Watching Netflix's new movie Don't Look Up made me feel seen as no other movie has before. The movie is a satire on how society reacts to the news of environmental disasters and depicts scientists as whistleblowers that are annoying to society's day-to-day living. 

Many non-scientists felt the frustration and anger of Jennifer Lawrence's character that was a Ph.D. candidate who was passionate about what she had discovered and was angry that no one was trying to stop the destruction of the planet. We feel a similar struggle trying to speak up for climate change. 

There were people who criticized the movie. They complained that it made society out to be dumb and they didn't like that. They thought the writer, Adam McKay, should stick to making movies similar to his other hits, such as Step Brothers.

I think many of the critics are proving the point of the film. 

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue 

A friend recently recommended a podcast to me where the host interviewed Dr. Jane Goodall. Dr. Goodall is a terrific scientist and is known for her studies on great apes where she lived with apes in the wild for many years. 

During the podcast, the host, Jay Shetty, discussed how hope could help fight the war on nature. I've heard from family and friends that they lose hope after hearing the doom and gloom of nature, yet Dr. Goodall suggests that they people can get their optimism back through local actions. 

I talk about how hope should be part of every nature message if we want to end this war on the environment.

Link to podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/jane-goodall-on-winning-the-war-on-nature-how-simple/id1450994021?i=1000538899362

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

We need to do many things to reduce Climate Change and there are companies that are working around the clock to help bring renewable energy to the forefront in order to get them online. 

You may notice more windmills in the Ocean or near highways and the acres of land dedicated to solar panels. The latter is the focus of today's episode, solar panels. 

One of the major challenges to adding more solar panels is finding the space to put them. Deserts seem to be a good area, but one company is also looking at floating solar panels to decrease the risk of competing for space, but is adding a number of floating panels good for the habitats underneath the surface of the water?

Link to website: https://www.ciel-et-terre.net/

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

The people are fed up with the broken promises of climate action by governments and will eventually resort to violence if the government doesn't clean up its act with the oil and gas industry. Dr. David Suzuki thinks that blowing up pipelines is inevitable if governments continue to ignore the people's wishes of climate action now. 

The speech is getting a lot of heat from conservative-leaning media as they think the words will lead to environmental terrorism. 

What are your thoughts?

Link to article: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/pipelines-will-be-blown-up-says-david-suzuki-if-leaders-dont-act-on-climate-change

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

Deep-sea mining is on the minds of many mining and tech companies as there is a potential to mind the metals that are so badly needed for computer chips that power the very devices you are using to listen to this podcast. However, we are not aware of the ramifications of mining unique areas such as deep-sea hydrothermal vents. 

A PhD candidate in deep-sea biology for Queen's University Belfast, Elin Angharad Thomas, conducted an analysis to assess whether the species that are found in hydrothermal vent habitats would be threatened by deep-sea mining. She used the criteria for the IUCN Red List to determine whether the species would be considered "at risk." 

The results of her analysis revealed that 2/3 of the species analyzed would be considered endangered by deep-sea mining and 20% of the species would be considered critically endangered.

The results of the study make more of a case to avoid deep-sea mining to preserve biodiversity in the deep sea. 

Link to article: https://www.theinertia.com/environment/deep-sea-mining-may-wipe-out-species-we-have-just-discovered/

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

NFTs are all the rage in the cryptocurrency world these days. Many artists, digital creators, and even marine organizations are making money using NFTs. However, the way NFTs are processed could have implications for increasing climate change.

NFTs use the Eurythreum cryptocurrency, which is controlled by users (called miners) having to solve complex puzzles to gain tokens. Solving the puzzles take up a lot of energy which emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. 

The entire Eurythreum cryptocurrency uses as much electricity as Libya. 

There are ways to reduce the emissions to almost zero by switching the manner in which the currency is controlled. 

Link to articles:
1) https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/15/22328203/nft-cryptoart-ethereum-blockchain-climate-change
2) https://ecotrust.ca/latest/media/blockchain-for-climate-foundation-launches-bitmo-platform-at-cop26/

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

The Indonesian government took coal ash off the list of hazardous materials even though there is evidence that there are harmful metals such as mercury and arsenic that can leech into the environment. The coal industry lobby worked with the government to get the removal passed. 

The government followed up with a policy where the fisheries ministry would by bricks made from coal ash and use them as bricks in the foundation for coral transplantation.

I can't make this stuff up!

Link to article: https://news.mongabay.com/2021/12/indonesias-new-plan-for-coal-it-pollutes-land-and-air-so-why-not-the-sea-too/

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

There are many designation categories for protected areas in the ocean; however, they are often lumped into one category: Marine Protected Area. Marine Protected Area (MPA) is a term that has a very specific definition that is different from other protected area categories. 

A marine protected area is an area in the ocean where no extractive activities are allowed.

Some parks are called MPAs, but they allow extractive activities so they don't count as an MPA. 

Why is this important? If we want to protect the ocean, then we will need to have MPAs where no extractive activities are permitted to ensure there is protection. Some parks allow trawling to occur. Other parks allow oil and gas exploration and extraction. 

It can be confusing for us all to keep up with the protected area designations, but it's important to know what areas are truly protected. 

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

In May 2021, a container ship called the X-Press Pearl caught fire and sank off the coast of Sri Lanka spilling large amounts of toxic chemicals in the form of fuel and a high concentration of microplastic pellets, called nurdles. 

These nurdles can wreak havoc on ocean habitats as they are made from fossil fuel chemicals and break down once in the water. The nurdles are ingested by sea turtles, marine mammals, seabirds, and fish where they can cause choking and/or leech chemicals into the animals' bodies. The spill of nurdles has also caused 20,000 fishers to stop fishing in Sri Lanka. 

The X-Press Pearl spill is a current example that nurdles need to be classified as hazardous materials. Unfortunately, the International Maritime Organization put off addressing the issue until next year opening the way for more spills to occur over the next year. 

Over 230,000 tons of nurdles enter the ocean every year. 

Link to article: https://grist.org/health/nurdles-the-worst-toxic-waste-youve-probably-never-heard-of/

Join the Plastic Pollution Coalition: https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/the-coalition/

Petition against nurdles: https://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/982/791/665/

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

New research published in the Journal of Heredity identified 3 new genetically distinctive populations of tiger sharks: one population is in the Indo-Pacific Ocean basin; one is in the Atlantic Ocean basin, and the third is in the waters surrounding the Hawaiin Islands. 

The new populations will no doubt add a call to protect the distinct population keeping in mind that tiger sharks are mass migratory species.

Link to Article: https://news.mongabay.com/2021/11/geneticists-have-identified-new-groups-of-tiger-sharks-to-protect/

https://news.mongabay.com/list/ucsc/

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

Polish researchers observed a young female polar bear chasing a reindeer into the ocean, drowning it, and feeding on it. 

The observation in addition to another observation of the same young female feeding on a different reindeer carcass in the same region sparked a wonder as to whether polar bears were altering their diets in the Svalbard region because there was less ice. 

Other researchers disagree with that line of thinking as the bears have been seen feeding on reindeer since the 1950s and 60s on occasion. They think that more people are able to document the observations with phone cameras to post on social media making it seems as though polar bears feeding on reindeer occurs more often than we think.

Link to Article: https://bit.ly/3pcuQat

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

Did you ever wonder how well your State is managing your beaches? Your state has a coastline along the ocean or the Great Lakes which can be a dynamic place. Coastlines are always changing, usually slow changes, but they are changing. Your state and local governments are in charge of how your beaches are managed and adapted to any changes that might occur but are they managed well?

There are so many laws and policies that can contribute to the management of beaches that it can be difficult to find a good indicator of how well they are managed. Luckily, there is a great organization and assesses the management of the beaches in each state annually, Surfrider. 

I am joined by Surfrider's Stefani Sekich-Quinn, who manages Surfrider's annual State of the Beach report. Stefanie joins me today to discuss the results of this year's report and reasons we can be hopeful for the future of our beaches...BUT we will have to keep up the pressure. 

Link to the report: https://www.surfrider.org/coastal-blog/entry/surfrider-foundations-5th-annual-state-of-the-beach-report

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

There have been over 1,000 manatees that have died in 2021. Most of the manatees died of starvation due to the lack of seagrass available for food. 

