How To Protect The Ocean

In this last episode of 2017, I breakdown what you can expect from Speak Up For Blue in 2018. Here is the list: 1) New podcast shows: Marine Conservation Happy Hour, ConCiencia Azul (Speak Up For Blue in Spanish, hosted by Melissa Marquez) and Speak Up For Blue in French (Hosted by Dr. Lyne Morissette). 2) You Tube Videos - I will be creating regular You Tube videos for 2 , maybe 3, episodes per week in 2018 3) Creating more LIVE content on a daily (weekday) basis in Facebook, Instagram and Periscope (Twitter) 4) Bringing more Marine Science content to all of the above platforms 5) Providing more Speak Up For Blue Community resources so we can all make better decisions 6) Create more incentives for the Speak Up For Blue Patreon Campaign 7) Create branded Merchandise where a portion of the profits will go towards supporting small organizations doing great work 8) Consulting as a Podcast Producer and Host for organizations who would like to create podcast content for their projects. If you are interested in creating a podcast for your conservation organization or social enterprise, then connect with me for my podcasting services so I can help you get started and connect with your audience. Email me at [email protected] Are you looking to start off your Marine Science and Conservation Career, but don't know where to begin or it hasn't gone the way you expected to? Join us on our next Marine Conservation Career Q&A. All you need to do is contribute at least $1/month to our Patreon Campaign to attend:Contribute to our Patreon Campaign Don't forget to join our Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group to join like-minded individuals who are all about living for a better Ocean. Join our Facebook Group for the Podcast.

As we wind down 2017 and get ready for 2018, I revisit the top 5 most downloaded podcasts of 2017: 5) Episode 285 - Ocean Talk Friday featuring Lyne Morissette 4) Episode 326 - How To Eat Sustainable Seafood with Fish Nerds Clay Groves 3) Episode 289 - Human Activities and the Ocean 2) Episode: 360 - Marine Conservation Career Struggles: 4 Perspectives (Marine Conservation Happy Hour Preview) 1) Episode: 335 Shark Science Communication with Melissa Marquez What a year for the podcast as there were more that 120K downloads this year!!!! Enjoy the Podcast!!! This episode is brought to you courtesy of our Patreon Contributors that help pay for equipment, software and my time that I dedicate to creating content for this podcast. I offer a number of incentives to the Patrons including a once a month Q&A on Marine Science and Conservation Careers, Merchandise, and more! It's to thank those of you who are supporting my own efforts of Science Communication. I will also be bringing some shorter interviews with some colleagues that will only be available to Patrons. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign Don't forget to join our Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group to join like-minded individuals who are all about living for a better Ocean. Join our Facebook Group for the Podcast.

I wanted to post a shorter episode today (Merry Christmas everyone!!!) to highlight my wishes for the Marine Science and Conservation Field: 1) I would like to see people read more science papers or know more about them; 2) I would like to see people in the field be nicer to each other (eliminate sexual harassment and bias and colleagues standing up for each other); 3) I would like to see citizens, in any country, support politicians who demonstrate in ability to understand the importance of science and listen to science experts no matter the outcome; 4) I would like to see more people get involved in science communication and support those who are actively engaging in science communication; and, 5) I would like to see the Speak Up For Blue Community as well as other people supporting smaller organizations who are results-oriented. Enjoy the Podcast and Merry Christmas!!! This episode is brought to you courtesy of our Patreon Contributors that help pay for equipment, software and my time that I dedicate to creating content for this podcast. I offer a number of incentives to the Patrons including a once a month Q&A on Marine Science and Conservation Careers, Merchandise, and more! It's to thank those of you who are supporting my own efforts of Science Communication. I will also be bringing some shorter interviews with some colleagues that will only be available to Patrons. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign Don't forget to join our Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group to join like-minded individuals who are all about living for a better Ocean. Join our Facebook Group for the Podcast.

Climate Change has a number of consequences that affect you and I directly and indirectly. Some consequences such as increased storm frequency and intensity, we see in front of our eyes (think Hurricane Irma); however, others go unnoticed (think Ocean Acidification). All of Climate Change's consequences are important and are brought on by us in the form of increased Greenhouse gases (CO2). We know that CO2 can be absorbed by plants, which is why we plant trees like crazy (more because forest destruction is so rampant all over the planet). However, we often forget that CO2 is also absorbed by plants in the Ocean. In fact, most of the CO2 on the plant is absorbed by plants in the Ocean. Unfortunately, human destruction is causing harm to the plants that play such a critical role in CO2 absorption and O2 production. On today's Ocean Talk Friday Episode, I string an article, a conversation that I had with a bank teller this week and a guide on how you can reduce your Climate Change footprint and how they all relate to Ocean Acidification (and provide an important way you can support the reduction of climate change). Enjoy the Podcast!!! This episode is brought to you courtesy of our Patreon Contributors that help pay for equipment, software and my time that I dedicate to creating content for this podcast. I offer a number of incentives to the Patrons including a once a month Q&A on Marine Science and Conservation Careers, Merchandise, and more! It's to thank those of you who are supporting my own efforts of Science Communication. I will also be bringing some shorter interviews with some colleagues that will only be available to Patrons. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign Don't forget to join our Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group to join like-minded individuals who are all about living for a better Ocean. Join our Facebook Group for the Podcast.

