How To Protect The Ocean

Shark Finning still happens today and is shipped from all over the world to end up in Chinese markets. It's difficult to manage policies in a foreign country, but some countries can manage policies in their own EEZ if they know most of the shark fins are being collected in their waters.  Melissa Marquez wrote an article in Forbes magazine (link below) where a couple of researchers from Florida Int...

The Indigenous Fisheries conflict in Nova Scotia could have been avoided if the proper planning of the Ocean was completed when marine scientists and conservationists introduced the concept of Marine Spatial Planning. Spatial Planning is similar to urban or rural planning. It sets zones of usage or protection based on the specific needs and wants of the people managing the area (citizens in the fo...

Two stories for this episode, both fisheries-related. The first story is an update about the Nova Scotia Lobster Fishery conflict that has escalated over the past week. The Non-Indigenous Commercial fishermen are trying to stop the Indigenous Mi'kmaq community from exercising their right to legally fish for lobster. Check out episode 1068 to listen to more about the conflict.  Two incidences happe...

We often think of ourselves, the human species, as a separate entity when it comes to the environment, especially when it comes to Ocean Health. But today, my guest is going to make you think is a very different way, like we are part of the system (which we are!). Dr. Claire Simeone is a marine mammal veterinarian and the CEO of Sea Change Health, a non-governmental organization that works to mass...

The battle for lobster fishing continues in Nova Scotia, Canada as Indigenous people begin their lobster fisheries year-round as they were given the right to do so 21 years earlier with a Supreme Court Decision called the Marshall Decision. The Decision granted Indigenous people the right to fish all year round for a moderate livelihood in accordance with the 1760-61 Peace and Friendship Treaties...

Sea Turtle egg poaching is a big threat to the conservation of these endangered species. Poachers will wait until Sea Turtles lay their eggs on the beach until they grab as many as eggs they can to either sell them or consume them. There are continuous efforts to stop poaching in countries such as Costa Rica.  In an effort to expose the poaching routes, or determine if they even exist, Helen Pheas...

Waves can be a detrimental thing for our shores. Wave action through storms along beaches can erode the coastline, especially beaches due to their small sediment particle size, over a short period of time. Coastal habitats such as Coral Reefs, Mangroves, and Seagrass Meadows have been playing an important role for the coastline to ensure it stays secure from erosion.  In today's episode, I discuss...

As a young kid, I dreamt of working on the Ocean with sharks, or dolphins, or even Sea Turtles. I wanted to work with ocean animals so badly that I would dream about it most nights and daydream in Biology Class (maybe a little too much at times. Regardless, working for an NGO such as OCEARCH would have fulfilled a dream of mine to work in the field most days breathing in the Ocean air while workin...

Great News! A new Orca calf was spotted taking its first breaths off the coast of Victoria, B.C. The calf was spotted being propped up by it's other, J41. The naturalists who spotted the calf observed that it was rambunctious at the surface.  This is the second Orca calf spotted in September of 2020. It is too early to tell the health or the sex of this calf. The first was spotted on September 4th...

The Pandemic in 2020 has caused an "Anthropause," a halting of major human activities that may affect wildlife either directly or indirectly. Researchers want to know how the Anthropause will affect wildlife and if it will benefit the Ocean.  Link To Article: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/pandemic-stilled-human-activity-what-did-anthropause-mean-wildlife?fbclid=IwAR2TCYBXV_UDpsOoQ8H0v377...

Dr. Nathan Robinson joins me on the podcast today to discuss a new study he published with colleagues where they asked the question: "Do Sea Turtles Survive After Being Released After Rehabilitation?" Sea Turtles were brought to a rehabilitation centre for various reasons, including being cold-stunned. Once ready for release, 31 Sea Turtles were equipped with a Satelite tag to observe if they exhi...

Pilot whales are known to strand every once and a while, but never in the numbers that occurred over the past week. 470 Pilot Whales were stranded (the most record).  In this episode, I talk about why pilot whales can strand and how marine mammal stranding organizations play a critical role in saving lives that would otherwise be lost.  Links to Articles: 1) https://www.theguardian.com/environment...