This episode explores why the seagrass disappeared over the past decade and suggests what needs to be done to protect the manatees better. 

Link to article: https://www.ecowatch.com/florida-manatees-starvation-feeding-2655776281.html#toggle-gdpr

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

The North Atlantic Right whale's population dipped from 366 to 336 from 2019 to 2020 making it the lowest it has been in 20 years. Whale entanglement is the leading culprit in the North Atlantic Right Whale's mortality off the coast of Maine. Lobster fishing gear tends to be the gear that entangles the whales. 

A court recently ruled on whether the government should implement a 4-month ban on offshore lobster fishing in Maine to protect migrating North Atlantic Right whales that travel through the area. The court ruled against the ban on lobster fishing to protect the $1.4 billion fishing industry citing the data presented by the government was not sufficient enough to show a risk to the whale population in the area. The government is appealing the decision. 

Conservationists are calling for more collaborations between conservations and fishers to help make new technologies safer and more affordable gear (such as lineless lobster traps.

Link to article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/12/maine-lobster-fishers-fight-conservationists-entangled-whales?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue 

This interview with Alifa Haque is a sample of the second episode of season 2 of the Beyond Jaws podcast about the science and conservation actions for wedgefish and guitarfish. 

Alifa is a doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford and is studying shark catches in Bangladesh, her home country. 

In this episode, Alifa tells the story of how she wanted to learn more about the shark fishery in her country after observing how many sharks the fishers catch. Alifa built relationships with the fishers and formed her own citizen science project that had volunteers work with fishers at various sites along the coastline. 

Find out how her data is being used to inform future policy. 

Follow the podcast here:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/beyond-jaws/
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3DnGntm
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3FnQ9MB
Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3ozRFEC

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

My co-host for the Beyond Jaws Jaws podcast, Dr. David Ebert, joins me on the podcast today to discuss the new season of our podcast discussing wedgefish and guitarfish science and conservation. Wedgefish and guitarfish are commonly known as rhino rays or shark rays due to their long rostrum and uniquely shaped bodies.  

This season of Beyond Jaws features interviews of shark scientists from all over the world that are studying the life history, ecology, and the conservation of these species. 

Follow the podcast here:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/beyond-jaws/
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3DnGntm
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3FnQ9MB
Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3ozRFEC

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

OceanEye, a non-profit organization dedicated to collecting plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea to understand the level of pollution, has contributed data and results to international bodies such as the IUCN and UN for their reports. The reports address the plastic pollution problem in the sea that is bordered by 22 countries. 

Each country has its own policies to dispose of its trash; however, some of its waste management systems are not up to par to prevent the trash from entering the Meditteranean Sea. 

Now that there is more data available, governing bodies and non-profit organizations can work with countries to help assess their plastic pollution problem.

Links:
Article: https://news.mongabay.com/2021/11/despite-deals-plans-and-bans-the-mediterranean-is-awash-in-plastic/
OceanEye: https://www.oceaneye.ch/

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

Brynn found more hope in local action and less hope in federal announcements. Cities tend to take a more action-based approach to climate change as their problems affect their citizens faster and at a local level. 

I also discuss some criticism I received in an email about a recent episode on the Fore Islands and the dolphin hunt. 

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

COP26 is all about the big announcements and Canada definitely made a big one. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will cap emissions on the oil and gas industry, but the cap won't affect the production of oil and gas. 

Canadian scientist and environmentalist, Dr. David Suzuki, did not attend COP26 this year because he is tired of empty promises. He is happy that the government made the announcement to cap oil and gas emissions, but would hope to see action soon. 

Indigenous groups were divided on the meeting. Some past attendees opted to stay in their communities to implement community action for a better climate while others attended the meeting as they thought it was their duty to represent their communities. 

What do you think of the announcement? Have your say by leaving a voicemail here: https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/speak-up-for-the-ocean-blue/

Links to articles: 
1) https://www.cbc.ca/radio/sunday/the-sunday-magazine-for-october-31-2021-1.6229995/why-david-suzuki-skipped-cop26-and-where-he-sees-glimmers-of-hope-in-climate-action-1.6235757

2) https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/what-on-earth-indigenous-climate-action-cop26-1.6237216

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

Good ol' COP26, the Climate Change meeting, is happening again and there were some major announcements made at the meeting by countries such as the US, India, and Canada. I will cover the Canadian announcement in the next episode. 

The announcements sounded great, but what do scientists think about the announcements.

Link to article: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-03034-z

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

I received some great questions from some audience members about episode 1230 where I interviewed Dr. Virginia Schutte about the Teamseas campaign and why you might not want to support the campaign, but donate directly to an organization's programs (such as the Ocean Conservancy's Plastic Pollution Program). 

Andrew Lester-Coll asked another great question today. He asked whether it was a good idea for the Ocean Conservancy to team up with the Ocean Clean Up for the #Teamseas campaign.  

Sousa Kalliovski emailed some questions that wondered what happened to the plastic after it was collected from the ocean. Sousa also asked if there are campaigns that focused on not using plastic in the first place. 

Some great questions from our Speak Up For The Ocean Blue podcast community. 

Check out the last episode for more details on the Teamseas controversy:
https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/speak-up-for-the-ocean-blue/sufb-1230-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-teamseas-fundraiser/

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

There are many fundraisers that occur throughout the year for the oceans and they are run by various organizations. Most of them have good intentions to help protect the Oceans. Some raise a lot of money and some not so much; however, the organizations to which you donate matter. 

There is a large fundraiser that is going on right now to help raise $30 million dollars that promises to take out 30 million lbs of trash from the Ocean. Two organizations will split the money into two equal parts. One of those organizations is called the Ocean Conservancy and they have a great plastic pollution program; however, the other organization is the controversial Ocean Clean Up. 

If you don't recall, the Ocean Clean Up is an organization that promised to clean up the Pacific Garbage Patch within 5 years of its operation. It not only failed, but it ignored many scientific criticisms and never made their environmental assessment public, but promised that everything was fine. None of their prototypes have worked even though millions of dollars were invested. 

Now the Ocean Clean Up stands to gain a lot of money through a crowdsourcing campaign called Teamseas. The campaign is not talking about the controversy surrounding the Ocean Clean Up Project thereby legitimizing their work in the Ocean. 

Dr. Virginia Schutte was asked to help raise funds for the campaign, but refused to participate due to the Ocean Clean Up being involved. 

Virginia joins me on the show today to discuss why and what you could do to help protect the Ocean. 

Make a donation to the Ocean Conservancy:
https://donate.oceanconservancy.org/page/92465/donate/1

Connect with Dr. Virginia Schutte:
website: https://www.virginiaschutte.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vgwschutte?
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vgwschutte/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/VirginiaSchutte

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

Experts say that cause of death was most likely drowning after getting caught in fishing gear; however, there was no mention of fishing gear found with the sea turtles. 

Link to article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-59077086

I answer a listener voicemail on today's episode. Laura asked if an organization's work, named Coral Vita, is worth supporting. She wanted to know if the work they do is helpful to coral reefs. 

Coral Vita recently won the Earthshot Prize as they were recognized for the coral reef restoration work that they do in the Bahamas. However, not every organization that wins a prize does work that will have a net benefit in the local region that they work. 

Coral Vita is one of those organizations that DO have a net benefit, locally. I discuss why in the podcast.

Link to Coral Vita:
Website: https://www.coralvita.co/ 

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

I answer a listener question from a voicemail I received about how people who communicate science can get their message across to their target audiences about Climate Change. 

There is a long history of messaging about climate change and how scientists were late to the game in getting the message out about a topic that is affecting all of us today. 

I discuss why scientists were late to the game to speak out about climate change and how today's social media tools are allowing more scientists to discuss their research and projects easier than ever. 

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

I received a question from Josie Greenston who asked me (I am paraphrasing):

Where do I begin with helping with the Ocean? There are so many things that are harming the ocean (climate change, over-fishing, plastic pollution, etc.) that I don't know where to begin helping the Ocean.

Josie asks a great question that I've heard before. I wanted to take this episode to address how people can help the ocean with various levels of available commitment. 

You can choose any one of the options or combine them depending on your interest and commitment level. 