Coral Reefs have had it rough over the past few decades; however, the past 3 years were just devastating. Each of the last 3 years have been the hottest year on record. Coral reefs don't do very well when the Sea Surface Temperature gets too hot, they tend to bleach. For example, 93% of the Great Barrier Reef bleached over the past 3 years. It's been rough... Coral Reef conservation is happening around the world to restore bleached reefs and protect the reefs that are healthy. There are many people helping coral reefs as well as the coastal communities that depend on them. Of course, it's difficult to know everyone doing coral reef conservation, but we try to introduce you to some of the people/organizations working hard to protect these biodiversity hot spots here in the Speak Up For Blue Podcast. Vic Ferguson is the founder and Executive Director of the World Federation of Coral Reef Conservation (WFCRC), a non-profit organization that mobilizes teams of volunteers to work with corals reefs around the world. In this interview, Vic tells me about how he founded the WFCRC and its primary function is to contribute to protecting Coral Reefs and helping people protect their coastline. He also describes an upcoming collaborative project with Ocean Guardian that will take place in the Cook Islands. Enjoy the Podcast!!! This episode is brought to you courtesy of our Patreon Contributors that help pay for equipment, software and my time that I dedicate to creating content for this podcast. I offer a number of incentives to the Patrons including a once a month Q&A on Marine Science and Conservation Careers, Merchandise, and more! It's to thank those of you who are supporting my own efforts of Science Communication. I will also be bringing some shorter interviews with some colleagues that will only be available to Patrons. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign Don't forget to join our Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group to join like-minded individuals who are all about living for a better Ocean. Join our Facebook Group for the Podcast.

Welcome to the Ocean Update Episode where I take you through 2 stories and an opinion piece that I think are important: 1) Scientists did not find a 512 year old Greenland Shark (9:54); 2) Opinion: We have quite a bit of work as Marine Conservationists to educate the people (16:22); and, 3) US Federal Government is banning words for scientists to use (33:19). Enjoy the Podcast!!! This episode is brought to you courtesy of our Patreon Contributors that help pay for equipment, software and my time that I dedicate to creating content for this podcast. I offer a number of incentives to the Patrons including a once a month Q&A on Marine Science and Conservation Careers, Merchandise, and more! It's to thank those of you who are supporting my own efforts of Science Communication. I will also be bringing some shorter interviews with some colleagues that will only be available to Patrons. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign Don't forget to join our Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group to join like-minded individuals who are all about living for a better Ocean. Join our Facebook Group for the Podcast.

I ask myself three questions on today's Ocean Talk Friday episode: 1) Will charging 3 men with animal cruelty deter others from hurting animals?; 2) Did Blue Planet II help save the Ocean by raising awareness? Was it designed to do that? 3) Did you know some Shrimp are injected with a chemical called CMC to make them look bigger? This episode is brought to you courtesy of our Patreon Contributors that help pay for equipment, software and my time that I dedicate to creating content for this podcast. I offer a number of incentives to the Patrons including a once a month Q&A on Marine Science and Conservation Careers, Merchandise, and more! It's to thank those of you who are supporting my own efforts of Science Communication. I will also be bringing some shorter interviews with some colleagues that will only be available to Patrons. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign Don't forget to join our Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group to join like-minded individuals who are all about living for a better Ocean. Join our Facebook Group for the Podcast.

Bonnie Waycott joins me on the podcast today to discuss how the Japanese aquaculture industry is recovering after the March 11th, 2011 Tsunami that devastated part of Japan. Recovery efforts are still ongoing almost 7 years later, where some families are still in temporary housing as their homes are still not back together. Japan is a country that has a bad reputation for Marine Conservation as they are synonymous with Whaling and the Cove; however, it is rare that we get an inside look at how the people in Japan live off of the sea and recover after such a devastating event that changes the history of the region. Bonnie provides us with that look as she has been studying the recovery through the eye of a journalist. Join us as Bonnie tells us about how she grew up in Japan and the UK; lived through the Japanese Earthquakes of 2011; and, works with the people of Japan to determine how they recover from a Tsunami. Enjoy the Podcast!!! This episode was available first to Patreon Contributors only. It's to thank those of you who are supporting my own efforts of Science Communication. I will also be bringing some shorter interviews with some colleagues that will only be available to Patrons. And of course, once a month, I will be conducting a Q&A for Marine Scientists and Conservationists that want to build/continue their career in their respective field. I will announce the date soon. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign Don't forget to join our Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group to join like-minded individuals who are all about living for a better Ocean. Join our Facebook Group for the Podcast.