Deep-sea mining is being evaluated and negotiated for the High Seas. It's predicted that is will commence near the end of the decade, but there are many concerns that we don't know enough about the Deep-Sea before we start to extract minerals from it.  A new study that mapped Deep-Sea Corals around the world using existing data is trying to share the amount of habitat that is known on the deep-sea...

Fisheries management is a tricky situation, especially when multiple policies are created for different cultures. Canadian Fisheries are not different and conflict has arisen between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous fisheries.  The Government of Canada provided a way for Indigenous people to fish out of season to make a "moderate living." However, what constitutes a moderate living these days is up f...

Dr. Janessa Gjeltema is an Assitant Professor at the University of California - Davis in Medicine and Epidemiology. In other words, she is a vet that focuses on the anthropogenic effects of pollution on animals.  Jenessa joins me on the podcast to discuss a pilot study that she is crowdfunding to learn how plastic pollution (microplastics) affects different marine mammals. this research will be cr...

I read a number of articles this week about how corporations are working to get into protecting the environment game, but can they be trusted.  In this episode, I discuss some of the tactics by some corporations that have given us reasons to distrust them in their intentions.  Do you think we can trust many of these corporations to do the right thing for the environment? Share your thoughts in the...

There have been a few accounts over the past summer of Orcas damaging boats in the Strait of Gibraltar. some accounts talk about the Orcas bitting the rudders of their boats, others talk about having a damaged keel from the constant damage as the Orcas ram boats and turn them almost 180 degrees.  The Orca population in question is endangered with less than 30 individuals. There are many human pres...

We don't always hear about fishing activity in North Korean or Russian waters, especially as a North American-focused media agency; however, I wanted to cover some news about the areas as it was published on the Global Fishing Watch website ( https://globalfishingwatch.org/ ). The organization conducted a study that looked at illegal fishing activity in North Korean waters (by Chinese fishing vess...

The Orca, J35, that carried her dead Orca calf in 2018 that made headlines around the world has given birth to J57, a spry calf that for the Southern Resident Orca Population.  This is the first successful birth since May 2019, which is averaging 1 successful birth per season compared to a healthy population that would birth 6-8 calves per season.  The Southern Resident Orca Population has been pl...

A new study in Brazil reveals that fishers think Sea Lions have more of an economic impact on their fisheries than the data suggests. This thought process is similar in North America, which begs the question do Pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) have a negative impact on fisheries economics? Link To Article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308597X19306517 Do you think pinniped...

The International Marine Conservation Congress 6 has come and gone. Usually, I am exhausted and need a couple of weeks to get over the conference after having such a great time and resting my voice from talking to people for a week straight; however, this time around is a little different as I did not attend the conference as well as I could have. In fact, I would say that I failed to attend IMCC6...

Marine Scientists and Conservationists are always trying to improve science and conservation so we can better protect the Ocean; however, one conversation that is often left out is one of systematic racism in the field. We can better Marine Science and Conservation by dismantling systematic racism and that is our focus on today's episode with Nikita Shiell-Rolle and Dr. Ashley Scarlett. These two...

The Trump Administration was behind in the polls in Maine so they decided to help the number one export industry, the lobster fishery, by allowing fishing in a Marine Monument and getting Europe to agree to eliminate an 8% tariff on lobster exports.  Link To Article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/trump-turns-an-election-year-eye-on-canadian-lobster-1.5704491 Do you think the Ocean sho...

Have you noticed an increase in your usage of sign-use plastic when you order from the Grocery Store or due to orders from online purchases?  There is a great article in the Los Angeles Times that shows there was an increase in single-use plastics, but a decrease in the garbage.  Link To Article: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-08-16/italy-garbage-dips-with-virus-lockdowns-but-plas...

The one thing I love most about Science Communication is...the Community. I dedicate this entire podcast to the people in the community that has helped get Marine Science and Conservation information to so many people!!! What type of Marine Science content do you love to listen/watch/read? Let us know in the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group . Speak Up For Blue...