Dive into the Depths: Join Andrew Lewin on 'How to Protect the Ocean' – Your Gateway to Exclusive Ocean Insights! Explore the latest, uncharted realms of ocean science and conservation that you won't find anywhere else. Andrew takes you on an inspiring journey to uncover the hidden gems of oceanic discovery and initiatives. Tune in to discover how you can transform your life for a better ocean, one episode at a time.
The How To Protect The Ocean is your resource to keep you informed on the latest ocean news; teach you how to speak up for the ocean; and, how you can take action to live for a better ocean.
There is so much information on the ocean and the issues that are affecting it that it can be difficult to find optimism in the future of the ocean. Climate change, overfishing, plastic pollution, water pollution, and coastal development have altered the ocean in ways that have negatively changed the way we use it.
The repercussions of climate change, including the ominous specter of rising sea levels, the relentless march of warming ocean temperatures, and the ominous shadow of ocean acidification, have not only altered the very fabric of our coastlines but have also conjured fiercer storms and summoned floods with growing frequency. The fossil fuel industry may whisper in your ear that the situation is insurmountable, an inescapable fate. However, this podcast is here to unveil a different narrative, one that empowers you to take action. It illuminates the path to change by casting your vote for leaders committed to implementing climate-rescuing policies and by offering invaluable insights into how each of us can shrink our individual carbon footprint.
The grim reality of overfishing casts a long shadow, fueled by governmental shortcomings in the stewardship of both commercial and recreational fisheries. Within the delicate balance of our oceans, every fish population possesses a threshold - a point at which the relentless harvest of fishermen begins to erode their numbers. The management of these aquatic resources is a formidable task, as the elusive currents of the sea often defy easy tracking. Furthermore, the menace of illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing looms large in many nations, adding to the crisis.
Yet, a glimmer of hope shines through the depths. A beacon for responsible consumption emerges in the form of seafood programs, guiding conscientious individuals toward choices that safeguard our oceans. By heeding these programs, you not only savor the delights of sustainable seafood but also become an informed guardian of marine ecosystems.
The relentless scourge of plastic pollution has unleashed an epidemic of death upon the denizens of our oceans. It's a ruthless killer, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of marine mammals, majestic sharks, grandiose fish, gentle sea turtles, and the graceful sea birds that soar above. The malevolence of this crisis knows no bounds, with microplastics infiltrating even the remotest depths of the ocean and etching their presence along every coastline.
To mount a defense against this ecological cataclysm, the clarion call for action echoes on the international and national stages. It beckons governments far and wide to adopt resolute policies, wielding the power to outlaw the menace of single-use plastics and demanding the meticulous detoxification of our supply chains. In this grand battle to safeguard our seas, the fight against plastic pollution knows no borders.
The ominous specter of water pollution looms large, a consequence of our thoughtless disposal into the arteries of our planet – our streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans. This callous act reverberates, sending shockwaves through the intricate ecosystems of our coastal havens, where the likes of coral reefs, resilient mangroves, and swaying seagrasses thrive. But alas, this intrusion is not benign; it bears the capacity to corrode and dismantle these vital sanctuaries, the very lifeblood of countless fish and the steadfast guardians of our vulnerable shorelines.
Yet, amidst the unsettling tide of pollution, there emerges a ray of hope. Through individual resolve and visionary government policies harnessed with cutting-edge technology, we can stem this toxic deluge. Water treatment systems stand as stalwart guardians, armed with the ability to sift out the insidious nutrients that fuel destructive algal blooms. The power to heal our waters and preserve the sanctity of our coastal treasures lies within our grasp.
Coastal development, driven by human desires to construct homes or fortify the shoreline against erosion, represents a significant intervention in the natural order. Yet, these changes, while initially confined to the coastal zone, often send ripple effects that extend far beyond their original boundaries, casting a shadow of unintended consequences.
The repercussions of altering coastlines resonate through interconnected ecosystems, occasionally triggering a cascade of events that can inflict profound harm on distant areas. In doing so, this well-intentioned transformation can unwittingly imperil the lives and livelihoods of communities residing in the wake of its impact. It is a stark reminder that our actions along the coast carry a profound responsibility, not just to the immediate environment but to the greater web of life and society that depends upon it.
