How To Protect The Ocean

Lonely Whale has partnered up with Dell and other corporations for a program called Next Wave Plastics, where corporations use ocean-bound plastics located in strategic areas to incorporate in their supply chain. This program answers the question: "What are corporations doing to help reduce plastics in their products?" Dune Ives, Executive Director of Lonely Whale joins me on the podcast today to discuss the award winning program and how the corporate partnership is only the beginning of reinventing how products are made. Dune is also here to discuss two new corporate partners to join the likes of GM, Bureo, Trek, Herman Miller, Human Scale and Interface to Next Wave Plastics. Do you think this program will get more corporations involved? Let me know in the Facebook Group. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Join the Patreon Community to help support Speak Up For Blue's mission to bring Marine Science and Conservation information to you and the audience.

Do you ever feel like you are worried about damaging the places you visit? This past week we discussed a popular Thai beach being closed down to tourists because of the damage and pollution that caused during their visits. I know I always worry about how my actions could harm or disrespect the places that I visit. As a tourist, we have responsibilities to protect the Ocean in the various places we visit. Dr. Christopher Warren has created a program for tourists to ensure they do not have a negative impact on the environment on the destination they visit. It's a great idea and there is a possibility that the program will be rolled out for all people who are trying to reduce their impact on the environment whether or not they are travelling. Would you use this program while travelling if it was offered by your hotel? Let me know in the Facebook Group. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Join the Patreon Community to help support Speak Up For Blue's mission to bring Marine Science and Conservation information to you and the audience.

The Barndoor skate is a huge skate species living off the coast of the Northeastern US and was once a commercially viable species; however, from 1971 to 1998, the barndoor skate population numbers were very low to the point where fisheries scientists were worried that the species were going extinct. the population had been overfished for years. In 2000, the large skate species was added to the Endangered Species List, which seemed to be the right thing to do as the population has now almost fully recovered from being overfished and back to 1965 population numbers. Is it time to start to fish them again? Researchers are cautiously optimistic on their viability as a commercial fisheries and are looking into the matter. Fisheries management of a recovered species is a complex issue as managers want to make sure that the species population is stable during fishing activities. Do you think managers should open up the fisheries again? Let me know in the Facebook Group. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Join the Patreon Community to help support Speak Up For Blue's mission to bring Marine Science and Conservation information to you and the audience.

In September, I interviewed Dr. Naomi Rose to discuss what is happening to the Southern Resident Orca Population. There are only 74 left and the population has not had a new birth for the past 3 years. One of the recent deaths of an Orca named J50 was presumed to be the cause of starvation. The population only eats Chinook Salmon and nothing else. A lack of Chinook Salmon has lead to the number of individuals in the population to 74, the lowest in 35 years!!! Naomi stated that the cause of the lack of salmon prey for the Orca population was due to damns in the Columbia and Snake Rivers. The removal of the damns could bring back the salmon population and help save the Orcas; however, the hydroelectric companies do not want to remove the damns. There was an article in the Seattle Times published last week by Lynda Mapes on a new effort to help the Orcas now instead of in the future because there just isn't that much time left for these whales. A new election around the corner could change the tide on this issue and that is what I am focusing on in this episode. Do you think the damns should be removed? Let me know in the Facebook Group. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Join the Patreon Community to help support Speak Up For Blue's mission to bring Marine Science and Conservation information to you and the audience.

We continue our series on how pay-walled journal publishers are inhibiting marine conservation practices as they limit access to science articles. Nick Wehner (from OCTO) joins me on the podcast to discuss a new article he wrote on how the impact of articles listed in Open Access Repositories, such as MarXiv, is increased over Open Access articles from publishers. I am shocked by what Nick reveals in this interview and I think you will be as well. This topic is something that needs to be discussed. Do you think scientists should start publishing in repositories such as MarXiv rather than journals that are behind a wall? Let me know in the Facebook Group. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Join the Patreon Community to help support Speak Up For Blue's mission to bring Marine Science and Conservation information to you and the audience.