Polar Bears have been facing a number of challenges that have played a role in decreasing their global population in the Arctic Environment. Climate change and metal poisoning have been two of the top issues facing Polar Bears. We talk about climate change and its effect on Polar Bears almost every time we discuss the marine mammals. Of course, there are still some people who don't think Climate Change is causing any problem to Polar Bears or any other species for that matter. Environmental Documentary Photographer, Paul Nicklen, released a video and photos of a Polar Bear on its last legs this past week and tied the dying condition to climate change. Nicklen intended for the piece to inspire people to change their behaviour to reduce/eliminate climate change; however, not everybody agreed. So it's time to discuss this matter on the podcast! Enjoy the Podcast!!! This episode was available first to Patreon Contributors only. It's to thank those of you who are supporting my own efforts of Science Communication. I will also be bringing some shorter interviews with some colleagues that will only be available to Patrons. And of course, once a month, I will be conducting a Q&A for Marine Scientists and Conservationists that want to build/continue their career in their respective field. I will announce the date soon. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign Don't forget to join our Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group to join like-minded individuals who are all about living for a better Ocean. Join our Facebook Group for the Podcast.

Nathan Johnson joins us on the podcast today to discuss this week's top stories that we think you should know about: Giving Small-Scale Fishing a voice on an international platform; Regular people work to help Sea Turtles; Countries around the world agree that Plastic Pollution in a Global Problem; and, Arctic Countries agree to stop fishing in Arctic High Seas for 16 years so researchers can study the area. Enjoy the Podcast!!! This episode was available first to Patreon Contributors only. It's to thank those of you who are supporting my own efforts of Science Communication. I will also be bringing some shorter interviews with some colleagues that will only be available to Patrons. And of course, once a month, I will be conducting a Q&A for Marine Scientists and Conservationists that want to build/continue their career in their respective field. I will announce the date soon. href="http://www.speakupforblue.com/patreon">Contribute to our Patreon Campaign Don't forget to join our Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group to join like-minded individuals who are all about living for a better Ocean. Join our Facebook Group for the Podcast.

I had the pleasure to catch up with my friend and colleague, Dr. Nathan Robinson, who is a Sea Turtle Biologist, a Marine Scientist, and a Science Communicator. Nathan is known for being the scientist that pulled a straw out of an Olive Ridley Sea Turtle's nose and 4 months later pulled a plastic fork out of another Olive Ridley Sea Turtle's nose about 70 km from the other site. Those videos could arguably be considered as the catalyst to the "Ban Plastic Straw" campaigns that are happening all around the world. Today, Nathan tells us how those videos changed his career path to more of a science communicator path and started the You Tube Channel called "The Wandering Biologist." Check out the podcast then go to his channel and subscribe for some incredible videos of Ocean and other animals. Enjoy the Podcast!!! This episode was available first to Patreon Contributors only. It's to thank those of you who are supporting my own efforts of Science Communication. I will also be bringing some shorter interviews with some colleagues that will only be available to Patrons. And of course, once a month, I will be conducting a Q&A for Marine Scientists and Conservationists that want to build/continue their career in their respective field. I will announce the date soon. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign Don't forget to join our Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group to join like-minded individuals who are all about living for a better Ocean. Join our Facebook Group for the Podcast.

Science Communication (SciComm) is a great tool for Scientists and Conservationists to use to reach the public. It provides Scientists with the power to drive their own message straight from their own mouths, especially now with social media tools such as podcasting and online videos available to anyone that has a message to provide an audience. However, traditional media such as TV Networks and Newspapers still reach an established and large audience that may not be available to people who are just starting out in Science Communication. Unfortunately, you never know what will be the final product when you use that type of media as they have creative control and it seems as thought they will do anything for a click. Dr. Alexander Pyron learned that lesson the hard way. I discuss his opinion piece in the Op Ed of the Washington Post in which he now regrets writing and says the Post added words that he did not write...words that could cost him his career and ruin his reputation as a Scientist. I do discuss some great news in the Arctic in terms of fisheries and scientific research and cover a weird article about the Chinese Navy shredding jellyfish in the Ocean to protect their Aircraft Carriers. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. I will be adding a live Q&A at least once a month for people who have questions for their building their career in Marine Science and Conservation. All you have to do to is become a Patreon Contributor for a minimum of $1 USD per month to gain access. Not only will you be getting advice on your career, but you will also be supporting my effort to make people aware of all things Ocean! Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

This week on Ocean Talk Friday, I cover 3 stories: 1) The Science of The Climate Change Denier's Strategy to confuse people; 2) President Trump is reducing the area in National Monuments and allowing mining and commercial fishing in the protected areas; and, 3) A lobster in New Brunswick had the Pepsi logo imprinted on its claw opening a larger conversation of how bad plastic pollution has gotten around the globe Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. I will be adding a live Q&A at least once a month for people who have questions for their building their career in Marine Science and Conservation. All you have to do to is become a Patreon Contributor for a minimum of $1 USD per month to gain access. Not only will you be getting advice on your career, but you will also be supporting my effort to make people aware of all things Ocean! Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