A new book argues that the social sciences, including anthropology, economics, human geography, political science, psychology, and sociology, are key to effective conservation. Conservation Social Science: Understanding People, Conserving Biodiversity argues that human behaviour is often overlooked when it comes to developing conservation solutions, which ultimately require changing the way people interact with the environment. Effective conservation requires understanding the consequences for s...
May 01, 2023•17 min•Ep 1149•Transcript available on Metacast
The How To Protect The Ocean Podcast has always been a podcast for people that wanted to learn about living for a better ocean and about the people who were out there working and protecting the ocean. It meant that I would help tell the stories or bring on people who worked in the same field who would tell their stories about protecting the ocean through marine conservation. But, I came to realize that I learn a lot from you, the person in my audience on your challenges and successes in protecti...
Apr 26, 2023•16 min•Ep 1448•Transcript available on Metacast
Ecotourism can bring about some great benefits by educating visitors about the natural habitats found in a particular place and providing a revenue-generating service for local people. The type of ecotourism can range from kayak tours of mangroves to whale watching and can provide some great opportunities for tourists to connect with the wilderness. But some types of ecotourism can be considered dangerous and have checkered pasts which can make it difficult for new operations to open up in new p...
Apr 24, 2023•20 min•Ep 1447•Transcript available on Metacast
I wanted to share the most recent episode of the Beyond Jaws podcast to share the great story of Dr. Oscar Sosa who took the knowledge he gained from his graduate work in Japan back home to Mexico to build a great research program. I'm sharing this episode because I wanted to show you that not all researchers have a straight path to what you might consider success. Each shark scientist, including Oscar, has their own unique path that is a product of their personality. Enjoy the episode! Follow t...
Apr 21, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast
I tell a true story about the events that led the Canadian government to replace an entire environmental science sector in 2015 after changing a crucial environmental protection law to speed up the construction of a pipeline. The story reinforces the need to vote for politicians that want to protect the environment including the ocean. Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservation Career: https://www.speaku...
Apr 19, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast
There are a number of climate models that could predict the intensity of the upcoming El Nino this year (2023). Some articles are predicting that we are going to have a Super El Nino, which could have devastating effects to many vulnerable areas around the world and the clean up from the damage could be in the billions of dollars. The last El Nino event was in 2015-2016 and it was considered a super El Nino, where the surface temperatures in the Eastern Pacific exceeded 2C. There were 15 major w...
Apr 17, 2023•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast
I wanted to create another episode on based another portion of the conversation that my cohost, Dr. David Ebert, and I had with Dr. Andrea Marshall on the Beyond Jaws podcast. We discussed how she funds most of her revenue and that it helped her organization fund its scientific programs on manta rays and other megafauna. If you are planning on starting your own non-profit or marine science business, then this episode is for you! Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey...
Apr 14, 2023•18 min•Ep 1443•Transcript available on Metacast
Have you ever asked yourself what VALUE you can bring to the Marine Biology job that you want so that you can help your employer succeed in ways that other candidates can't? I asked myself this very question after interviewing Dr. Andrea Marshall (Queen of the Mantas) for a Beyond Jaws episode. Andrea spoke about her SCUBA diving experience and how she completed the highest certification in SCUBA before she was 18 because she knew that she would need that skill when she was researching ocean fau...
Apr 12, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast
There is no secret that the Southern Resident Orca Population in the Salish Sea is critically endangered and it faces many challenges that could lead this population to extinction. An overwhelming challenge is the population's reliance on Chinook salmon as their primary prey as the salmon population is also declining. But there is also a new question that was recently answered that could identify another challenge: Is the energy storage (fats) in Chinook salmon equal among Chinook salmon? Resear...
Apr 10, 2023•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast
There is an effort to conserve the Mobulid (manta and devil rays) species (9-11 species) as most of the species are considered endangered. Purse seine nets and gill nets are the leading reason for the death of mobulids. But there is a new fishing gear hack that gives mobulids a better chance for survival if they are caught in purse seine nets. The device is called a manta grid and it could be used as a tool in the conservation tool belt for tuna fishing (or any other type of fishing) in the futu...