Searching for Jobs in Marine Conservation can be daunting, frustrating and depressing. We get up in the morning, find a job, then apply to it thinking that we will get an interview...but nothing. This process is repeated daily and your passion dwindles every month you are not working in Marine Conservation. However, it doesn't need to be this way. Searching for a job is similar to being a salesperson, where getting the job is the sale of a product/service. You can cold call people by applying to a job without any of the personnel knowing who you are just like you get phone calls from call centres trying to sell you a product. The chance of getting a sale or a job is slim. However, if you build a relationship with the client/employer, then you can show them who you are, become someone they trust and respect. Become someone they think about when there is an opportunity available. Building relationships is not the same as applying for a job blindly. Building relationship is about networking. Networking is one of the most important aspects of job hunting. Networking is not about adding people to your "Contacts" App. It's about building relationships. You are selling yourself by seeking out a job, but you don't want to ask right away. You want to be patient and bring value to the person. Overtime, an opportunity may arise where you end up getting a job in the opportunity you want. I go into more detail about building a networking and seeking a job. during this episode. This episode is building on top of last week's episode on Marine Conservation career. Do you have questions about your career? Discuss it in the Facebook Group. Join the Patreon Community to help support Speak Up For Blue's mission to bring Marine Science and Conservation information to you and the audience.

Have you ever wanted to visit a place so badly that you dream of it every night and look at beautiful pictures? How did you feel when you showed up to that place after years of dreaming about it and finding out that it has been ruined by other tourists who had the same dreams. It happened at a beach in Thailand that was made popular by the movie "The Beach" that starred Leonardo DiCaprio (an environmental advocate no less). Did you ever wonder whether we need to see all of these places or should we just leave them alone? These are the questions that I dive into during this episode. I would love to hear you weigh in on this matter in the Facebook Group. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Join the Patreon Community to help support Speak Up For Blue's mission to bring Marine Science and Conservation information to you and the audience.

The popular organization OCEANARCH led a team of 26 researchers to find some Great white Sharks in the waters off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada in search to find a mating sight hypothesized to be in the area. Two of the their tagged sharks, Lydia and Hilton, were tracked in the Canadian waters. Researchers wondered why the sharks migrated so far North. During the expedition, the team found and tagged six sharks that they will track over the next year or so in hopes that the apex predators will reveal a pattern. I know there are groups of people who do not like to see sharks tagged and think that they should be left alone; however, the results from the data have lead to huge advances in our knowledge of not only Great White Sharks, but other species as well. Hammerhead sharks are protected in Florida State waters due to the data that revealed the species is highly sensitive to being caught by fishing. The data was gathered during a tagging expedition. Do you think sharks should be tagged? Let me know in the Facebook Group. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Join the Patreon Community to help support Speak Up For Blue's mission to bring Marine Science and Conservation information to you and the audience.

There are 100s of people that try to get in the Marine Science and Conservation field every year. It's difficult to find a job let alone build a career in Marine Conservation. However, there are certain things you can do to help increase your chances to get a job within your career path. Well, you need to have a career path in the first place. This episode, I discuss why you need to have a career path, or 2, planned to focus your job search and stick to a plan to get your Marine Science and Conservation. For those of you trying to develop a career, you need to listen to this podcast. If you have questions about your career, ask them in the Facebook Group. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Join the Patreon Community to help support Speak Up For Blue's mission to bring Marine Science and Conservation information to you and the audience.

The International Shoreline Cleanup occurs in September every year. It's a way to get people to understand how much plastic and debris washes up on beaches. Greenpeace Canada has released a report identifying the common pieces of trash that was found along the shorelines in Canada. The CBC covered the report and why the corporations should be responsible for the items they create. Some corporations blame the recycling and waste management system. How do you think the corporations should react to their items being found on Canadian Shorelines? Let us know in the Facebook Group. Source Enjoy The Podcast!!! Join the Patreon Community to help support Speak Up For Blue's mission to bring Marine Science and Conservation information to you and the audience.

What do you do when your government doesn't follow up on its pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? You take them to court. That is what a group of organizations did to the Dutch Government. An appeals court ruled that the government had to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020. This cut will include closing a coal plant that was just opened last year. The ruling opens the discussion as to whether every government will be taken to court to ensure they follow up on their international pledges. Do you think most government will have to be taken to court? Let me know if the Facebook Group. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Join the Patreon Community to help support Speak Up For Blue's mission to bring Marine Science and Conservation information to you and the audience.

Local communities can be great examples of showing great conservation examples as they conserve their community in order for them to survive for generations. A recent example was brought to the forefront by Mongabay's Jennifer O'Mahony. The example was of a Senegalese Community that went through a transformation of the way they management their land and water resources to sustainably live as a successful community. Of course, they are not without problems, but their story is amazing and is one that is spreading to neighbouring villages. Check out this episode to find out the community's story. Let me know in the Facebook Group wether you think more communities should be managed in the same way, especially when it comes to enforcement. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Join our Patreon Community to help us spread our mission to bring Marine Science and Conservation to the public.

