale shark study that used bathymetry (depth profiles), as a way to identify potential favourite habitats, along with whale shark sightings revealed a preferred habitat for the largest fish in the sea. 

Whale sharks are often found in areas with shallow shelfs with steep drop offs that bring cold nutrient-rich waters to the surface (upwellings) as a food source for the whale sharks. 

Source: https://theconversation.com/whale-sharks-gather-at-a-few-specific-locations-around-the-world-now-we-know-why-98502

Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Donate to the Jairo Mora Sandoval Bravery Award to Fund 5 more brave Marine Conservationists

Become par to the Speak Up For Blue Nation by joining our Patreon Campaign. 

I would love to hear your opinion on this episode. Join the Facebook Group to chime in.

Do you know we launched more Ocean Related Podcasts?

Subscribe to Marine Conservation Happy Hour and ConCiencia Azul