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

I see many people profess to go Zero Waste and I think it's great; however, I have trouble relating to them because they are oftentimes at different life stages than I am. They are single or a two-person household, which makes it easier to change their lifestyle choice than it is with a family with kids.  Or it was just one of the many excuses I use to procrastinate more on changing my lifestyle. 

Well, I can't use my family as an excuse anymore because of the Zero Waste Family. They are a family that has dedicated years of their life to live a Zero Waste lifestyle as a family unit. I had the pleasure of interviewing them to help them promote their journey on going Zero Waste and to promote their episode on the new NBC show, Home Sweet Home. 

The premise of the show is to take two different families have them switch homes to live each other's lifestyle and see what it's like to step outside of your life. It's a great concept for a TV show, especially when one family is the Zero Waste Family.

Check out the program on NBC Friday, October 22nd, 2021 @ 8 pm ET/PT. 

Connect with the Zero Waste Family:
Website: https://zerowastefamily.com/
Film: https://zerowastefamily.com/film
Book: https://zerowastefamily.com/book
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/zerowastefamily

Sign up on ZeroWasteFamily.com to get notified when the 2nd edition of the book is available.  

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

The Blob, a massive heatwave in the Pacific Ocean raised the average sea surface temperature by 2-4C and changed the distribution of some species. 

The Blob raised the temperature in cooler waters as well as the direction of currents. These changes allowed for species in the south to move north as their habitat was suitable. 

New species could outcompete species that are already found in the northern waters. They could grow and reproduce faster, which will cause some resident species to disappear from the area. 

There will be a Blob 2.0. The question is will the research currently being conducted allow for the prediction of where species will move to and settle next?

Link to article: https://theconversation.com/five-years-after-largest-marine-heatwave-on-record-hit-northern-california-coast-many-warm-water-species-have-stuck-around-168053

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

Last episode (Episode 1223), I spoke to Virginia Schutte and Bethann Merkel about their approach to Science Communication that they discuss on their new podcast called Meteor. 

During the interview, I talked about how I just launched Speak Up For The Ocean Blue with minimal planning because I just wanted to start doing the "fun part" of my SciComm. I now realize that I would do things differently if I were to start over today.

I talk about 8 steps I would take if I was going to launch a Sci Comm platform today. 

Connect with Virginia and Bethann:
Website: https://meteorscicomm.org/
Podcast: https://meteorscicomm.org/podcast/
You can find the podcast on your favourite podcast app. 

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

I am a huge advocate for science communication (scicomm). It's important for audiences to understand what science is doing for our society and how we are affecting it. However, scicommers like myself do not have a formal community where I can exchange ideas and experiences with other people who are in a similar position as me...until now!

Virginia Schutte and Bethann Merkel join me on the podcast to talk about their newly launched podcast, called Meteor, that exists to help build a community of practice for Science Communicators. 

The episode is one of my favourite episodes that I have ever recorded for this podcast. If you are a midcareers scicomm person then this is the episode for you.

Connect with Virginia and Bethann:
Website: https://meteorscicomm.org/
Podcast: https://meteorscicomm.org/podcast/
You can find the podcast on your favourite podcast app. 

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue 

There was a great article on Mongabay News (link below) that asked the question as to whether marine biologists should work for natural resource companies that would like to mine the deep sea. 

It's a more complicated question than you might think as marine biology is not well funded for governments, non-profit organizations, and academia. There are companies that have a vested interest that would like to utilize marine biologists to characterize the deep-sea habitat for their own purpose. The decision to work with deep-sea mining companies weighs heavily on every marine biologist. Most of us would like to protect the Ocean, but are we doing so when working for companies that are exploiting it. 

On the other hand, it's difficult to find a good-paying job in Marine Biology. Natural Resource companies pay well and the biologists get to work in their field. 

Link to article: https://news.mongabay.com/2021/10/antithetical-to-science-when-deep-sea-research-meets-mining-interests/

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

The one thing that I love about doing this podcast is the fact that I can talk to people who have done amazing things in Marine Conservation. Sometimes, people are supported by large organizations/companies that help them get on their way to launching these amazing conservation projects. Other times, the people start the projects on their own and create something really special. 

In today's episode, I speak with Ted Cheeseman who co-founded the site HappyWhale.com, a website that tracks humpback whales that have been identified by photos taken from citizen scientists from all over the Pacific Ocean. There are over 60,000 photos in the database spanning decades. 

Ted discusses:
1) Why he started the site with his co-creator;
2) How he builds relationships with the photographers and the scientists to study the tracks;
3) How Ted started his Ph.D. on tracking humpback whales, and, 4) How he would like to see Happy Whale be used in the future.

Connect with Ted:
Website: https://happywhale.com/home
Help Fund Happy Whale: https://experiment.com/social-whales

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue
 

A listener named Sydney Stauffer asked me to create an episode on my thoughts on swim-with-dolphin programs that are held with dolphins in captivity. She heard the episode with Stephanie Stack (e1214) about swim-with-whales in the wild and wanted me to discuss the captivity aspect of swimming with dolphins. 

Sydney was concerned that we don't discuss the captivity programs, especially the smaller companies that we see in tourist destinations such as the Caribbean. Tourists participate in these experiences because they think the animals want to participate, but that is not the case. The captive dolphins do not have a choice. 

A captive dolphin that has to undergo human swimming encounters multiple times per day (10-20 on the small end) is not comfortable interacting with that many humans who do not know how to properly interact with a dolphin. Dolphins can (and have!) get aggressive with humans who pay a lot of money to have a dream-come-true encounter with the cetacean. 

Education is the number one solution in getting people to stop frequenting the swim-with-dolphin encounters. 

Links:
Animal Welfare Institute:
https://awionline.org/content/swim-attractions-dolphin-assisted-therapy

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

Did you hear the Brittany Spears may not be under conservatorship anymore and her father was removed as the head of said conservatorship? Wait...what? You are probably wondering what Brittany Spears has to do with marine conservation. You are right, it really doesn't, but the reason I know what is happening with Brittany Spears is because of a documentary on her that was centred around her conservatorship. 

Documentaries can inspire audiences to support a pop star that is going through something personal or can help shut down orca shows at SeaWorld.  They are powerful tools for storytelling that can turn the tide on many aspects of environmental conservation issues. 

In this episode, I discuss three documentaries that invoked different behavior changes, in good and not-so-good ways.

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue 

A study is underway in Mozambique to study the distribution ranges of two species of wedgefishes family (bottlenose wedgefish and bowmouth guitarfish) to help better manage their population. 

The species are considered critically endangered due to the fin-trade industry. The fish are either sought for their fins through catching them individually or as bycatch. The fin-trade can yield more money for the rays' fins that will bring in more revenue for the fishers than the meat from the rest of their body. 

The study employs a new tactic in Mozambique, where it uses acoustic and satellite tags to track the wedgefishes in close and long ranges. 

The results from the study will inform policy to help better protect these fishes in marine protected areas or through quotas (or both!).

Link to article: https://news.mongabay.com/2021/09/new-research-hopes-to-shine-a-light-on-wedgefish-the-pangolin-of-the-ocean/

Link to Beyond Jaws Podcast: https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/beyond-jaws/

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

South African penguins are having a tough time with their population numbers. The IUCN lists them as endangered in the Red List due to lack of food from commercial fishing and the fact that their food source may have shifted to different locations due to changing ocean currents from the consequences of climate change. 

So it makes things even worse when 63 Endangered South African penguins were found dead and the culprit was concluded to be bees. The penguins were found to have multiple stings near the eyes and flippers (not covered by feathers). One penguin had 27 bee stings on it. 

Scientists assume that the bees left the nest to defend their hive after something threatened them and the penguins were the first animals the bees met in their flight path. 

Link to article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58622482

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

A viral TikTok video has sparked a debate on the app and on Twitter as to whether a woman working on a small ocean vessel should have made a sea lion go back in the water as three orcas were circling her boat.

The sea lion leaped out of the water onto the boat to escape the orcas that were chasing it. It looked comfortable waiting there until the orcas left, but the woman on the boat had other plans. the woman was frightened of the orcas and was clearly worried about what the orcas would do to get access to the sea lion. 