I'm confused. First, an article comes out with a list of the 100 companies that contribute 71% of the Global Greenhouse Gases (the list was made up primarily of oil/gas and coal corporations). Then, an article comes out saying that the meat industry is responsible to contributing more than the oil and gas industry. Which one contributes more? And does it matter? Here are the sources: List of 100 Companies producing 71% of Global Greenhouse Gases Meat Industry to surpass oil and gas industry as top Greenhouse Gas Contributor Do you have information on this that could help us choose what is best for the Ocean? Let me know in the Facebook Group. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Consider joining the Patreon Community to support Speak Up For Blue's mission to bring Marine Science and Conservation to you!

I've met with many people over my career you provide them with advice on how to get a Marine Conservation Career. In fact, I created an online course for it a few years back. I enjoy helping people as I got helped by my colleagues; however, there are somethings that I wish I could provide better advice on. That is harassment in the workplace. I recently was told about a situation a friend of mine within Marine Conservation was going through at their current workplace. The situation has gotten my friend anxious, stressed out and fearful for her safety. A bunch of us are trying to provide her help, often times just being there to listen to what she has to say to get her frustrations out. I still feel helpless in trying to help because I don't have experience in this situation. I thought I would dedicate an episode on my thoughts on how to deal with harassment within the field of Marine Science and Conservation in order to start the conversation to that you and other audience members may continue the conversation in the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group. It would be great if you could tell your story to help others realize that they are not alone. Or provide a an ear for people going through a bad situation. Thanks!

Another IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change) report has been released and things haven't gotten better regarding Climate Change...things are worse. The report predicted that massive droughts and flooding will occur that will change coastlines forever and it will happen sooner than expected. Am I surprised, no. We have not done enough as a human species to reduce climate change. In fact, we've done worse. the climate change debates and governments that continue to do business as usual are not helping us to implementing the solution. I explore whether the IPCC reports really help communicate the dire situation that were are in or do they make things worse. Take a listen to the episode and let me know what you think in the Facebook Group. NY Times Source Guardian Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Join the Patreon Community to support our mission of bringing Marine Science and Conservation Information to the Public.

On of the main arguments for reduce meat content lately has been to help reduce climate change. According to studies, cow flatulence emits methane, a greenhouse gas. In fact, the meat industry is said to contribute 4% of the global greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. An estimate puts 3 tons of methane for every cow...that's a lot of farts and burps! However, there may be a way that the amount methane from cows could be reduced. A Swiss company claims to have created a feed for the animals that will reduce the flatulence by 10%. The company also says that it can benefit farmers by increasing the cows milk yield and feed efficiency. Can this help the meat industry reduce their methane output? Is it enough? Let me know what you think in the Facebook Group. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Join the Patreon Community to support Speak Up for Blue's mission to bringing Marine Science and Conservation to the public.

A quick episode today. This episode is based on the various reactions of a family who encountered two whales during their family adventure in Puget Sound. Let's just say some family members were enjoying the once in a lifetime experience and others were scared out of their wits. The whales were under the boat and lifted the boat slightly, so I can understand why some of the family members were afraid. However, it was interesting to hear calmer heads prevail as they calmed down their fellow family members to show that the whales meant no harm and that they will never experience it again...so take it all in. I have some family members that get frightened at specific wildlife around my neighbourhood. I tell one of those stories in this episode. Let me know your irrational fears for animals in the Facebook Group. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Join our Patreon Community to help support Speak Up For Blue's mission to get more Marine Science and Conservation information to the public through online media like podcasts and videos.

Jellyfish are amazing creatures, just ask Rebecca Helm; however, some jellies can get a little dangerous if one happens to get stung by a jelly. In this episode, I talk about how Climate Change is causing concern about a specific kind of jellyfish in Australia that is moving south due to warming waters. The sting of this particular jellyfish can cause extreme pain and "make you want to die." Quite scary. The Australian government is worried about the southern migration and its effect on tourism. Are you afraid of Jellyfish? Let me know your jellyfish story in our Facebook Group. Source Join our Patreon Community to support Speak Up For Blue.

