I've been watching Shark Week 2016 all week and reviewing an episode per day. Tonight, I will be reviewing the episode called "Air Jaws" because it's Great White Sharks leaping out of the water after seals and there is actually some science behind it.

In the Air Jaws Episode, it seemed different then in the past as it focused on answering a number of questions related to the hinting strategies of the ultimate predator, the Great White Shark, at Seal Island, South Africa. The researchers asked questions such as "Do White Sharks hunt through vision or vibrations?" and "How do the White Shark Prey avoid their ambush predators?"

The episode uses some great technology to detect White Sharks and their Seal prey in the pitch black of the dark night.

Check out my review that I recorded on Facebook Live this time.

SUFB Podcast: http://www.speakupforblue.com/podcast

SUFB Website: http://www.speakupforblue.com

10 Ocean Tips to Conserve the Ocean: http://www.speakupforblue.com/wordpress/sufb_optinpdf

Shark Week 2016 Marine Biologists Greg Stuntz, Matt Ajemain and professional Shark Tagger Keith Poe try to catch and tag a large Mako Shark called a Grander to find out how these animals behave and predate in the Ocean.

there were two studies trying to locate and document movements and feeding behaviour of grander mako sharks, one on the California Coast and the other on the New England Coast.

It was difficult to tell if both research teams were successful in locating a grander mako; however, one of the teams was not only able to locate one, but they were able to tag it and attach a front and back facing video instrument on the shark to document it's movement and behaviour.

It was interesting to note that the large mako grander sharks would stay in the deep sea during the day and come to the surface to feed at night on crabs no less. Was this crab prey a normal meal for these large sharks or was this just something in the way that looked appetizing. Only more research will be able to answer that question!

SUFB Podcast: http://www.speakupforblue.com/podcast

SUFB Website: http://www.speakupforblue.com

10 Ocean Tips to Conserve the Ocean: http://www.speakupforblue.com/wordpress/sufb_optinpdf

Shark Week: Day 2 follows 2 story lines of shark predators and their feeding behaviour that was believed to take place predominantly in the deep ocean; however, recent sightings make shark researchers think that the Great White Shark in Guadeloupe and the Hammer Head Shark in Bimini, Bahamas are hunting is shallow water.

The episode determines why they are observing this behaviour.

SUFB Podcast: http://www.speakupforblue.com/podcast

SUFB Website: http://www.speakupforblue.com

10 Ocean Tips to Conserve the Ocean: http://www.speakupforblue.com/wordpress/sufb_optinpdf  

Shark Week 2016 has begun and discovery Channel is kicking it off with a great episode from University of Miami's Shark Researcher, Dr. Neil Hammershlag, who is trying to answer the question:

"Why are there so many Tiger Sharks at Tiger Beach, Bahamas?"

Listen in to heat about what Nathan and I thought about the first episode for Shark Week in 2016.

Neil's Lab: http://www.sharktagging.com

Ocean ARCH: http://www.ocearch.org/

Neil's Interview with Speak Up for Blue Shark Week 2015:
http://www.speakupforblue.com/sharkweek2

Speak Up For Blue Podcast: http://www.speakupforblue.com/podcast

Nathan and I are back for another wonderful Ocean Talk Friday on the Speak Up For Blue Podcast! It's an exciting episode because we are on the cusp of Discovery Channel's 2016 Shark Week with a promise for the network of a more science-based program schedule. 

Last year, Discovery was under fire as it aired a number of fictional "mocumentaries" during it's 2014 schedule, which angered many people and critics were quick to demand for changes to programming to shift from fear based content to more interest based content.

In 2015, the network hired a new President who vowed to bring back the Shark Week that we know and love and was reflected to a certain degree in the 2015 content. This year is looking even better with interesting content scheduled that documents researcher's studies on how sharks move and where are their important habitats.

Nathan and I describe which shows we are looking forward to as well as other stories that came up this week, including:

1) Oceana - Canada provide a dismal report on Canada's current state of fisheries, but offer hope!;

2) All About Shark Week!;

3) How organic pollutants are harming apex predators; and,

4) Are aquariums teaching out children the wrong thing?

10 Ocean Tips to Conserve the Ocean: http://www.speakupforblue.com/wordpress/sufb_optinpdf  

Will Finding Dory cause more people to want a "Dory", the Royal Blue Tang, in their aquariums? That is what Ret Talbot is going to help us answer today on this episode of the Speak Up For Blue Podcast. 

Ret is a fisheries and sustainability journalist who has taken in interest in covering the issues in the Ornamental Fishing Industry. During our discussion, Ret reveals that data for this industry id deficient making it difficult to manage the fishery. He also reveals that the Royal Blue Tangs are all wild caught and many are caught using cyanide, which harms coral reef habitats. 

Our discussion calls for a Certification body that will regulate the Ornamental Fishing Agency made up of collectors, exporters/importers, retailers, scientists, and hobbyists to ensure that the industry is sustainable.

This is an episode you do not want to miss.

10 Ocean Tips to Conserve the Ocean: http://www.speakupforblue.com/wordpress/sufb_optinpdf 

I was very busy this past week, which is why I was only able to post all 3 episodes. I was able to post Ocean Talk Friday with Nathan, so we were still able to provide you with some great content.