Viewers of the video were contributing to both sides of the question of what they would do in the same situation. 

So I pose the same question to you: Would you help save the sea lion from the orcas?

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

Swim-with-whale tour operators are popping up in various places around the world. The idea of getting in the water and swimming with humpback whales nearby can be a dream come true for many people; however, the tour operators are running without any regulations to ensure that the tours are not altering the behavior of the humpback whales. 

The humpback whales that hang out in Hervey Bay, Australia every year do so to rest during their long migration from Australia to Antarctica. The trip requires a ton of energy to move such large bodies that distance in the ocean. Any excess energy used can be detrimental to the migration of the whales. 

Stephanie Stack, Chief Scientist at the Pacific Whale Foundation, and her team studied the humpback whale behavior before, during, and after swim-with-whale tours and whale watching tours occurred in Hervey Bay.  

Stephanie joins me on today's podcast to discuss the results of the study and what next steps need to be taken. 

Connect with Stephanie:
Pacific Whale Foundation: https://www.pacificwhale.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StephanieHStack
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shstack/
Happy Whale: https://happywhale.com/home

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue
 

We are entering the 6th mass extinction. When I tell people about the mass extinction, people are not too worried. I don't think they realize that we are already starting to see the effects of the mass extinction and that the planet has gone through this before, but there is one difference. 

The major difference is the fact that the Permian extinction (which occurred approximately 66 million years ago) was caused by volcanic activity while the 6th mass extinction was caused by humans. 

The good news is that we can stop it; however, we need to act now. Voting for political candidates is the best way that you can enact change, but there are other things too. Listen to hear more. 

Link to article: https://www.sciencealert.com/mass-extinction-events-can-turn-freshwater-into-toxic-soup-and-that-s-bad-news-for-today

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

The Faroe Islands government has announced that they will review their regulations of the dolphin cull after some whalers and critics thought that the last cull of 1400 white-sided dolphins was too numerous to use all of the meat.  

The current regulations that I mentioned during the last episode raised a number of questions about how quantitative are regulations? How many animals can they take at once? What is the ratio of hunters to animals to ensure a quick hunt of each individual? How much meat is given to each family?

Hopefully, questions such as the ones above will be answered during this review.   

Last episode: https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/speak-up-for-the-ocean-blue/sufb-1211-questions-around-the-legality-of-killing-1400-white-sided-dolphins-in-the-faroe-islands-circulate/

Link to article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/faroe-islands-dolphin-follow-1.6179472

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

There was a cull of 1400 white-sided dolphins in the Faroe Islands recently has some people wanting to know if it was legal. 

Whaling of pilot whales and other small cetaceans is legal in the Faroe Islands as the local community relies on whale meat as their primary protein source. The small island autonomous territory has been culling whales for centuries. The meat is processed in the open bays and handed out for free to the local community. 

The average catch per year is approximately 800 pilot whales and 250 white-sided dolphins; however, the total number of dolphins killed was 1400 individuals. That is 6 times the normal amount of dolphins and almost twice as many individuals as pilot whales.

There seemed to be a number of questions surrounding the cull of the dolphins including: were there enough killers present, did some boats run over the dolphins,  was all of the meat used, etc. 

You may feel that the cull is inhumane, but I ask you to keep an open mind to some of the questions and understand that these are people on a small island with access to very little natural resources in food other than the oceans. 

I should also mention that I am not for cetacean hunting. I just found this story interesting to look at from a different perspective. 

Link to article: https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/15/europe/faroe-dolphin-killing-record-scli-intl-scn/index.html 

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

The Canadian federal election is less than a week away before we find out who will lead Canada into a very different world than it was 18 months ago. There are many predominant issues at hand in this election such as the COVID pandemic, the economy, reconciliation with Indigenous communities across Canada, and climate change. 

I am very interested in all of these issues, especially that of how each party running will handle climate change. In this episode, I provide an overview of each of the parties' climate change policies and who I think has the best one. Of course, each party says their policies are the best and do not provide a ton of detail during the election, but as a Canadian citizen, it is up to me and my fellow Canadians to make the decision that best aligns with our values. 

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

Kaitlyn Mitchell is a lawyer for Animal Justice, a non-profit organization that looks out for the welfare of animals in Canada. 

Website: https://animaljustice.ca/

Kaitlyn came highly recommended as someone to interview on the Canadian side of the border that is involved in advocating for the belugas in the transfer from Marineland (Canada) to Mystic Aquarium (US). I covered the original story by interviewing Dr. Naomi Rose (Episode 1197, https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/speak-up-for-the-ocean-blue/sufb-1197-havoc-the-beluga-whale-dies/).

Kaitlyn provides us with an update on the beluga whale transfer as well as how we can make sure that bill S-203 (Canadian Cetacean Captivity Ban) can be made better to avoid needless deaths like that of Havok. 

Kaitlyn also tells us about the dire situation with Kiska, an orca that has been recorded bashing her head against the side of her tank. We discuss what Animal Justice hopes to be done about the orca at Marineland. 

Connect with Animal Justice:
Website: https://animaljustice.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animaljustice_/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/animaljusticecanada

Connect with Speak Up For Blue:
Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

All of the talks around protecting 30% of the world's oceans by the year 2030 have really put a focus on the quality of MPAs that exist and that will be designated in the future. MPA design and implementation are unique around the world, especially if a country or region is new to the process. 

Angelo Villagomez and Johnny Briggs join me on the podcast to discuss the new Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy MPA Guide that will help ocean practitioners with their MPA process beyond just designating MPAs. The guide also has a focus on how to make the MPAs sustainable through sustainable funding and enforcement. 

Links:

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Every country has a different way of managing its oceans and every region also has its own way of managing its oceans. Various regions can learn from one another and build on each other's successes to implement ocean conservation. 

In today's episode, we complete our three-part series with a guest host, Laure Katz from the Blue Nature Alliance, who speaks to Arthur Tuda from WIOMSA (Western Indian Ocean), Angelique Pouponeau from SeyCCAT (Seychelles), and Joaquin Labougle (Blue Nature Alliance) to share their experiences on regional approaches to ocean conservation. 

You can watch the video podcast here: https://www.bluenaturealliance.org/iucn-wcc-2021-podcast-series

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: 
https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

We are continuing our series in partnership with the Blue Nature Alliance to discuss Marine Conservation and how that will move forward in order to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030. 

Incorporating People, Knowledge, and Networks in Ocean Conservation will be crucial to implement successful marine conservation strategies. 

I am joined by Kate Brown (Global Island Partnership in New Zealand), Coral Pasisi (Tofia Niue from the Island of Niue) and Ginny Farmer (Blue Nature Alliance based in the US) on the podcast to discuss their experiences in marine conservation and how people, knowledge, and networks help in ocean conservation.

Video podcast: https://www.bluenaturealliance.org/iucn-wcc-2021-podcast-series

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

The Blue Nature Alliance is a collaboration among several organizations that would like to help communities around the world to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030. The goal cannot be reached by any single entity, but teaming up with each other can help all of us achieve this goal. 

Getting to 30% ocean protection will take the participation of all ocean users around the world. Social equity will play a large role in designating MPAs; however, it has not been taken into account during many of the past MPA processes. 

Several marine professionals wrote a paper on Social Equity and why it is crucial to the proper designation and implementation of MPAs. 

I speak with Dr. Asha de Vos (Oceanswell), Dr. Ana Spalding (Oregon State University), and Mael Imirizaldu (Blue Nature Alliance) on the role and importance of Social Equity in marine conservation.

Link to article: https://www.bluenaturealliance.org/a-call-to-prioritize-social-equity-in-marine-conservation

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

I am listening to a podcast series called White Saviors that is produced by Canadaland. It's a series on the rise and fall of a charity called the We Charity that was founded by two brothers (one of which went to my high school in Toronto, Canada) that wanted to save children from child labor.

The organization got huge and that's where it went wrong. Now the organization is trenched in scandal and an ongoing legal investigation. 

The series made me think of all of the people in marine conservation that start out with a notable mission, but end up on the wrong side of that mission. 

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

It's that time of year again for me to provide advice for students and early-career scientists/conservationists as people are going back to school or trying to find their first job. 