Sei Whales were hunted to population collapse back before the 1960s and there hasn't been another Sei whale spotted in the Canadian North Pacific since. Until now that is... Canadian Government researchers heard what seemed to be Sei Whales sounds during a summer monitoring study in 2018. The research team spotted the whales swimming with a pod of fin whales not long after they heard the sounds. Sei whales are listed on the Canadian Species At Risk Act. The monitoring study was conducted after the US Marine Mammal Protection Act demanded countries who exported seafood to the US would have to show that their fishing activities did not negatively impact marine mammals. A great initiative! Listen to the episode for more details. Do you agree the country policies are should affect other countries? Let me know in the Facebook Group. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Support the Speak Up for Blue Network by joining our Patreon Community.

You can't stop natural disasters from happening, but you can protect the people who live along the coastlines through emergency planning policies. This episode I use the events that happened in Indonesia this past week to discuss how important it is to have governments who are willing to ensure emergency planning procedures are implemented, are tested and changed based on vulnerabilities found through testing. There is a call to action at the end that you don't want to miss. Do you know your emergency policies as you live along your coast? Let me know in the Facebook Group. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Help support the Speak Up For Blue Podcast Network by joining the Patreon Community.

A new study was published looking at the future of global Orca populations and the results are not good. We've discussed the challenges that the Southern Resident Orca Population face with lack of Chinook Salmon and contamination problems; however, we have not yet discussed the health of other populations. The Orca study that the Guardian wrote about covers global populations. Results of the study showed Orca populations having problems with contamination when populations were in close proximity to industrialized coastlines that dump/dumped contaminants such as PCBs. The story is not all doom and gloom. Orca populations in more remote areas, or orcas living away from highly industrious areas such as the Arctic or Antarctic are in much better shape in the long term. How do you think Orcas should be managed in the future? Let us know in the Facebook Group. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Do you want to help up build a Speak Up For Blue App to make sure you don't miss any of our future content? Join the Patreon Community.

It's not secret that I am not a fan of the Ocean Clean Project that is spearheaded by Boyant Slat. I don't think the device that he is building will clean up the Oceans from plastic pollution or even the Pacific Garbage Patch; however, a colleague and friend John Davis has a different perspective on the project giving me more hope about the evolution of the project. John is well versed in how the marine debris experts think about various project around the world dealing with marine debris (and plastic pollution). He knows these things because his organization, Open Communications for the Ocean (OCTO), operates the leading online community of marine debris professionals called the Marine Debris Listserv. In the episode, John talks about how and why OCTO started the listserv and what it has meant to him and the field of marine debris. Take a listen and find out some exciting updates for the Ocean Clean Project and gives me hope in Boyant's vision. What do you think about the Ocean Clean Up Project? Let us know in our Facebook Group. Click Here To Join The MARINE DEBRIS listserv. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Did you know we are in the planning stages of building an app so that you and our audience can consume all of our podcasts and other content? All you have to do is join the Patreon Community.

Mongabay just published an article on how researchers have discovered 3 new species, including a blood red-coloured branching coral in a protected area off the coast of Panama. The species Thesea dalioi is 1 of 2 species found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and 1 of 27 species in the coral group. The species was named after Ray Dalio, a US philanthropist who funded the research and made it possible for the species to be discovered. It's important to provide funding to research similar to this so that we have an opportunity to discover new species. Any new species, especially those with regenerative properties, can be useful in the biomedical markets to help find cures for various human diseases. What do you think of the species? Let me know in the Facebook Group. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Do you like Speak Up For Blue's mission to inform the audience of Ocean issues, news, people and the projects that occur globally in order to guide you to live for a better Ocean? Join the Patreon Community!

It's been a while since I've done an episode where I told you the purpose of this podcast and why I recently made the business, Speak Up For Blue Media and Communications Inc., real! I also wanted to do this because there are many new users as of late and I wanted to make sure that all of you know what Speak Up For Blue (SUFB) is about and why I made it a business. You also find out where I want to take this business in the future. If you have any questions about the me, the podcasts or the company, feel free to connect with me via email (andrew(at)speakupforblue.com). Join our Patreon Community to help our company create more content and grow the company.