SEA Change Clothing Co. is a company on a mission to change the way we make decisions when we buy our clothes to reduce plastic pollution. Most shirts and sweaters are made with micro-plastics and every time we wash our clothes, some of those micro-plastics come off the clothes and are added to our waterways. However, Sea Change Clothing is pure organic cotton so there are no micro-plastics in the shirt. In addition to reducing plastics in clothing, Sea Change Clothing's mission is to pick up 3 lbs of plastic for every item sold. I had the opportunity to chat with Sea Change Clothing's founder, Brennan Fitzgerald, to find out all about him and his company. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to build a platform to raise awareness for Marine Science and Conservation and help you live for a better Ocean. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Ocean Update today is a special one...400 EPISODES here on The Speak Up For Blue Podcast!!! I take some time to Thank You for helping me get there and helping me build this fantastic community!!! I also talk about how the Media needs to stop throwing sharks under the bus and start to help their reputation. Specifically, I talk about the spear fisherman that was bitten by a white shark and how the Washington Post said that the guy was "ambushed" by a white shark. Just ridiculous! Other news that I talk about is the ocean reserve Mexico declared to protect their "Galapagos of North America." I also talk about a new restoration technique being used to help bring back the Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to build a platform to raise awareness for Marine Science and Conservation and help you live for a better Ocean. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Ocean Talk Friday is all about dealing with human issues (as much of marine conservation is!). I start off today by talking about a 210,000 gallon oil leak of the Keystone Pipeline in South Dakota last week as well as some news about the Keystone XL pipeline construction. Next I talk about how we should use science communication for conservation via the Blue Planet II series and their assumption that a pilot whale calf died of toxins related plastic pollution in its mother's milk and how one scientist (and some conservative websites) picked up on the inaccuracy. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to build a platform to raise awareness for Marine Science and Conservation and help you live for a better Ocean. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Dr. Craig McClain is on the podcast. This is his second time on the podcast as he was on our second ever episode, so this is really special. Craig is the Executive Director of the Louisiana Marine Consortium (LUMCON) and the Chief Editor of DeepSeaNews.com. Craig is on the podcast to chat about OCEANSDOTCOMM, which is an innovative concept he has been wanting to do for a very long time. OCEANSDOTCOMM will be a game changer in Science and Conservation Communication. What is it? Well, you will have to listen to the episode to find out. After you listen, go here to apply to OCEANSDOTCOMM. Enjoy The Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to build a platform to raise awareness for Marine Science and Conservation and help you live for a better Ocean. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

I cover 3 unrelated topics this week. The first story is a tragedy, the second is a call to action and the third is a congratulatory story...kind of...let me explain. Here are the topics for today: 1) 4 Sperm Whales Die After Being Stranded In Indonesia (13:51) 2) Opinion: We Need To Change The Way We Live (23:23) 3) Trump Delays Lifting Trophy Hunting Import Ban After Huge Backlash Enjoy The Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to build a platform to raise awareness for Marine Science and Conservation and help you live for a better Ocean. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

An article came out this week where over 15,000 scientists agreed upon on thing: we are screwing up this planet royally. But don't let the title fool you, the authors highlight 9 things that either went wrong or are going wrong. The optimism is to look at the first thing the authors go over: The Ozone Layer. The paper highlights that, as a planet, we overcame ozone depletion and made it strong again. It took change and a Global Effort in how we approached using products such as aerosols, but it worked. Listen to the other 8 things the authors highlight. Many of them are connected and changes can cause change. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to build a platform to raise awareness for Marine Science and Conservation and help you live for a better Ocean. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Products that are good for our health and the environment actually exist!!! I know, right! Today, on the podcast, I have Caroline Duell, founder of All Good Products, which sell products such as lotions and sunscreen that are created from natural ingredients. For example, their sunscreen is reef safe because it is made from natural ingredients and lacks oxybenzone, which is deadly to corals. Take a listen to find out how Caroline discovered her path by providing people what they wanted and how she creates products that solve people's problems in addition to being good for the environment. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to build a platform to raise awareness for Marine Science and Conservation and help you live for a better Ocean. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