I wanted to take this episode to talk to you about how Marine Conservation really works because of two things that happened to me last week that I feel are extremely important to address with regards to Marine Conservation. The first has to do with a conference that I attended and helped organized called the Coastal Zone Canada Conference. I was able to meet a lot of people that work to conserve coastlines and zones and learn about the importance of communication among scientists and the public.

The second event that inspired me to record this episode was an online debate that happened the day i recorded this episode. The debate has to do with the movie "Finding Dory" and the potential increase in pressure of people who want Royal Blue Tangs, the fish species of the Dory character. I am all about discussing facts to help the Conservation of Marine Species; however, there are certain people who are so passionate that they don't let anyone else have an opinion unless they are in agreement with them.

Marine Conservation is about people coming together to manage the Oceans, not bullying people into trying to agreement. 

Take a listen to the podcast to find out how Marine Conservation can be successful.

10 Ocean Tips to Conserve the Ocean: http://www.speakupforblue.com/wordpress/sufb_optinpdf 

Welcome back to Ocean Talk Friday. I apologize that this episode is the only one for this week. I was at a Conference that I will be speaking about in one of the episodes for next week.So more on that next week.

I was lucky enough this week to have Nathan join me again and we discussed Oceans Day, again. It's a big day and lots of things to discuss. Here is a list of articles that we discussed:

1. Shell gives lease plots back to Canada to expand a Marine Protected Area;
2. 5 Ocean Heroes that are doing great things for the Oceans;
3. Invertebrate larvae are settling based on surroundings; and,
4. China plans to create a Sea Lab 10,000 feet under the sea.

10 Ocean Tips to Conserve the Ocean: http://www.speakupforblue.com/wordpress/sufb_optinpdf 

On this episode of Ocean Talk Friday, Nathan Johnson and I talk about World Oceans Day and how the Ocean affects us all. Every other breath you take is thanks to the Ocean providing us with Oxygen. We need to change the way we treat our Oceans by changing the way we go about our daily lives. We need to change the products we consume, the plastics we make and buy that get thrown away and end up in the Ocean killing hundreds of thousands of animals. 

It's not difficult, it's just a matter of doing the research. You already have a step up compared to the rest of the world because you listen to this podcast and educate yourself 3 times per week on the Ocean, its issues and the solutions to reduce/eliminate those issues.

I wish you a very happy World Oceans Day and I hope that you stick with us 365 days per year so we can change the world together and make it a better place for the next generation.

10 Ocean Tips to Conserve the Ocean: http://www.speakupforblue.com/wordpress/sufb_optinpdf 

The Australian Government once again overreacted to a shark bite incident last week after a surfer was bitten by a Great White Shark and later died from his injuries. The father of the surfer made a statement to the press expressing his disatisfaction with the choice of the government to cull (hunt) Great White Sharks and other large sharks as he said his son, Ben, would not want any shark killed due to him.

I decided to do a quick search for science literature to find any articles on the ideas that sharks can be "rogue", i.e. once a shark bites a human that it would bite another human again. That would justify the killing of a shark. Only problem is:

1. There is no science that justifies the existence of a "rogue" shark; and,
2. Sharks do work that way.

During this episode of the podcast, I describe how the idea of a rogue shark came to be and how it inspired the novel and movie "Jaws", which has perpetuated human fear of sharks. 

10 Ocean Tips to Conserve the Ocean: http://www.speakupforblue.com/wordpress/sufb_optinpdf 

A colleague of mine and the Facebook Group Manager of the Citizen Scientist for the Oceans group posted a couple of articles about Marine Conservation and Marine Protected Areas. In each article, the topic was how Marine Protected Areas were not as successful because they couldn't protect against 2 things:

1. Local stakeholders (shark fishermen) who didn't have alternative livings to take care of their families; and,
2. Couldn't protect coral reef habitats in the most complex and largest multi-use marine protected areas in the world from sea surface temperature increased- coral bleaching (due to climate change).

MPAs work for that they are designed to do, protect habitats from human uses such as over fishing, tourism, oil and gas drilling, and mining. It does not protect against bad water quality (nutrients and sedimentation) and climate change.

Listen to the podcast as to why this is so and what we need to do about it.

10 Ocean Tips to Conserve the Ocean: http://www.speakupforblue.com/wordpress/sufb_optinpdf 

It's unfair that Harambe got shot because a 4 year old boy ended up in the Gorilla Pen and Harambe got a hold of him.

1. Was he protecting the boy?
2. Was he scared of the crowd and that is why he dragged the boy through the water trying to intimidate the crowd?
3. Was was the boy allowed to get in the pen in the first place?
4. Where were the parents?

Killing Harambe was a tragic event from a messed up situation. What people need to do is stop focusing on writing death threats to the mother (by the way, why aren't people after the father too?) and focus their energy on learning about the species and how to better conserve them.

I detail the events lead up to getting Harambe shot and what questions we need to ask to better protect zoo animals and humans (mostly from ourselves). I also describe the reason why this Lowland Western Gorilla is considered critically endangered by the IUCN.

10 Ocean Tips to Conserve the Ocean: http://www.speakupforblue.com/wordpress/sufb_optinpdf