Japan has hunted whales in the South Pacific Ocean for decades killing hundreds of whales each year under the "scientific purpose" tag. We all know the tag is not true, but no country can do anything about the loophole in the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) policy. However, after the latest vote of maintaining a moratorium on whaling, Japan threatened to leave the IWC. If they leave, they will want to start whaling in full force, but will there finally be legal action to take on Japan's whaling efforts? Some people in Australia think so and are pressuring their government to try and stop Japanese whaling whether or not Japan remains part of the IWC. Find out how by listening to the podcast. Do you think Japan will leave the IWC? Share your answer in the Facebook Group. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Support the Speak Up For Blue Mission by joining our Patreon Community.

Two people were bitten by sharks in Australia within a 24 hour period. I don't even know what the chances of having a shark bite within the same bay in 24 hours are; however, the right thing to do is not kill sharks. We know it doesn't reduce the incidents of shark bites. Politicians think that it helps solve the problem. Take a listen to the episode and let me know what you think in the Facebook Group. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Support our mission by joining our Patreon Community and help protect the Ocean.

There are so many marine parks that hold marine mammals in captivity in Asia. It's ridiculous!!! It seems that the marine mammal theme park in Asian countries is thriving, except maybe it has hit a bit of a downturn. A marine park just outside Tokyo, Japan closed its doors due to low attendance. The problem is that the owners LEFT THE ANIMALS AT THE PARK!!!! Fish, penguins and a lone dolphin named Honey was left behind with only a few people to take care of there well being. This is just a small problem with the lack of accountability of these types of theme parks. The Rick O'Barry Dolphin Project team was allowed to visit the dolphin to check on its well being. The team reported that the dolphin was in water that was below standard and that it didn't swim around the entire 2 hours of the visit. How can anyone leave an animal abandoned like that is beyond me!!! You know how I feel, now let me know your thoughts in the Facebook Group. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Speak Up For Blue is bringing Marine Science and Conservation directly to its audience through podcasting. If you enjoy this programming, please join our Patreon Community to support our mission.

I took part in a discussion in a different Facebook Group that had to do with growing a Social Enterprise. The discussion was a question regarding Dead Zones in the Ocean. The question came up after I introduced myself in the group as a Marine Ecologist to which I usually get a reply regarding a question about the Ocean. The question of what is a Dead Zone in the Ocean was quickly followed up by someone saying they didn't think Scientists new the cause of the dead zone. As a Marine Ecologist, I had to step in. I told the person what they were, how they were caused and what we can do to decrease the spatial extent of these dead zones. I decided to reiterate what I wrote in the discussion here, on the podcast in case you hadn't heard of them either. Listen to the episode and let me know in the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group whether you have heard of dead zones. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Do you like the Ocean Education in this episode? Please visit join our Patreon Community to support the sow and get more education on the Ocean.

PETA is spending some energy on a small Lobster Shell Company in New Brunswick, Canada as the company was in the news due to the smell coming from the plant. The smell was bothering neighbours. The company has since worked on rectifying the issue, but PETA has a permanent solution for the plant. You won't get a smell if you stop killing lobsters and other shellfish. However, the are some problems with that way of thinking. Firstly, the people who work at the plant or even in the shellfish industry would be out of work. How would they earn a living when they are only trained as fishers and fishing has been in their family for generations. Secondly, the company recycles the unused shells of lobsters, crabs and shrimp to grind them into a powder for export to asian markets for the bio-medical industry and fertilizer. The process uses the wasted parts of the shellfish, which is great because now the entire animal is put to great use. PETA wants all people to convert to a vegan diet as it will keep animals alive; however, they lose credibility when they equate lobsters as people. Their campaigns are aggressive and show no compassion for the fisher, in this case. It's all or nothing for PETA and that isn't how conservation works. Take a listen to the podcast and let me know in the Facebook Group if you agree/disagree with me. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Join our Patreon Community is you want to support our mission and help Speak Up For Blue Grow!

The Trump administration is holding a set of public listening meeting between August 31st and November on the topic of allowing commercial fishing in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). You might be asking "why would anyone allow commercial fishing in MPAs that are probably designed to protect habitats from overfishing?" And you are completely right. There really is no reason for this type of deregulation. The reason the Trump administration is using is because of the country's seafood trade deficit. The Seafood trade is measured based on the value of the country's exports vs the country's imports. I take the time to run through why Dr. Martin Smith form Duke University says the US should have a Seafood Trade deficit. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Do you think the US should run a seafood trade deficit? Let us know in the Facebook Group? Do you like our mission for Speak Up For Blue? Consider supporting us by joining our Patreon Community.