Apr 08, 2023•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast
One of the scariest thoughts to me is wondering how far does our plastic pandemic reach in the ocean. We know that plastics reach every part of the ocean's surface, but how far down? And is it consistently found in the deep-sea? If so, how much of the microplastic accumulates within the deep-sea organisms? So many questions would require thousands of samples from around the world which would cost several millions of dollars. The good news is our guest today, Dr. Andrew Thaler, is now the steward...
Apr 05, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast
Blue carbon is not just a huge buzzword in the conservation space. It's a field within conservation that could help the oceans recoup from climate change impacts while decreasing climate change. There are many start-up companies that are popping up in the space to get in on what could be a lucrative business model for the near future and a way to save the planet. However, there are still many questions that remain unanswered for the space that could have unintended negative impacts on the ocean ...
Apr 04, 2023•15 min•Ep 1438•Transcript available on Metacast
Lolita is coming home...well maybe. The long-awaited journey home that people all over the world, especially the Lummi people (Indigenous people near the waters from which Lolita originated) closer to going home. The new owners of the Miami Seaquarium would like to release her, an NFL owner is ready to donate the funds, and local organizations are ready for her arrival. However, you may not see her home anytime soon as there are some regulations and challenges that need to be overcome before tha...
Mar 31, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast
The congressional hearing where the CEO of TikTok was questioned about the security of the app seemed like a total farce and there are many things that could be said about some of the conflicts of interest of the politicians in that most of them had Meta stock (a direct competitor to TikTok). However, the chair of the hearing said that she thinks the app should be banned in the United States due to safety and security concerns. The recent success of making the Willow Project go viral on TikTok s...
Mar 29, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast
A new proposal by an aquaculture company to farm octopuses is raising concerns among animal activists, conservationists, and scientists about whether it is right to farm octopuses for the purpose of food. The company proposes that farming octopus will help reduce trawling practices and provide the cultural demand for octopus as certain places around the world eat octopus as part of their culture; however, others are worried about the ethical and physical problems that might arise from the farmin...
Mar 27, 2023•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast
I get asked the same thing all of the time: How do I get a job in marine biology? The first thing I say is, do you have some time to talk? Marine Biology is a career that many people want when they grow up. They watch some great documentaries and TV shows and now even social media content of scientists and conservationists sharing their work in incredible places do some amazing things. When people graduate from university/college and start to look for a job they get frustrated about a number of ...
Mar 24, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast
There is nothing better than going to a beach after a rain storm to sea the calmness of the sea and enjoy the ocean's tranquility. But, you might want to stay away from those areas after you hear what a recent study found in the ocean spray after storms near rivers where sewage is disposed of during storms. A recent study that sampled ocean spray in the air found sewage particles carrying bacteria, viruses, and potentially other nasty things in the air after a storm hit. The study becomes scary ...
Mar 22, 2023•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast
Red tide has hit the Florida coastline once again due to a variety of reasons that will not go away any time soon unless Florida's water quality problem is solved soon and it's affecting the local people and economy. It's not the worst red tide event that we have seen in the recent past, but it seems to be popping up year after year and that is concerning many scientists as climate change is making things worse. We are starting to see the long-term effects of red tide, increased nutrients, and w...
Mar 20, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast
My family and I love to travel down south to the Caribbean for vacation during the winter to get a break from the cold and lie on the beach and explore the inshore of the ocean. But there has been a massive increase in the coverage of sargassum along the coastline and the accumulation is getting to the point where trucks are working around the clock to get rid of the algae. Climate change and increased nutrients for massive rivers are the culprits to the increase in the biomass of sargassum. The...
Mar 17, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast
The Biden administration approved a controversial proposal to drill in Alaska (a project that could produce 280 million metric tons of carbon emissions/9.2 million per year)despite campaign promises of not approving any more oil projects due to climate change concerns. Many petitions with hundreds of thousands of signatures were submitted and numerous comments were made on social media posts asking for people to Speak Up against the project. Former government officials said the administration wa...