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

I have been reflecting on the subject of collaboration as I work on a special project for this podcast (the project will be released next week!). Collaboration is a term and major theme of the project; however, over the past 6 years I noticed that people in Marine Science and Conservation are more competitive than they are collaborative. 

Now it could be the way the system is set up in terms of many organizations that have similar missions are competing for the same funding, but I also believe it starts with the people in all fields of marine science and conservation.

People in science podcasting are also acting this way. Some people are worried about the competition and ask why there is more than one podcast on a similar topic. I think it's great for podcasting and marine conservation. Take a listen to the episode to see why.

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Fisheries and Oceans Canada's (DFO) Whale Protection Program has several investigations open of illegal drone activity along the southern shores of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. 

The drones are being flown near marine mammals (whales, seals, and sea lions) causing disturbances and, in some cases, interfering with government activities surrounding whale entanglement. 

DFO has issued a warning to residents in the area that the penalties for breaking the law with illegal drone activity can be severe (mandatory court appearance and a $100,000 fine).

Link to article: https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/news/troubling-trend-of-drones-buzzing-b-c-marine-mammals-leads-to-dfo-warning/

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

I speak to Dr. Johann Bell from Conservation International on today's episode to discuss a Climate Justice example in the Pacific Islands. 

Many small islands states in the Pacific received a majority of their revenue from fishing licenses from the distance water fleets of other countries such as the US, China, Korea, Japan, and others. The revenue pays for education and other programs in the Pacific Island nations. However, there is a problem that is being caused by Climate Change.

The change in water temperature is shifting the tuna populations outside of the small island jurisdiction where the other countries could fish for free rather than paying for the licenses. The small island countries would miss out on crucial revenue and the fisheries would not be regulated in the high seas. 

Dr. Johann Bell discusses the solutions for this problem with me during this episode. 

Links from the episode:
1) Article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-021-00745-z
2) Press Release: https://www.conservation.org/press-releases/2021/07/29/study-warming-waters-threaten-tuna-dependent-economies-in-the-pacific

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

COVID caused a lot of disruption in the form of shutdowns, but something that was always available in North America was grocery stores. However, there were some small island states such as Cape Eleuthera that did not know if their food was coming via shipping boats. Luckily it was only temporary. 

During that time, people looked to the sea to provide food without regard for catch limits and quotas. People were searching for food and needed to eat, so catch sizes were not on their minds. 

Dr. Nick Higgs noticed this behaviour and decided to study how many conchs were affected by this temporary food shortage. 

Nick is on the podcast today to discuss his new paper and the results of the study. We also discuss what this could mean for conservation. 

Connect with Dr. Nick Higgs:
1) Website: http://www.ceibahamas.org/

Canada is about to have a federal election in September 20th. The election was called during a time when we are entering the 4th wave of a pandemic; major forest fires are happening on the West Coast (and around the world); and, parts of Canada are flooding (also happening around the world). Some Canadians are not happy that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for an election, but I am happy. 

It gives Canadians a chance to evaluate their current government representation on their Climate Action policies and demand that new candidates make a bigger commitment to Climate change policies. 

The election is a chance where Canadian citizens can ask for change. We hold the power and Climate Change should be at the top of the list. 

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Dr. Naomi Rose joins me on the podcast with an interesting story that resulted in the death of a recently transferred beluga whale at Mystic Aquarium. The beluga whale named Havoc was transferred from the troublesome Marineland located in Canada. 

Naomi describes how the process was flawed from the beginning including the fact that Havoc was sick before the transfer and Mystic Aquarium is known for research that showed cetaceans that are sick don't do well with being transferred. 

This story highlights the problems with processes even though they are in countries that have animal welfare laws that are perceived as effective; however, you will find out that the processes need crucial improvements. 

Link to article: https://www.treehugger.com/mystic-whale-beluga-whale-death-controversy-5197322

Connect with Dr. Naomi Rose:
1) AWI Website: https://awionline.org/
2) Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/frdolphinPOV
3) Twitter: https://twitter.com/frdolphinPOV

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Trying to buy environmentally beneficial products is not as easy as you would think it is. Companies will always try to save money that may compromise the overall environmental benefit of the product. For example, selling vegan food in a plastic container. 

Trying to navigate eco-friendly products can also become difficult because there is misleading information published by "experts" that can confuse or make people think twice about buying a product that does not impact the environment. Electric vehicles (EVs) fall within the same category. 

Buying an electric vehicle is a bit nerve-racking. It's a different type of car. A car that is not familiar to consumers. Any information is difficult to interpret and/or believe. 

In this episode, I take a listener voicemail from Andres Lester-Coll regarding which is better for the environment: Electric Vehicles or Combustion Vehicles.

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Chad Nelson, CEO of the Surfrider Foundation, to catch up from our last conversation on the changes and growth that the Surfrider Foundation has undergone over the past five years. 

Chad and I discuss how Surfrider has not only doubled in staff but continues to grow an army of volunteers that represent the foundation well across the US and even into Canada. 

We also discuss how Surfrider collaborates with other organizations to help get good environmental policies passed at local, state, and federal levels. 

Connect with Surfrider Foundation:
Website: https://www.surfrider.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Surfrider
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Surfrider

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

You would think that we would know more information about whales because they are so big; however, that is not the case. There are many information gaps in what we know about whales, especially whales that leave in extreme climates like the Arctic. 

Beluga and narwhal whales are especially tricky because they live so far up north and often under the ice. Knowing where they go and why is really important as the Arctic is rapidly changing. 

We have been able to track the smaller mammals using aerial surveys and drones however, those technologies are expensive and, in the case of the aerial survey, could be dangerous. 

Bertrand Charry, the co-founder of Whale Seeker, is using satellite imagery to help track these elusive whales and he is my guest on today's podcast to discuss why it's important to track marine mammals from space. He also talks about his career and why he chose to seek the entrepreneurial route to conduct marine science in Canada. 

Connect with Bertrand and Whale Seeker:
Whale Seeker Website: https://www.whaleseeker.com/
Whale Seeker's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whale_seeker/

Connect with Bertrand:
Bertrand's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bertrand-charry-8939b860/

 Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

I am a Science Communicator. I use this podcast to communicate marine science to you and other listeners who would like to know more about how to protect the Ocean. My goal is to present accurate and real information so that you and others could learn about Oceans that may not be readily available online. 

II know many colleagues who communicate science by conducting guest lectures/teachings in K-12 schools. They do it on a volunteer basis in hopes to inspire future scientists of the world. However, it is difficult when other communication platforms such as TV stations say they have a mission to enlighten their audience but create fake documentaries that scare and confuse many people. 

I describe a situation written to me by a listener who sent me an email (you can contact me here with your questions/comments) on today's email.  The listener described a situation that he faced where he attempted to convince a group of students that the megalodon and mermaids were not real despite recent TV programs stating otherwise through fake documentaries.

The listener is a professor at Brigham Young University: 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OceanEcologist

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Ghost nets are discarded nets from fishing vessels that float around in the ocean unmonitored. The nets continue to snag fish, marine mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds that causes needless deaths every year. 

There are organizations that search for Ghost Nets to retrieve and dispose of them; however, disposing of the plastic nets is not as simple as we think. The nets are often discarded in landfills, but they have the potential to become part of the circular economy. 

Nina Latinga, the co-founder for Nets For Net Zero, is working to connect companies and organizations that would like to use the nets in their circular economy. She joins me on the podcast to discuss how she came across this venture from a background in the circular fashion industry. 

Connect with Nets For Net Zero:
Website: https://www.netsfornetzero.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/netsfornetzero/

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

I had a great listener question that I decided to cover on the podcast because I thought it was an important topic. 

@harveyperello asked: Why do we ignore ocean solutions when fighting climate change?

It's a terrific question! The answer comes down to how the ocean is covered in media. You never hear about great ocean projects such as the ones that plant mangroves to combat climate change (mangroves absorb 50 times more carbon than trees on land), but we do hear about 1 billion trees being planted as a new government program. 

There are great programs out there, we just don't hear about them. I have some thoughts on why that I share in during this episode.

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

A new scientific paper has been published to provide evidence that Shark Week has contained a lot of misinformation over the decades that they have been on TV. They also showed the lack of diversity in the hosts and the lack of experts in many of their programming. 

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Salmon populations can't stand the heat so they may be removed from many of the waterways that they normally occupy for spawning. 

Salmon are cold-water species that do not do well in warm water; therefore, freshwater rivers where the salmon spawn are not ideal habitats when they heat up due to climate change. Add human barriers such as culverts, dams, and eroding habitats which impede access to spawning habitats and you get a recipe for disaster. 

I also should not forget to mention that changes in ocean prey due to ocean temperature rising result in less healthy salmon. 

Habitat restoration can help cool hot spot areas in rivers and allow more water to be held cooling river water further. Canadian and US governments are working hard to get restoration actions implemented to help wild stocks. 

Closing salmon fisheries are also in place in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans to provide all of the chances possible for bigger and fitter salmon to spawn. 

Link to article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/salmon-climate-change-1.6114328

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Florida is in a Red Tide event two years after its last red tide event. Hundreds of ocean species are washing up along the shore dead and rotting causing health problems for people with respiratory issues and killing the tourism industry.

Red tide events happen when nutrients feed a species of phytoplankton in combination with the right sea temperatures (high temps) and lack of wind. The proliferation of the plankton population is toxic to anything that ingests it including sharks and other fish, marine mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds. 

There are two things that need to fix this situation: 1) work to reduce climate change (long term); and, 2) reduce the number of nutrients from industry (short term). 

Link to article: https://au.news.yahoo.com/insane-world-famous-tourist-hotspot-decimated-by-toxic-crisis-054312592.html

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

There were 841 manatee deaths since January 1st of 2021, which is the largest mass mortality event since 2013 (830 deaths). The deaths were due to a lack of seagrass in their favourite eating spot, Indian Lagoon. 

Seagrass is a crucial part of the manatee diet and without the presence of the ocean plant, manatees end up starving to death. It's important to maintain good water quality for optimal seagrass health. 

Unfortunately, water quality along the Florida coastline has been awful over the past decade due to sewage overflow runoff with high nitrogen and phosphorus levels. The higher nutrients create algal blooms that block the sun from getting to the seagrass. When the algal blooms die off, they land on the seagrass resulting in a major die-off of the plants.  

Government policy on water quality and restoration of seagrasses will help re-establish the important coastal habitat; however, that will require a lot of time and money. 

Link to article: https://www.livescience.com/manatees-florida-die-off-record.html

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

This episode is a bit of a rant that I have been thinking about for a while. Over the past few months, I've noticed that media companies (video, audio, and written forms) have been putting out content that either ignores science or drives a wedge between science and the public. 

The film Seaspiracy told the audience and non-profit organizations that worked to conserve the ocean were actually working to support overfishing. Obviously a false statement; however, much of the audience still quote the movie four months later. 

The New York Times published an article, where the author conducted their own "study" to determine whether Subway (the sandwich company) used real tuna in their tuna sandwiches. The study was not scientific and the results were inconclusive (stated in the article); however, the headline read "Subway does not use real tuna in their sandwiches." 

Discovery is releasing a new program during Shark Week this summer (2021): a reality show that is searching for the next shark expert. An expert can be defined in many ways, but this "expert" search is not based on the scientific knowledge each contestant has. It is based on whether or not they can swim with sharks without getting bitten. Now, there are shark diving experts who are amazing and advocate for sharks, but many of them are thought to be scientists who conduct experiments, which can lead to misinformation. 

Finally, during the 2021 Shark Week, there was an episode that aired with the people for the Jackass franchise. During the show, one of the members were doing a stunt into a body of water where sharks had aggregated. The man fell and got bitten. The rest of the episode was about how traumatized the man was for being bitten; even though, the stunt was not necessary and led to him being bitten. 

Many media companies are sacrificing science for clicks and views while misleading their audience. I am very concerned as to where Science Communication is directed on large platforms. 

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

A new report written by researchers at the University of British Columbia and supported by Oceana reveals the foreign fisheries subsidies are contributing to overfishing in foreign countries. 

Countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, the USA, Thailand, Taiwan, Spain, Indonesia, and Norway will pay up to 35% of their total subsidies to their distant fleets to fish within the jurisdiction of other countries. In some countries, the foreign vessels outfish the domestic fleet two to one. The foreign fleet is often not allowed to fish and contribute to the illegal, unregulated, and unreported fisheries. 

The best way to find out if your tax dollars are contributing to distant fleet fishing is to speak to your federal elected representative. 

Link to article: https://news.mongabay.com/2021/07/billions-in-fishing-subsidies-finance-social-ecological-harm-report-finds/

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Fishers have had to adapt to many changes over generations. Some of those changes are natural, but most are human-induced. 

For one fisher in Alaska, adapting has been part of his entire life. Dune Lankard is an indigenous fisher in Alaska who has had to endure tsunamis, oil spills, the commoditization of the Indigenous way of fishing and life, and now climate change. 

Dune's latest adaptation to regenerative ocean farming provides a sustainable fishing model that is good for the ocean and his income. 

Link to article: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/facing-warming-waters-fishermen-are-taking-up-ocean-farming-180978091/

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Dr. David Ebert joins me on the podcast today to discuss four publications that went out in the last 5 weeks that name and describe a new shark species. These new shark species bring Dave's total described species to 50. 

Dave talks about the process of naming and describing species and describes the four new shark species. 

A couple of things that Dave is promoting today:
1) A new book: Sharks of the World - A complete guide
https://www.amazon.com/Sharks-World-Complete-Guide-Nature/dp/069120599X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3SQ7LPP1WBTVB&dchild=1&keywords=sharks+of+the+world&qid=1626233963&sprefix=Sharks+of+the+world%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-1

2) A new Shark podcast: Beyond Jaws
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-jaws/id1576456233

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

The last episode on Climate Change might have been a bit pessimistic so I decided to share a great resource on how you can fight climate change. 

The David Suzuki Foundation has been working within Canada for decades to help Canadians understand and take action on Climate Change.

I read out their tips on how you can fight climate change and added some of my comments. 

Link to article: https://davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/top-10-ways-can-stop-climate-change/

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Last week was a crazy week for the environment, to say the least. The ocean was set on fire due to a busted pipeline, a town in British Columbia ignited into flames due to a heatwave, and the Arctic ice is melting at a phenomenal rate. 

All of these events are related as they either contribute to Climate Change or are one of the many consequences of climate change. 

We need to act fast to reduce Climate Change and eventually eliminate it, but we won't get there by electing politicians that don't act on policies that will help reduce/slow down Climate Change. 

Your voting power is huge during elections in that it helps decide who will act on policies on Climate Change. Participate in all levels of government elections and then strike up a regular dialogue with your representatives. 

Let me know what you are doing to work with your government officials by leaving me a message here: https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/speak-up-for-the-ocean-blue/

Link to article: 
1) https://uproxx.com/viral/ocean-on-fire-video/
2) Our Climate: https://ourclimate.us/

Two experience Canadian Fisheries and Oceans scientists have revealed that data points to multiple factors that are causing the recovery of Northern Cod to move at a snail's pace and seals are not the driving force.

Many fishers along the North Atlantic coast in Canada and the US think that the large population of harp seals (7.6 million) is to blame for the slow recovery. However, the blame lies on other major factors such as climate change and competition for the cod's prey by whales, seabirds, and people. 

Warming waters due to climate change are influencing the change in dominant fish in places like the Gulf of Maine. Hake is becoming more dominant as the cold water-loving fish move north to cooler waters. 

Capelin is a favourite prey food for cod, but it is also prey for whales, seabirds, and people. The low number of cod may not be able to dominate the food chain with their smaller numbers.

A number of studies have shown that seals are not affecting the recovery of Northern Cod. The study of seal scat (poo) showed that cod is not a major portion of their diet. Other studies showed an increase in the numbers of seals in a population along with an increase in the number of cod in the same area. If seals were eating cod, then the cod stocks would not be growing in the presence of a growing population of seals.

Link to Article: https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/business/dont-blame-the-seals-dfo-scientists-say-fixation-on-pinnipods-ignores-other-ecological-factors-100606033/

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

The US Navy conducts drills in the ocean on a regular basis whether it uses sonar or detonates bombs. Unfortunately, many marine species including marine mammals, suffer from these exercises. 