There is a BIG problem in the Marine Science and Conservation field and it goes with how the science and research is shared. Science in itself is supposed to be freely shared amongst the public; however, that is not the case. Journals hold the vital research methodologies and results behind a paywall that is only available to people who can afford the annual access of a set of journals that could equal upwards of $5 million. Over a number of episodes, I will be speaking with today's guest, Nick Wehner from OCTO (Open Communications For The Ocean) about the ins and outs of the journal field that holds one of the biggest problems in sharing information. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Check out MarXiv that allows authors to share their pre-print papers in Marine Science and Conservation. MarXiv Twitter OCTO Twitter If you have a view on this issue, let me know what you have to say in the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group.

The Southern Resident Orca population is a terrible shape. The Orca known as J50 has recently disappeared causing concern for scientists, conservationists and advocates in Canada and the US. There are now only 74 Orcas left in that population. The major contributing factors to the situation with the Orca population are the lack of chinook salmon and the increase of ship traffic along the West Coast of North America causes risk of ship strikes and underwater noise. There are a number of organizations that do not think the Canadian Government is doing enough to protect the Orcas, so they decided to sue them. I discuss what they want the Government to do and why during this episode. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Do you think the organizations should sue the government for the action that is rarely used? Let me know in the Facebook Group. Patreon Community: http://www.speakupforblue.com/patreon

Overfishing is putting a dent in the oceans seafood supply; however, it is difficult to quantify what damage has been done. Scientists are trying to determine the damage from overfishing by trying to determine the amount of the ocean we are fishing. There are a couple of labs that used a global fishing dataset to assess the amount of ocean is taken up by fishing. The two labs have come to very different conclusions based on one particular difference in the analysis. I cover the difference and discuss the ramifications of those differences for managing the future of our ocean's fish stocks. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know in the Facebook Group which method you think is correct. Consider joining our Patreon Community to listen to more content and support our mission to build a Podcast Network for Ocean Awareness and Action.

A juvenile Tiger Shark was caught off the coast of Nova Scotia surprising researchers and the public. Some commenters were worried about the fact that tiger sharks may be present in Canadian waters. However, it doesn't seem likely that Tiger Sharks will be plentiful in the cool, temperate waters of Canada. Not yet anyway. I take time during the episode to explain two possibilities as to why a tiger shark might be present in temperature waters. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you thought of the show in the Facebook Group. I like explaining some Ocean process and think I might do more in the future. Join us in our Patreon Community to learn more about the Oceans and support the Speak Up for Blue Podcast Network.

A student was bitten by a shark in the shallow waters off a popular beach in Cape Cod. The student, from Brazil, was boogie boarding with his girlfriend's brother when the shark bit him. He lost his leg and later died of his wounds at the hospital. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends during this tragic time. During this episode, I comment on the way the news depicts the event and go over how to avoid get bitten. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Do you have any tips on how you can avoid a shark bite that I didn't cover here? Let me know in the Facebook Group. Join the Patreon Community to help support the podcast and the mission I am trying to build to help you live for a better Ocean.

Hurricane Florence came through North Carolina, South Carolina and parts of Virginia whirling 105 mph winds and ocean waves recorded as high as 80 feet. Rains, winds and floods have taken the lives of 17 people in the states and causing an estimated $22 Billion. The hurricane is moving north towards New York and New Jersey after it moved back out to sea where it is now classified as a Category 2. Now we discuss getting people safe and looking to the future on how to put people in office that will provide regulations to help their state adapt to climate change safely. Source Flooding Areas Update Enjoy the Podcast!!! Do you live in a hurricane state? Let me know in the Facebook Group what your thoughts are on the damage and the lack of management in certain states. Join our Patreon Community to help support our mission to build Awareness of Marine Science and Conservation and inspire Action to live for a better Ocean.

The second portion of my conversation with Dr. Austin Gallagher goes a bit deeper into what behaviour is expected and required for Oceanpreneurs. Remember, these tips are based on our experience. You may have different experiences based on your entrepreneurial path. We would love to here what your tips would be in our Facebook Group. Enjoy the Podcast!!! What to help Speak Up For Blue's Oceanpreneurial journey? Join our Patreon Community to support our business.