Mar 15, 2023•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast
Kiska the orca who was known as the loneliest orca in the world passed away due to a bacterial infection on March 10th and people around the world are angry at Marineland for their lack of effort in taking good care of Kiska. But the most frustrating part of Kiska's story is that she could have been the first orca to participate in the whale sanctuary project. Therefore, we need to intensify the efforts of retiring orcas and other marine mammals to seaside sanctuaries so we don't repeat Kiska's ...
Mar 13, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast
After 2 decades we have a UN High Seas Treaty and there is hope for protecting the ocean in international waters, but there is an important step that needs to be taken...the treaty needs to be ratified by the countries. There are great reasons to ratify this treaty, specifically 4 important actions that will help the world and its ocean. Therefore, it is time that the people of the countries who need to ratify this treaty need to tell their politicians to ratify this bill. We are going to talk a...
Mar 10, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast
Last year, the Biden administration rolled out the most comprehensive climate bill in US history and launched the journey of climate action that was promised during the campaign. But it is now evaluating the approval of an oil and gas drilling opportunity in Alaska called the Willow Project. You may not have heard of the project because it seems to have flown under the radar, but people are talking about it on TikTok. In fact, my daughter is the person who told me about it. I wanted to find out ...
Mar 08, 2023•46 min•Ep 1427•Transcript available on Metacast
Open-net pen salmon aquaculture has been operating along the west coast of Canada in the Discovery islands for almost 30 years and it was supported by the government. But not everyone was happy with the results that occurred in the surrounding waters. Indigenous groups and environmentalists were noticing that there was more disease in and outside of the pens and fewer wild Pacific Salmon coming out of the Fraser river. A court ruled that many of the licenses for the aquaculture pens should not b...
Mar 06, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast
We have heard the experts tell us time and time again that diversity and inclusion is critical for protecting the ocean and the planet. But many organizations, governments, and private companies often fail to implement policies within the workplace to foster a better environment and work culture that could lead to better conservation. I was recently contacted by a listener to tell me about a mistake that I made in referencing the terms equality and equity. The conversation developed into a great...
Mar 03, 2023•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast
Science communication has the power to capture the eyes and minds of any audience and the ability to find a way to explain science is various aspects of life takes a certain skill and passion. But it's not easy to communicate the science and build an audience that will continue to come back for more. Therefore, the message has to be entertaining to get attention and you must go where the audience goes. Melissa Truth Miller is my guest today and an example of meeting an audience to communicate he...
Mar 01, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast
Kelp forests have a number of benefits to the coastal oceans: They provide a habitat for a diverse set of species; they provide food for species; and, they take up carbon dioxide more than land trees. But kelp forests are at risk as a predator that used to be a problem is becoming more of a problem and eating live kelp. We need healthy kelp forests for all of their benefits including reducing climate change. Therefore, it is crucial that we discuss what will help protect them. Link to article: h...
Feb 27, 2023•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast
I recently did an episode where I interviewed a great colleague and great friend, Dr. Andrew Thaler. At the end of the interview, I asked him what he was up to these days because you never know what Andrew Thaler is up to at any point and time. He let me know that he was spending his time on a climate change committee in his county. I was so proud of him because we had a similar discussion about 5 years ago and he mentioned that he wanted to do something like this. And then he said something tha...
Feb 24, 2023•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast
There seems to be a resurgence of tuna fish advertising as influencers show the benefits of eating tuna and try to bust myths of mercury poisoning and overfishing if you look up government standards you will find that specific tuna is safe to eat, but are the supermarkets that sell them sourcing from the right supplier? Are they making sure the suppliers are sustainably catching tuna and treating their staff right? Over a number of podcasts, I have revealed the tragedies of overfishing on the hi...
Feb 22, 2023•17 min•Ep 1421•Transcript available on Metacast
You need to know what's happening in deep-sea mining, or what's not happening in deep-sea mining. I kept hearing different stories about how close deep-sea mining was to becoming a reality. At times it concerned me and at other times I was just thinking that it was never going to happen. Over the past year, things have seemed to progress and you might be seeing more stories in the media about the topic. That is happening for a reason and it's partly due to the work of a small group of people tha...
Feb 20, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast