How To Protect The Ocean

Cold water oceans do not always get the same attention as coral reefs and tropical beaches, but they are full of incredible life, beauty, and ecological importance. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin speaks with Kirsti Burnett about why cold and temperate marine ecosystems deserve more love, curiosity, and protection. From Nova Scotia's eelgrass beds and coastal inlets to bl...

Tide pools may look like simple puddles along the shoreline, but they are tiny ocean ecosystems filled with fish, crabs, snails, sea stars, worms, algae, and other hidden marine life. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin explains why tide pools are one of the best ways to experience the ocean without a boat, scuba gear, or expensive equipment. These small pools reveal how much...

Leatherback sea turtles are usually associated with warm tropical beaches, but some of the world's largest sea turtles travel thousands of kilometers to cold Canadian waters each year. Why? Jellyfish. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin explains why Atlantic Canada is an important feeding destination for leatherback sea turtles, how cold water ecosystems support huge bursts o...

Blue sharks are one of the most beautiful and misunderstood predators in the ocean. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we explore how this sleek, cold water shark can change the way people think about sharks, especially when they see one off the coast of Atlantic Canada. Blue sharks travel enormous distances, follow ocean conditions, and play an important role in healthy marine ecosystem...

Ocean sunfish are one of the strangest fish on Earth. They can look like a giant floating dinner plate, drift sideways at the surface, and appear almost lifeless, but their strange behaviour is part of an incredible survival strategy. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin explores why the mola mola, also known as the ocean sunfish, spends time in cold Canadian waters. These wat...

High Seas Treaty | Ocean Governance | Marine Protection How do you protect an ocean that belongs to everyone and no one at the same time? In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin speaks with Rebecca Hubbard, Director of the High Seas Alliance, about one of the most important ocean agreements in history: the High Seas Treaty. The high seas cover nearly half of Earth's surface and c...

The High Seas Treaty took nearly 20 years to negotiate, not because countries disagreed that the ocean matters, but because ocean protection becomes much harder when money, power, access, and fairness are involved. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we look at why protecting the high seas is so politically difficult. From industrial fishing fleets and marine genetic resources to enforcem...

High Seas Treaty implementation is now the real test for ocean conservation. The agreement was historic, but the hardest part was never getting countries to celebrate the deal. The real challenge is what happens after the headlines disappear. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin looks at whether the High Seas Treaty can actually change anything for biodiversity beyond national...

High seas protection sounds powerful, but can marine protected areas actually work thousands of kilometres from shore? In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin breaks down why creating protected areas beyond national waters is historic, but also incredibly difficult. The episode explores the difference between paper parks and real protection, why enforcement matters more than most...

High seas conservation matters because nearly half of the planet lies beyond any one country's control. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we ask a deceptively simple question: who actually owns the ocean? Andrew breaks down what the high seas are, why international waters have historically been treated like a free-for-all, and why that approach no longer works in a world of industrial f...

Forage fish may be small, but they hold Canada's ocean food web together. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin speaks with Jack Daly, marine scientist at Oceana Canada, about the new report Little Fish, Big Foundation and what it reveals about the state of forage fish across Canada. These tiny fish, including capelin, herring, mackerel, sardines, and anchovies, feed whales, se...

Forage fish are some of the most important animals in the ocean, but most people barely know they exist. Sardines, anchovies, herring, capelin, and other small schooling fish support whales, seabirds, salmon, tuna, and commercial fisheries. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin explains why forage fish are often overlooked, why their abundance matters more than people realize,...

Small fish like sardines, anchovies, herring, and capelin may not get much attention, but they quietly power entire ocean ecosystems. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we explore why forage fish are some of the most important species in the sea and how climate change could disrupt the food web in ways scientists are only beginning to understand. As oceans warm and ecosystems shift, the...

Forage fish may be small, but they help hold the ocean food web together. Species like sardines, anchovies, herring, capelin, and sand lance feed whales, seabirds, salmon, cod, tuna, and many other predators. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin explains why fishing these small fish for fishmeal, fish oil, aquaculture feed, livestock feed, pet food, and supplements can create...

Forage fish may be small, but they help power the entire ocean food web. Species like sardines, anchovies, herring, capelin, and sand lance feed whales, seabirds, tuna, salmon, and many other marine predators. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin explains why these overlooked fish matter so much, what happens when they decline, and why industrial fishing, climate change, and w...

Ocean conservation funding is one of the biggest challenges facing nonprofits today. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin speaks with nonprofit consultant James Misner about why so many mission-driven organizations struggle to raise money, even when their work is urgent and important. James explains why grants alone are not enough, why donors need to see the human connection b...

Ocean conservation is often framed as hopeful, inspiring, and mission-driven. But behind the scenes, many scientists, advocates, educators, and communicators are dealing with burnout, financial instability, emotional exhaustion, and the pressure to stay optimistic while ocean problems keep getting worse. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we look at the emotional cost of trying to save t...

Ocean science can tell us what is happening to marine ecosystems, fisheries, climate impacts, and protected areas, but that information does not always reach the people who need it most. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin looks at the communication gap between researchers, policymakers, media, industry, and the public. The problem is not always a lack of science. Often, it i...

Ocean conservation depends on science, but what happens when marine scientists spend more time chasing funding than doing the research itself? In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we look at the hidden financial pressure behind ocean conservation. Research vessels, field expeditions, monitoring programs, satellite tools, underwater robotics, staff, permits, and long-term analysis all cost...

Ocean conservation is a global effort worth billions, so why do so many marine scientists, nonprofits, and conservation groups still feel like they are constantly running out of money? In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew Lewin breaks down why ocean conservation often operates grant to grant, donation to donation, and year to year. He explains how unstable funding affects marine pro...

Bottom trawling is one of the most common fishing methods in the world, but what if it costs society more than it earns in profit? In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we look at a recent study on bottom trawling in Europe that found the total societal costs can be far higher than the profits generated, in some cases up to 90 times higher. Much of that hidden cost comes from carbon release...

Ocean research helps us understand marine life, but what happens when the tools we use to study animals disturb the very creatures we are trying to protect? This episode looks at a powerful question in marine science: can we study the ocean without harming it? Whale sharks and other marine animals are often studied using tools like tags, drones, boats, and tracking technology. These methods can re...

Blue carbon could be one of the most powerful climate solutions we already have, so why is it still missing from so many climate plans? In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we look at how mangroves, seagrasses, salt marshes, and other coastal ecosystems store carbon, protect coastlines, and support ocean health. Ocean climate solutions are often treated as secondary to land-based actions l...

Whale strandings are heartbreaking, but what happens when the whales are not sick? In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we look at a recent mass pilot whale stranding in Scotland, where many of the animals appeared to be healthy before they ended up on shore. Pilot whales are highly social animals, which means one wrong turn can become a disaster for the entire pod. As prey shifts closer t...

Sea Cucumbers are disappearing in parts of the ocean, and most people have no idea why that matters. These strange, soft-bodied animals might not look important, but they play a critical role in keeping marine ecosystems healthy and functioning. Ocean Ecosystems rely on sea cucumbers to recycle nutrients, clean sediments, and support the balance of life on the seafloor. When they are removed throu...