I have had the opportunity in life to pursue a business idea that I feel will leave a legacy in Marine Science and Conservation. I wanted to do it because I felt that the ideas that I had could not be done with any other organization, government department or company as I have a vision as to how it would move forward. I became an Oceanpreneur and I am not the only one out there. There are more people everyday seeking a way to innovate and create an new path to conduct Marine Science and Conservation. Dr. Austin Gallagher is one of those people and he contacted me last week with an idea for a show. The idea was to offer 10 tips for Oceanpreneurs as a way to share our experiences and lessons learned over our careers. This episode consists of tips 1-5 (the show is longer than our regular intervals...sorry, but we had a lot to say) and tomorrow's episode will consist of tips 6-10. If you are, or thinking about becoming an Oceanpreneur, listen to this episode and let us know what you think in the Facebook Group. Austin's Information: Website: Beneath The Waves Twitter Instagram Enjoy the Podcast!!! Consider joining the Patreon Community to support our show and check out what we are doing with Speak Up For Blue, after all, I am a self proclaimed Oceanpreneur.

Coral Reefs all over the world have been plagued by increasing temperatures due to Climate Change over the past 100 or so years. Researchers, conservationists and the rest of the world are concerned about the well being of one of the most diverse habitats in the world. Coral Reef habitats have been around for millions of years as they build their skeleton with symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae, which are microscopic algae that conduct photosynthesis in the coral skeleton and whose byproducts allow the coral to build it's skeleton. Increasing temperatures in the Ocean cause the zooxanthellae to leave the coral as the temperatures are too warm. The result is a white coloured coral that could die if the algae does not come back to the coral. The term for this process is known as coral bleaching. Bleaching is occurring everywhere and as long as temperatures continue to rise, bleaching will not stop; however, there may be a solution that lies in the diversity of the zooxanthellae. Many of the species that we know today have a narrow temperature range, but there are some species that tolerate higher temperatures. These species could carry some corals into the new temperature ranges that we are seeing today. Check out the episode for more information on this topic and let me know what you think in the Facebook Group. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Support our mission by joining our Patreon Community and listening to new shows that we are testing including The Deep Dive and Dugongs and Seadragons.

The California Governor has signed the bill to halt the Federal Oil and Gas expansion. The Bill is in response to the Trump Administration's heavy push to expand fossil fuel development to drill in every ocean surrounding the US. The governors of the Western States have protested the expansion, especially California where they have suffered through 2 oil spills since 1969. The people of California do not forget the economic troubles they had after the Santa Barbara spills. The governor of California does not want to put his citizens through that ordeal again. So California has made a stand. Will it be enough? Let me know what you think in the Facebook Group. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Join the Patreon Community to listen to our new show called the Deep Dive and support our mission.

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

Sharkwater was responsible for the inspiration of thousands of people to become shark advocates, film makers and conservationists. The movie exposed the lucrative and destructive industry of shark finning. Rob Stewart's new movie, called Sharkwater Extinction, was released by the his family and friends after the director/film maker passed away in a diving accident. The movie is designed to inspire more people to work to protect sharks. I had the opportunity to attend the Movie Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff). Angelo Villagomez invited me to attend the movie with him as he received an invitation from Rob's family (Angelo was close to Rob). I wanted to share my thoughts with you on the movie during this episode. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know in the Facebook Group if you plan on attending the movie when it's released. Join our Patreon Community to check out our shows that we are testing in the community and support our mission.

The New Zealand Government realized that its Department of Conservation's Wildlife Act does not have the authority to provide permits to dive operations that offer Shark Cage Diving Tours as it goes against the Wildlife Act. A court of Appeals recently ruled that the Wildlife Act has the authority to manage whether animals can live or die based on a permitting system, but not as a tourism focus. The decision arose as the Paua Industry sued the government for giving permits to Shark Dive Tour Operators as they claimed it caused the sharks to get used to approaching humans for food (conditioned to approach the cage). I feel bad for the operators as it will hit their income hard; however, managing the Ocean needs to include all stakeholders. The Stakeholders are users that may have a conflict with one another. I talk more about this during the episode. Have a listen and let me know what you think about in the Facebook Group. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Join our exclusive Patreon Community to hear podcast episodes from our other podcasts that haven't been released yet and support our mission.

The Great Barrier Reef Foundation recently received a whopping $443.3 million to help the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) adapt to climate change. Climate Change has taking its toll on the GBR destroying close to 90% of the reef through mass bleaching events. The Australian government trying to protect the reef by investing in its protection. However, there are some critics that believe the GBR Foundation is not capable or qualified to use/distribute the money. Dr. Peter J. Mumby, who is an esteemed expert in Coral Reef Management in the face of climate change, was recently appointed as part-time chief scientist. He wrote an article in The Conversation, where he justifies why the foundation is well suited for this project. Take a listen to the podcast as I discuss his reasons and why I feel better that Dr. Mumby is involved in this project. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Did Peter Mumby make you feel better about the fact that the Great Barrier Reef is in charge of the money? Share your thoughts in the Facebook Group. Help us continue to build an Ocean Awareness and Action platform online by joining our Patreon Community. You can help us test out shows and listen to what we are up to next.

How do you get rid of an invasive species (lionfish) that has reeked havoc on coral reefs along the east coast of the US and in the Caribbean? You build a killer robot of course!!! Students from the Worecester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)have creator an autonomous underwater vehicle that can identify lionfish, spear them and float the fish to the Ocean surface. Pretty cool, right? Check out the podcast to find out how it's done. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Do you think the robot will help eliminate invasive lionfish? Let me know in the Facebook Group. We are building an inline podcasting network to encourage Ocean Awareness and Action. If you like what we are doing, you can join our Patreon Community to support our mission.

When 100 seals were found in August (2018), researchers were concerned that there is something in the water that is causing the mass die off. The data shows that this is an above average mortality rate, which is normally 38 (10-year average). Unfortunately, researchers still don't know the cause. Susan Shaw a marine mammal biologist that specializes in contamination hypothesizes that the die off is due to PCBs in the water. More information is in the episode...take a listen. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think is causing the mass die off of seals. Go to the Facebook Group. Join our Patreon Community to support our mission of building an online platform of podcasts and videos to support Ocean Awareness and Action. Are you looking for Speak Up For Blue Swag? Check out our online store here.

The High Seas take up most of the Oceans, but they are not governed by any one entity. The lack of governance opens the High Seas to plundering of fish and allowing more pollution that is unregulated. There is a meeting taking place this week at the UN in New York City this week with the goal for countries to sign a treaty to protect the high seas and manage its resources better. Not all countries are interested though. It could be a tough sell. Check out the episode and let me know in the Facebook Group whether you think all of the countries will sign on to the treaty. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Do you like Speak Up For Blue's Podcast Network? You can join our Patreon Community to help us build the network more! Looking for some swag? Check out our store.

It's my 40th Birthday!!! I don't normally say much about my birthday, but since this is my 40th...it's a big deal. As I get older, I want to make sure that I take care of my health to avoid any health problems in the future. I am also more aware about the types of food that eat to make sure they are sustainable. Ensuring food is sustainable is not easy. In this episode, I talk about an article in the Guardian that discusses some of the common misconceptions in the health & sustainability food industry. Source Want to be more sustainable? Order a Speak Up For Blue Travel Mug from our store. Click Here. Enjoy the Podcast!!! How do you makes sure you live sustainably? Let me know if the Facebook Group. Do you like how we are building our platform for Ocean Awareness and Action? Consider supporting our mission to provide more information on the Ocean through podcasting and videos (videos coming soon).

The fight against Climate Change can be a difficult battle, at least when you look at it from the Canadian Government's perspective. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been trying to get a pipeline approved that will run from the tar sands in Alberta to the coastline in British Columbia. However, the Canadian courts have a different viewpoint. The court ruled that the approval process for the pipeline expansion was flawed in that in did not consider increased shipping traffic in the environmental assessment and the government did not consult properly with Indigenous people. It's a complicated story, so I explain it in this episode. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what side you fall on in the Facebook Group. Also, join our Patreon Community to check out two of our new shows: Deep Dive and Dugongs and Seadragons.

Kelp habitat is one of the riches and most diverse habitats in the Ocean. It's why most governments will do their best to protect them. Scotland is one of those countries. It anyone in Scotland wants to get a permit to use kelp in their business, they would only be able to cut the tops to allow for regrowth. That makes sense...it's sustainable. However, there is a company called Marine Biopolymers, a biochemical company, that would like to dredge swaths of kelp beds for its own use. Not very sustainable. I don't really understand why the company would choose to dredge the kelp forests when they could farm it. Check out the episode to find out more. Source Enjoy the Podcast!!! Do you think the company should start farming the kelp? Let me know in the Facebook Group. Consider joining the Patreon Community to check out more Marine Conservation Shows.