I comment on a recent article from Oceans Deeply where Dr. Asha de Vos commented on how the Marine Science and Conservation field needs to move away from Parachute Science and support more long term local initiatives in developing countries. Find out what Parachute Science is all about and why we need to stop. Also on the show, we talk about how Climate Change is decreasing the Walrus population in Alaska and how the recent denial of making them Endangered Federally is a slap in the face by the current federal administration to people seeking to reduce/eliminate Climate Change. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to build a platform to raise awareness for Marine Science and Conservation and help you live for a better Ocean. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Dr. Edward Hind-Ozan joins us on the podcast today to discuss some major stories that are roaming around the Marine Conservation World this week. Here is the breakdown of the stories: 1) Can we really save the Vaquita? (6:01) 2) Is Sea Shepherd Society turning over a new leaf with combating IUU Fishing? (36:48) 3) An Update form Edd's project in Mexico looking at the affects of Land Use changes in the Province of Quintana Roo, Mexico (50:15) Enjoy The Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to build a platform to raise awareness for Marine Science and Conservation and help you live for a better Ocean. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Dr. Austin Gallagher is someone who never stops in this Marine Science and Conservation Industry. He conducts research on sharks and other predators all over the world, he founded and leads a non-profit organization called Beneath The Waves; and, he is now a social entrepreneur that quenches your thirst with Tempo, an all organic no sweetener sparkling tea that is built to be good for the Ocean. I am truly honoured to have Austin as my guest today where he tells us about all of his ventures including working with his team to tag hammerhead sharks in Japan with a free diver and professional surfer. You.Do.Not.Want.To.Miss.This.Episode!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to build a platform to raise awareness for Marine Science and Conservation and help you live for a better Ocean. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Today's Update episode cover two stories and an opinion piece that I have about something that people freak out on way too much. There is so much news out there that it was tough to pick just 3 things, but I thought these would be the ones that weren't getting the attention that they should. Today I discuss the following: 1) Menhaden fish catches will be reduced to ensure their sustainability (8:40); 2) My Opinion on a post that went down in a Facebook Group about Marine Careers where one person got hate thrown at them for asking people to collaborate with them on a Marine Conservation Blog and why I like the idea (18:04); and, 3) Octopuses were found walking on the sand in fairly large numbers and it has scientists baffled (34:18). Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to build a platform to raise awareness for Marine Science and Conservation and help you live for a better Ocean. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Dr. Lyne Morissette joins me on the podcast again this week for another instalment of Ocean Talk Friday. Today we talk: 1) Volvo Award goes to Canadian Economist for High Seas Fishing Study; 2) The expansion of an Antarctic Network of Marine Protected Areas does not go ahead...yet; 3) A weird sailing story from two women who were rescued after 90 days stranded at sea, but their stories don't correlate with true accounts; and, 4) More countries collaborate to protect sharks across borders. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Sign up for the upcoming Webinar by Nick entitled: "Making Your Research Freely-Available with MarXiv:The (free!) research repository for ocean-conservation and marine climate science" Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Ret Talbot is a Freelance Fisheries Jounalist, and a friend of Speak Up For Blue, who has recently released a podcast of his own called Beyond Data. It's a podcast about fisheries, the data behind them (or lack thereof) and their story. Ret will explore the stories of fish we know and some we may not knew existed like his first episode on the oyster toadfish in New York. Ret stopped by the podcast to tell us why he moved into podcasting and why he thought is was important to focus on fisheries in each episode. Check out Ret's Podcast Beyond Data Enjoy The Podcast!!! Sign up for the upcoming Webinar by Nick entitled: "Making Your Research Freely-Available with MarXiv:The (free!) research repository for ocean-conservation and marine climate science" Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. This episode was brought to you by Octo (Open Communications for The Oceans). Check out their recent MPA News (Marine Protected Area News) issue helping inform the Marine Science and Conservation field around the world. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

On this week's instalment of Ocean Updates, we tackle the last ditch efforts of the collaborative, Mexican-led group, of VaquitaCPR to try to save the last 19 individuals of the endemic Vaquita. If you read the story, you wouldn't think that it was a success as VaquitaCPR caught and had to release the first Vaquita, but the team thinks it was a success. Other stories that I am covering today include my thoughts on industry funded fisheries research with a focus on Dr. Ray Hilborn, who is often thought to be a tool of the fisheries industry, but is he looking out for fish or his funders pockets. Finally, I found out about a EU fisheries program that gives out yellow and red cards to evaluate countries based on their efforts to reduce/eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fisheries. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Sign up for the upcoming Webinar by Nick entitled: "Making Your Research Freely-Available with MarXiv:The (free!) research repository for ocean-conservation and marine climate science" Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. This episode was brought to you by Octo (Open Communications for The Oceans). Check out their recent MPA News (Marine Protected Area News) issue helping inform the Marine Science and Conservation field around the world. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Dr. Lyne Morissette, marine mammal scientist and science communicator extrodinnaire, joins us on the podcast today to discuss her takeaways from the 22nd Biennial Conference for the Society of Marine Mammals. That means she gets to spend more than 5 days listening and talking about whales, dolphins, seals, walruses, polar bears and more!!! It's a dream come true!!! Lyne's highlights were the talks of the Northwest Atlantic Right Whales and what we will do about them, hearing about the Vaquita (only 19 left!!!), and the fusion of collaboration among various professions such as art and conservation. By the way, the conference was held in Halifax, Nova Scotia and in true Canadian fashion, the entire conference took place on a hockey rink. The conference shirts were hockey jerseys! Enjoy the Podcast!!! Sign up for the upcoming Webinar by Nick entitled: "Making Your Research Freely-Available with MarXiv:The (free!) research repository for ocean-conservation and marine climate science" Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. This episode was brought to you by Octo (Open Communications for The Oceans). Check out their recent MPA News (Marine Protected Area News) issue helping inform the Marine Science and Conservation field around the world. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Open Access to Science is crucial to sharing information across the world. If you think about it, the entire scientific process is all about one scientists being able to duplicate an experiment of a study based on the methods outlined in a paper. However, sharing literature is not always possible. As our guest today, Nick Wehner from OCTO (Open Communications for The Ocean), will describe to us, many scientific papers that would help Marine Conservationists to their jobs better are stored behind a paywall in the journals in which they are published. The paywall makes it difficult for scientists who do not have expensive subscriptions to the journals to access the important information. Nick is here to tell us about a solution that OCTO is going to release on November 14th. You don't need to be a scientist or have an expensive subscription to get access to this literature. Enjoy the Podcast! Here are some links to the articles that we discussed on the podcast: 1) A paper on the usage of primary journal articles by environmental managers (which is behind a paywall...how ironic!!!) 2) A paper describing the impact of Open Access Literature3) A paper on the history and future of peer review Sign up for the upcoming Webinar by Nick entitled: "Making Your Research Freely-Available with MarXiv:The (free!) research repository for ocean-conservation and marine climate science" Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. This episode was brought to you by Octo (Open Communications for The Oceans). Check out their recent MEAM (Marine Ecosystem And Management) issue helping inform the Marine Science and Conservation field around the world. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

As always, there is quite a bit going on in Marine Science and Conservation field so it's a good thing that the Speak Up For Blue Podcast is here to keep you updated. Here are the stories for today: 1) Open Acces Week (3:34) 2) Salmon populations may be decreasing for many reasons (8:28) 3) Scientists travel too much by plane to go to conferences/meetings (23:00) 4) Master Chef technique used to safely transport Sea Turtle Eggs (30:40) Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. This episode was brought to you by Octo (Open Communications for The Oceans). Check out their recent MEAM (Marine Ecosystem And Management) issue helping inform the Marine Science and Conservation field around the world. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Nathan Johnson is back again for another Ocean Talk Friday episode. Nathan makes a special announcement about his career and how being a co-host of the Ocean Talk Friday Episodes helped him attain this new goal. We also talk about some articles that we thought you should know about: 1) Countries pushing for another MPA in the Antarctic; 2) Nuie, island in the South Pacific, declares MPA protecting 40% of its ocean; and, 3) Engineers try to replicate the camouflage ability of the Octopus (pretty cool!). Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. This episode was brought to you by Octo (Open Communications for The Oceans). Check out their recent MEAM (Marine Ecosystem And Management) issue helping inform the Marine Science and Conservation field around the world. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Marine Conservation is great when we see things like water quality policies and Marine Protected Areas implemented into law by governments; however, enforcing those policies on the Ocean is a huge challenge. It takes a number of tools and experts to create a Management Plan that will deter and prevent future problems. Paul Whitaker, from KSAT, is our guest on the podcast today and he is leading projects that track oil spills and illegal fishing on the Ocean around the world, including Easter Island and Gabon. Paul gives us the breakdown of how Satellites can help us identify oil spills on the water and identify ships that are fishing illegally with other tools such as AIMS that enhances management and enforcement to further protect the Ocean. Check out the podcast for more details. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. This episode was brought to you by Octo (Open Communications for The Oceans). Check out their recent MEAM (Marine Ecosystem And Management) issue helping inform the Marine Science and Conservation field around the world. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

The New York Times wrote a great article of fishers in Maine, USA who were diversifying their lone revenue stream of fishing lobsters by farming oysters and kelp. You might wonder, "Why in the world would they want to do that?" Apparently, they say they cannot rely on income based on the seasonal fluctuation of wild stocks anymore. The lobster fishery seems to be doing quite well; however, many fishers are cautious in believing that the stock can sustain its population size with the changing temperature and the potential for disease in warming seas. Listen to the episode to find out more. Also on the Program: 1) Mexico ready to create the largest Marine Reserve in North America; and, 2) Marine Insurance companies teaming up with Oceana to make it harder for Blacklisted fishers to get insurance for their boats to combat over fishing. Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. This episode was brought to you by Octo (Open Communications for The Oceans). Check out their recent MEAM (Marine Ecosystem And Management) issue helping inform the Marine Science and Conservation field around the world. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Climate Change has really been on my mind these days, specifically the people who have been affected by the Hurricanes in Small Island communities such as Barbuda, Dominica, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The magnitude and extent of the damages incurred by these communities are evidence that we are not prepared for the intensity of storms that seem to be occurring more often. It's time we have a conversation and share some ideas to find more solutions. I will start and I would encourage you to continue the conversation in our Facebook Group. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. This episode was brought to you by Octo (Open Communications for The Oceans). Check out their recent MEAM (Marine Ecosystem And Management) issue helping inform the Marine Science and Conservation field around the world. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Seagrass monitoring projects are crucial to the overall health of coastal systems as seagrass beds all around the world are habitats of great biodiversity...and biodiversity make habitats more resistant to degradation. Unfortunately, monitoring projects are hard to start and maintain because it's difficult to find people to do the work on a consistent basis and it's difficult to find money to pay for the program. In comes community programs, or Ocean Citizen Science Projects. Fiona West is the manager of the Broome Community Seagrass Program in the Kimberley Region of Northwest Australia. Her program has been in place for 11 years (that's a lot of data) that functions based on the work of citizen scientists (locals and tourists) who want to take care of the environment in this part of the world. The program is part of the Seagrass Watch program, an international program that provide citizen science programs with protocols and analysis support for their region. Fiona describes how the program works and how the Aboriginal People and the Australian government have bee working together to establish a great program monitoring trends in this part of the world. Listen as Fiona speaks passionately about Broome Bay and the people who protect it. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. This episode was brought to you by Octo (Open Communications for The Oceans). Check out their recent MEAM (Marine Ecosystem And Management) issue helping inform the Marine Science and Conservation field around the world. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Shark advocates and scientists strive for the same cause: protect sharks from their rapid global decrease in population. However, advocates and scientists don't always agree on the methods. Some people want all finning and fishing of all sharks to stop completely. Others feel it's more realistic to have some sustainable shark fisheries and want to ban finning altogether. A current proposed bill in Congress that will ban finning of any kind is testing the relationship among some advocates and scientists. Debate on the methods of science, conservation and protection is healthy. What is NOT healthy is the personal attacks after heated debates online. Personal attacks do not help move ideas forward. They do the opposite. They further divide the rational line of compromise and agreements. I discuss this in our second story of this episode because advocates are personally attacking a researcher for their stance on the proposed bill to ban the sale of all fins in the US. Listen to the podcast and let me know how you feel this issue could have been solved in our Facebook Group. Also on the podcast: 1) Thousands of fish, including 1,000-2,000 leopard sharks die in San Francisco Bay; and, 2) An alliance is formed to track the distribution line to eliminate illegal fishing in our global seafood market. Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. This episode was brought to you by Octo (Open Communications for The Oceans). Check out their recent MEAM (Marine Ecosystem And Management) issue helping inform the Marine Science and Conservation field around the world. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

We continue our introduction to the Octo (Open Communications for The Ocean) team this week as John Davis, Nick Wehner and introducing Sarah Carr join me for Ocean Talk Friday to discuss the articles that were published in the latest Marine Environment And Management (MEAM) edition. Today we discuss: 1) How social science is implemented in Marine Conservation projects by looking at a number of examples; 2) Why science is an important component of Ecosystem-Based Management (and what science is crucial); and, 3) We get an update on where Marine National Monuments stand in the Trump era. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Octo's website Open Channels Website Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Open Communications For The Oceans (Octo) has become a partner of Speak Up For Blue and we will now work together as a team to further share Marine Science and Conservation to help live for a better Ocean. As you know, Speak Up For Blue is designed to raise awareness about Ocean Issues in the public and let people know about all of the wonderful people and projects going on around the world. I hope that the information inspires you to help protect the Ocean in any way that you can. Octo is focused on supporting the Marine Science and Conservation community by helping them do their jobs with shared tools and resources as well as platforms to help share information. Together we are going to try to increase our reach to help more people and further protect the Ocean. This interview with John Davis and Nick Wehner, from Octo, will let you get to know our new partners. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

It's not everyday where you realize your dreams, especially in the field of Marine Science and Conservation. However, it has happened to me today as this is the first day that I am working full time on Speak Up For Blue and getting paid for it. That's right, Speak Up For Blue has it's first sponsor at the Partner Level. That sponsor is Octo (Open Communications for The Ocean). This opportunity allows me to do what I haven't been able to do in the past, which is to build a Marine Science and Conservation Media Company. Find out all of the details in this episode. Enjoy the podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Shark finning, the act of removing a shark's fin at sea and discarding their mangled body overboard for them to die, is a terrible act and the reason why many marine conservation organizations are trying to ban finning and fins in many countries around the world, including in the US. There is a proposed bill that is in Congress right now that is proposing the possession and sale of shark fins in the US. It seems as though its a good plan, right? Well, at least two shark scientists think its a bad idea. How could they you ask? Take a listen to the podcast to find out what they wrote in a peer reviewed journal article in Marine Policy. Also on the show, I talk about a cool adaptation of the electric eel and how it wards off hungry predators like crocodiles and cats. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

I tell a story about my trip with some friends to the Buffalo Bills game last Sunday. It was crazy hot!!! The Bills stadium ran out of bottled water by half time and wouldn't give us regular tap water. It sucked because it was crazy hot!!! So hot!!! And no water equals not a great day until more bottled water showed up. I want to know why we never see tap water in public anymore?!?!?! Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Graduate student life is fun when you look back on it after 15 years. You realize that you had so many freedoms and you didn't have to worry about the "real world" yet; however, the real world hits you as a graduate student because you have to pay bills, tuition, and live life with a very low salary. Some people accept that part of life and hope for the best, while others go out and work for extra money to be able to pay for their bills (rent, food, etc.). An article on NatureJobs.com seems to suggest that every graduate student should have a side hustle/job to make ends meet and provide a few tips to accomplish this goal. The problem is they never talk about how difficult it is to have a side hustle. I talk about my experience trying to have a side hustle and the sacrifices I had to make and the conflicts it caused (often with my supervisor). Take a listen and let me know what you think in our Facebook Group (link below). Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

We are featuring another episode of the Marine Conservation Happy Hour where Dr. Scarlett Smash recounts her and her husband's experience of evacuating the state of Florida along with millions of other people. Let's just say water and gas were in limited quantity and it was hot and sticky. I will let Smash tell you the rest. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

There are quite a few spectacular things that go on at the International Marine Conservation Congress every year; however, one of my favourites is the Tales From The Sea. It's an event that goes on in a theatre where Marine Scientists and Conservationists stand up in front of an audience and tell them a story about an experience during their life that involves the Ocean in some sort of way. Today, you are going to hear 3 of those stories that I loved hearing. You can listen to the stories in this episode and you can go watch the episode as it was filmed in front of a live audience. I'm sharing these stories because it's a great way for you to connect with more people who work in the Marine Science and Conservation fields. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Today's stories have a couple of things in common: 1) All stories are about invertebrates and, 2) You have to find out at the end of the episode. I thought I would pick these stories to discuss because I wanted to cover something a little different to show you that there are some great discoveries and some concerns that need to be addressed in Marine Science and Conservation. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Dr. Ed Hind-Ozan joins me on this episode of Ocean Talk Friday to discuss how conferences benefit people in the field of Marine Science and Conservation. Conferences are great for networking, collaborating on future projects and sharing information about different projects and strategies for the Ocean's best interest. Ed is the chair of the International Marine Conservation Congress that will take place in Malaysia in 2018 and shared his experience at the past conferences. We took the time to discuss some of the papers that were published recently from discussions and sessions arising from the IMCC 4 meeting in St. John's, Newfoundland. Here are the stories that we covered today: 1) Conch fisheries management 2) Geovisualizations Paper 1 and Paper 2 3) Gender Inequality at Marine Conservation Conferences Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

The Canadian Government has a long relationship with the First Nations groups across Canada; however, the relationship sucks. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a campaign promise to reconcile Canada's relationship with First Nations groups in Canada. He's been Prime Minister for almost 2 years, but hasn't done much to help...in fact, people say he's done the opposite. An article in the National Post covers a story where the Canadian Government gave the opportunity for a number of First Nations groups to bid on 25% of the quota for Arctic Surf Clam. I also talk about a study that provides 3 ways that the East Coast of the US is sinking and will be prone to flooding. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida over the weekend reeking havoc in different counties across the state as it did across many Caribbean Islands. As people in the path of Irma checked in as safe on social media and shared pictures and videos of what they witnessed, an interesting thing popped up in some of the videos. Two people shared pictures and videos of the ocean water missing along their coasts. One person's video in Long Island, Bahamas showed water missing from his dock as far as the eye can see. The other video shows a manatee that was stranded due to the lack of water caused by the hurricane. Listen to the podcast to find out why this happened. Here are some links if you would like to help out: 1) Global Giving Fund 2) Turks & Caicos - This was set up by Dr. Edward Hind-Ozan. The second story I cover today is about a study showing why fish eat plastic that is plaguing our Ocean. I talk about the study and the results and how it affects humans as predators. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Nathan Johnson joins us on Ocean Talk Friday after a busy summer. Today we talk about the following articles: 1) Canada designates it's largest conservation area (not an MPA, but similar); 2) Hawaiian National Monument gets an award for doing great work; 3) Can Aquaculture supply the world with seafood in a sustainable way; and, 4) NASA is using satellites to help understand Antarctica ecology Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign

Raising Ocean Awareness through any means may not be enough to be successful at conserving and protecting the Ocean. I know! I was surprised to hear that as well. We often watch documentaries or participate in campaigns that try to raise awareness of Ocean issues, but they are not as effective (all of the time) in doing what is necessary: Change the behaviours of people to protect the Ocean from harm. The documentary "Chasing Coral" is a prime example. The movie did a great job to explain and highlight the devastating impact rising sea surface temperatures (from climate change) are having on corals; however, the film did not tell people how they could change their behaviour to reduce their contribution to climate change. The result was a whole lot of people feeling depressed about the Ocean without any guidance on how to change what was happening. Brian Day knows how to use a tool that is used by Coke to make them a corporate giant. The tool is called marketing and it's purpose is to change people's behaviour for a specific result. In Coke's case, they would like people to drink their product to make them feel happy. In the Ocean's case, Brian wants people to change a certain behaviour to stop the action the people were taking to further harm the Ocean. Sounds like common sense, right? Unfortunately, not everyone one or every organization uses marketing in an effective way to change the world for social good, i.e. Social Marketing. Brian knows how to though and it works under the right circumstances. Brian explains how to use social marketing to change people's behaviour around the Ocean to protect it in this episode. Enjoy the Podcast!!! Let me know what you think of the episode by joining our Facebook Group for the Podcast. Support Speak Up For Blue's Efforts to create a free pr=resource program for Ocean Citizen Scientists to help move Marine Science and Conservation forward by collecting information for various Citizen Science program. Contribute to our Patreon Campaign