Sonar exercises can affect the hearing of marine mammals and disrupt their communication within a pod that is used to hunting and looking after young individuals. 

Explosives are a different beast. Small to large explosions can be tested that will result in the killing of nearby ocean animals and affect the hearing of marine mammals in the distance. 

Two more "shock" tests, where a large explosive will be detonated will cause more marine species deaths in a time where we are trying to protect every individual. 

Link to Article: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jun/23/us-navy-shock-exercises-marine-life

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Does Subway use real Tuna in their Tuna sandwiches? That is the question that many headlines read throughout social media sites recently as people were sharing variations of a New York Times article along the same lines. 

The purpose of the article was to test whether a lawsuit filed by some people in California about what was in the Tuna sandwich at Subway; however, the experimental design was weak at best. 

The "experiment" came back inconclusive so the result was that they didn't know the answer based on the results. Unfortunately, the headlines looked damning to Subway without any evidence that the restaurant chain doesn't use real Tuna in their sandwiches. 

Link to article: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/19/style/subway-tuna-sandwich-lawsuit.html

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

A recent article highlighted a string of containers that have fallen off of shipping vessels in recent months. Some shipping experts say that it is caused by a change in the direction of waves causing rolling pitches on the vessels. 

The experts also say that taller ships with more containers stacked on top of each other are less sturdy, contributing to the increase in falling containers. 

Link to article: https://alsum.co/en/noticias/como-los-contenedores-terminan-en-el-oceano/

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

I was in a clubhouse room run by Zakia Rashid called Blue Planet this week and there was a discussion about oil spills at sea. Not the huge oil spills that we hear about on the news, but small spills that not many people ever hear about. 

I discuss why these spills happen and how certain countries are trying to do something about these spills in terms of further protection.

Links:

Clubhouse Blue Planet: https://www.clubhouse.com/club/blue-planet

Article: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/2e542d5

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

I had an audience member reach out to me this morning to ask me some advice about creating content for Science Communication (SciComm). I love chatting about SciComm so we had a great discussion. 

Listen to the episode on what my advice was for her. I think it might help you if you are looking to create SciComm content yourself.

Crystal's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ocean.bodhi/

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

The Coelacanth is a fish that continues to surprise the scientific community. Originally thought to be extinct, the living fossil was "rediscovered" after being caught in 1938 off the coast of Africa. 

The surprises continue today after scientists found out that Coelacanths don't live until 20 as originally thought. They live up to 100 years. 

Listen to the episode to find out how the new lifespan and how the conservation of this species has changed.

Link to Article: https://gizmodo.com/ghostly-deep-sea-fish-surprises-scientists-again-it-can-1847120406

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

The UK government responded to reports that 97% of their Marine Protected areas had allowed trawlers to fish in the areas where the major goals of the MPA were to protect the seabed making the MPA ineffective. The response was to add High Protected Marine Areas in a pilot scheme next year for 5 ocean areas. It sounds great, but many critiques would like to see the areas designated sooner rather than later.

Link to Article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/09/uk-to-trial-highly-protected-marine-areas-in-win-for-ocean-campaigners

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Tune into Earthx TV Wednesday and Thursday at 7pm ET for Live Shows of Speak Up for the Ocean Blue Podcast: https://earthxtv.com/

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

The US government passed a bill that will ban the sale and/or purchase of shark fins in the United States. There is more to the bill than a shark fin ban, which will address in a second.

The shark fin ban has had some controversy over the past years where some shark scientists have spoken out on the policy as punishing sustainable shark fishers who fish for sharks legally in the US. The ban of fin sales will effectively leave them out of the equation. Not everyone thinks the ban is bad. In fact, a number of conservationists and scientists think that the ban of sales/purchases of shark fins in the US will help protect sharks in the future. 

An additional benefit of the bill is that it includes measures to address fisheries slavery and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing of imported seafood.  This addition provides regulations for companies that import seafood to ensure the seafood is sustainable. 

Link To Article: https://usa.oceana.org/press-releases/senate-passes-ban-us-shark-fin-trade-world-oceans-day

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Tune into Earthx TV Wednesday and Thursday at 7pm ET for Live Shows of Speak Up for the Ocean Blue Podcast: https://earthxtv.com/

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Oceans Week 2021 has been a very busy week for me as I scheduled 4 Speak Up For Ocean Blue episodes and a number of episodes for my client podcasts (more on that another time). 

I also had the opportunity to take this podcast live on Earthx TV (earthxtc.com). I hosted 4 live episodes bringing on past guests of the podcast to do a video recording to discuss some of their new projects and strategies to help conserve the ocean. 

I finish off the episode with a major theme for the week which is behaviour change and how we need to rethink the way we approach conservation with more positive vibes and achievable goals.  

Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com

Tune into Earthx TV Wednesday and Thursday at 7pm ET for Live Shows of Speak Up for the Ocean Blue Podcast: https://earthxtv.com/

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

I am joined by RARE's Katie Velasco who is here to discuss a contest for solutions to water pollution from around the world. The contest that is led by RARE and is run by Solution Search is down to 10 finalists that have a product or service related to fighting against water pollution. 

The contest provides a platform where contestants can get more exposure for their product or service that is already running to help them scale their ideas and bring more help to people all over the world. 

You can vote for the 10 Finalists (every day until the contest is over) by clicking on this link: https://solutionsearch.org/

Tune into Earthx TV Wednesday and Thursday at 7pm ET for Live Shows of Speak Up for the Ocean Blue Podcast: https://earthxtv.com/

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Happy Oceans Day!!!

As promised in the last episode, here is the entire audio piece created by Michelle Amor.

Enjoy!

Tune into Earthx TV Tuesday-Thursday at 7pm ET for Live Shows of Speak Up for the Ocean Blue Podcast: https://earthxtv.com/

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Michelle Amor is a Masters Student in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at Scripps Institute of Oceanography. She is also an avid music composer and a violin teacher. 

This episode dives into how Michelle decided to merge her two passions, music and oceans, into an audio creation that takes you through the sounds of someone driving from their house in the city to a beach. The piece reveals why we love the ocean so much as we seek calm sounds of waves hitting the beach and the sounds below the sea surface. 

Today's episode will focus on the making of the audio piece while tomorrow's episode (a bonus episode for Ocean's Day) will have the audio piece in its entirety. 

Tune into Earthx TV Monday-Thursday at 7pm ET for Live Shows of Speak Up for the Ocean Blue Podcast: https://earthxtv.com/

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

It starts with trying to solve a problem. Dr. Rebecca Helm, Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina Ashville, wanted to make sure ocean species such as jellyfish and other non-commercial species are protected in the High Seas. She complained about it on Twitter and people responded with the same sentiment. She turned to her Twitter friend, Nichola Clark from the Pew Charitable Trusts, and a marine policy scientist that specialized in the High Sea. 

Nichola knew the ropes and how to put the movement Rebecca was building into good use, especially since there was a Biodiversity Treaty being negotiated at the United Nations. The movement continued and two years and one global pandemic later, a scientific letter was written and sent to the UN to outline three things the scientists wanted out of the treaty.

Listen to the episode to find out what those three things are. 

Are you a scientist? Sign the letter: http://www.protectthehighseas.com/

Contact me to download the document Nichola mentioned called "A Path to Creating the First Generation of High Seas Protected Areas" 

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Eden Robins and Dr. Craig McClain join me on today's episode to talk about why they started a podcast to make boring science things not so boring with their new podcast.

It's funny, it's witty, it's actually quite informative as it dives into science to make things like lichens and the Kreb's Cycle exciting. 

Follow the podcast here:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/no-such-thing-as-boring/id1566049669Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1WxUiisgFOX9awi8ns4DCs?si=46WLZzoKTmKQm0pAmWX_Iw

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Plastic pollution in the Ocean is a serious problem as 12 million tons of plastic pollution is added to the Ocean on a daily basis. 

An amendment to the UN's 1989 Basel Convention added the disposal of plastic to reduce the amount of plastic pollution. where all of the original signatories have signed on to the amendment including China and Canada in the last year. However, the US has yet to ratify the convention since its inception. The Biden-Harris administration might be different, but they have not had the time to even consider it and there is a strong industry lobby that is opposing the Basel Convention.

Link to Article: https://news.mongabay.com/2021/05/as-the-rest-of-world-tackles-plastics-disposal-the-u-s-resists/https://news.mongabay.com/2021/05/as-the-rest-of-world-tackles-plastics-disposal-the-u-s-resists/

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

This episode is purely motivational. I find that there is a perception that people should do everything perfectly if they are going to be eco-friendly. Apparently, there is no room for failure. You are either all eco-friendly or you are not at all. And that is the wrong way of thinking. 

Changing human behaviour is hard and it takes time to achieve your full goals. I provide examples of how I changed certain aspects of my life to improve myself. I oftentimes will throw things against the wall to see what sticks and work on improving myself each time. 

Don't be afraid about failure and act now for the Ocean.

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

The Deep Sea is quite a mysterious place. In fact, we know more about space than we do about the Deep Sea, which doesn't make a lot of sense since the Ocean is on our planet and we need to make a better effort in knowing our planet better. There are people who are trying to explore the Deep Sea more though and they are using technology to increase the chance of discovering more. 

Dr. Edith Widder and Dr. Nathan Robinson have been collaborating since they were able to film a Deep Sea squid in the Gulf of Mexico using a camera system that was in the tons in weight and required a massive boat to carry. The weight and size of the camera restricted the number of times and places they could search for the Deep Sea squid. So they made the camera lighter (300 lbs) and smaller to provide the opportunity for more institutions to buy and cast the camera in various places around the world more times. 

I am joined by Nathan to discuss why this camera could to more than additional footage of the Deep Sea squid and what it means for the future of biodiversity in the Ocean. 

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

I feel as though my first lesson in web food ecology was learning about the dynamics between the Sea Otter, Sea Urchin, and the Kelp Forest. When one is out of balance (i.e. population is up or down) then it affects all of the other species. 

When Europeans settled along the West Coast of North America, they hunted Sea Otters for their pelts. The Sea Otters nearly went extinct. Environmental protection from the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act increased the Sea Otter population, but not everywhere. 

The Sea Otters are not found off the coast of Northern California, just North of Monterey Bay where the Kelp Forests have decreased by 90% over the past decade. However, in Monterey Bay the Kelp Forests have only decreased by 60% (still not great, but significantly better than to the North). The reason?

There is a presence of Sea Otters in Monterey Bay and they are keeping the Sea Urchin population in check.

Link to Article: https://www.kpbs.org/news/2021/may/04/sea-otters-guardians-monterey-bays-kelp-forest/ 

Judging from the title, you probably think that I am going crazy. Of course, banning bottom trawling will improve the ocean. But you will be surprised when I tell you that there haven't been many studies that provide evidence of recovery. 

Listen to the episode to find out why!

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

BREAKING NEWS: The Allen Coral Atlas released a new tool that will monitor Coral Reef Bleaching in near real-time so that marine managers can take action steps to better monitor and manage their coral reefs. 

I speak with Dr. Greg Asner, Arizona State University's Director of the Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science about how the Allen Coral Atlas got started, who was involved, and how the tool has evolved into a multi-product tool that is used by numerous scientists, conservationists, and managers from all over the world. 

Listen in to the conversation I have to find out how this global partnership works while people are located around the world. 

Try the Bleaching tool on Allen Coral Atlas:
https://allencoralatlas.org/

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

A new study revealed a potential favourite nursing habitat for Green Sea Turtles that hatch near the Gulf Stream. The area is filled with algae that many tourists hate and call "Seaweed", but it plays a crucial role in providing Green Sea Turtles with food and shelter during some of the most vulnerable years of their lives.

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Clay Groves, the host of the Fish Nerds Podcast, joins me in the podcast today for Ocean Talk Friday. If you are new to Ocean Talk Friday, it's where Clay and I each chose an Ocean article to discuss on the episode without telling the other person what their article is about. We describe the article and get each other's take on it. 

Clay's article was about the Florida Man who was charged for taking a picture with a tiger shark that was dragged from saltwater to freshwater (not good for the shark) and held it out of water for long periods of time.

My article was about whether protecting 30% of the Ocean by 2030 was achievable. 

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

How can seafood consumers truly buy sustainable seafood? The first step is to decrease the number of middle people in the supply chain so that most of the money spent can support the smaller-scale fishers who do most of the work and follow the regulations for responsible fisheries. 

Sitka Salmon Shares is an Alsakan Seafood business that flips the current fisheries model on its head and provides a better alternative to seafood consumers. 

Nic Mink is the co-founder of Sitka Salmon Shares and he joins me on the podcast today to discuss how he started the business and how he overcame challenges to provide a responsible and diverse array of species. 

Links:
https://sitkasalmonshares.com/

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

The Australian Sea Lion population has been declining for the past few decades. So much so that a Scientific Committee recommended the sea lions be upgraded to Endangered from their Threatened status. 

The upgrade in status will afford more protections and more funds to help monitor the populations and help better determine and monitor the recovery plan. 

The population is being hit by an increase in mercury levels, sea-level rise, and fishing pressure. 

The new protections have included protecting a large area from bottom gillnet fishing in the same place where the sea lions forage. 

Link to Article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/04/population-of-australias-only-unique-seal-has-fallen-by-60-study-finds?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

The past two episodes have focused on Blue Carbon Habitats such as mangroves, seagrass meadows, salt marshes, and kelp forests and their importance for sequestering carbon and reducing Climate Change. 

In this episode, I discuss why we don't discuss Blue Carbon habitats when we talk about conservation and how you can get involved in more Blue Carbon projects. 

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Blue Carbon habitats can sequester more carbon than the Amazon Forests. Mangroves, Seagrass Meadows, Salt Marshes, and Kelp Forests are all considered Blue Carbon habitats and play a large role in reducing the effects of Climate Change. 

Unfortunately, Blue Carbon habitats have been destroyed due to development priorities along the coastline. Restoring the habitats can be expensive, but is considered necessary if we want to significantly reduce Climate Change.

WILDCOAST has been working for over 10 years on a Blue Carbon Program that includes a Mangrove restoration initiative, where the staff work in collaboration with local communities along the Pacific Coast in Mexico and Southern California to protect existing Blue Carbon habitats and restore those that were gone. 

Join The Virtual Happy Hour to find out how you could get involved in projects such as these on Tuesday, May 25th at 5-6pm PST: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/natural-climate-solutions-virtual-happy-hour-tickets-152932048875?sm_guid=NDAzNDcxfDExMjYzNDcwfC0xfGRvbmF0ZUB3aWxkY29hc3QubmV0fDM1NDA1NDR8fDB8MHw4NDkyNDg4NXw4NjJ8MHwwfHwzODcwMDk1

Find out more about the Project:
Blue Carbon Program: https://wildcoast.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/WILDCOAST-Blue-Carbon-Program.pdf

WILDCOAST: https://wildcoast.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/20-Years-of-WILDCOAST.pdf

WILDCOAST's website: https://wildcoast.org/

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

The common practice when discussing the reduction of Climate Change is to mention trees that sequester carbon through photosynthesis. There are additional ways to sequester carbon that often get ignored, which is to look under the ocean's surface. 

Seagrass, mangroves, salt marshes, and kelp forests all play an important role in sequestering carbon and do it way more than trees (and faster). These habitats are also known as Blue Carbon.

Countries are using Blue Carbon strategies to help sequester more carbon. The UK is using it to revitalize Plymouth Sound by planting seagrass seedlings that will make up 4 hectares of underwater habitat. The restoration project will include more than just Blue Carbon benefits, it will also include benefits such as nursery habitat and will solidify the sediment. 

Link to Article: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/natural-england-ocean-marine-conservation-society-b930947.html?fbclid=IwAR1tfzyfxpXLxBS-1JVgoc_Fs-qn9EueYQJ0HcQkQtPb1QomkFe1FDYAMSQ

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

A recent study found that using Amoxycillin can help with curing lesions on stony corals; however, it does not yet cure the coral from getting lesions again. More research on the dosage will need to be done to find the right application.

Link to Article: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/antibiotic-amoxicillin-successfully-treats-disease-infected-coral/

Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group.

Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/

Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue