How To Protect The Ocean

A few weeks ago, I saw a post by my friend and colleague, Emily Cunningham, about a huge project that she and her project partners just won. They developed the proposal for over 3 years and finally saw the results, over 2 million pound prize awarded to the project that would engage local communities in the Northeast of the UK with their Oceans.  I invited Emily to come on the podcast to tell us wh...

What happens to fish producers when their customers close up shop and their supply chains fold? They need to pivot and identify a new market to ensure their survival. That's exactly what the Cornwall Fisheries Community did with their partners Mindfully Wired Communications and their Director, Katrina Ryan, is on the podcast to tell us how they did it.  Would you buy seafood directly from the fish...

There are many trailblazers out there that are pushing the Marine Conservation sector outside of its comfort zone to move the sector forward in a positive manner. They don't always get the credit they deserve, but they definitely push the boundaries.  I discuss some of my favourite Marine Conservation Trailblazers and challenge more of you to do the same. What are you doing to further Marine Conse...

Academic professors have a reputation that they stay in their "ivory towers" and do their research; however, Dr. Joshua Stoll, who is an Assistant Professor of Fisheries at the University of Maine, is also a fisherman and the co-founder of Local Catch. Local Catch is a network of community-supported fisheries that share information to help empower local fisheries.  The stories Josh tells me in thi...

It's time to reflect on how we can help the Earth, especially as we see the benefits of self-isolation to the environment.  How are you spending Earth Day? Share what you did in the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group . Check out the new Speak Up For The Ocean Blue Podcast App: http://www.speakupforblue.com/app . Speak Up For Blue Instagram Speak Up For Blue Twitt...

I've spent over 15 years on social media, more than 10 of those years involved science communication. Over those years, I crafted a strategy through many experiences to engage with people on social media about science that I now use today. I should mention that my strategy is constantly evolving as I believe everyone's strategy should evolve.  I focus on how to create a positive educational point...

Emily De Sousa joins me on the podcast to discuss a recent article in The Conversation about how fishers are able to sell directly to consumers and cut out the middle people during the Coronavirus pandemic and beyond.  Link to Article: https://theconversation.com/as-coronavirus-threatens-seafood-economy-community-fisheries-find-ways-to-stay-afloat-135276?fbclid=IwAR1WzduhOFTjgmyImLO8XFy0BFWX06Wbqo...

A decade ago, we witnessed one of the most devastating oil spills in the world as the Deepwater Horizon oil platform leaked oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The oil platform was owned by BP, who was fined $4.5 billion for the spill and the damage it caused to the Gulf of Mexico. $500 million dollars was granted to a coalition of agencies, non-profit organizations, and academic institutes to study the...

Bumble Bee Tuna was recently purchased by FCF, a Taiwan-based fishing company that has been accused of IUU (Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported) Fishing and human rights violations in regards to fisheries (i.e. fisheries slavery). A Greenpeace report described the human rights violation cases that were as recent as 2019 by surveying migrant fishermen on three vessels tied to FCF. Bumble Bee Tuna...

I am happy to announce the launch of the Madame Curiosity Podcast hosted by Frances Farabaugh and Mallory Fin. The two women join me on the podcast to talk about why they started this podcast about the historical contributions of Women in STEM.  Frances and Mallory also discuss how they know each other and how different they are, and why that makes the podcast that much more interesting.  Madame C...

There is a scientific review paper out that was authored by a number of high profiled marine scientists that say we can turn the poor health of the Ocean around by 2050 based on conservation success stories of animals such as the Humpback whale, manatee, and other charismatic ocean species.  That's great news, right?!  We will need to double our efforts to fight a number of issues such as climate...

At some point, we will get through this COVID-19 pandemic and when we do how will we approach our new world? I ask a number of questions surrounding the topic of sustainable living to fight Climate Change as we emerge from our self-isolation into our Brave New World. Link To Article: https://theconversation.com/sorry-to-disappoint-climate-deniers-but-coronavirus-makes-the-low-carbon-transition-mor...

My good friend Dr. Craig McClain joins me on the podcast to announce the wonderful OceansDotComm for 2020. The first OceanDotComm was a huge success, where 38 Science Communicators gathered at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium to tackle a topic and conduct a series of projects within a span of 5 days.  There were ships, airboats, cultural dinners and lots of laughs involved during the c...

The Netflix Series called Tiger King has gone viral more than the Coronavirus. It's a bizarre docuseries about a Private Big Cat Zoo owner who is charged with the attempted murder of the owner of a Big Cat Sanctuary. People can't stop talking about it, but they are focusing on the wrong thing. They are focusing on the people and not the idea of having big cats in private zoos that are looked after...

As we all are isolated in our respective homes around the world, we are seeing some positive effects of air pollution decreasing in Italy, China and other places.  Link To Article: https://www.boredpanda.com/italy-pollution-levels-coronavirus-quarantine/?utm_source=ecosia&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=organic Will the quarantine lead to better environmental management in the future? Share your...

A review study looked at 540 studies that involved marine species populations with respect to warming. Species near the poles are becoming more abundant compared to species near the equator.  Link To Article: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2238538-warming-oceans-are-causing-marine-life-to-shift-towards-the-poles/ Do you think this trend will continue? Share your thoughts in the Speak Up For...

Trying to attain a career in Marine Conservation or Conservation, in general, is very difficult. There aren't many jobs available and there is little funding. There are many people struggling, but the struggle can be lonely as the business is very isolated with fieldwork in remote areas for long periods of time.  One young conservationist had enough and decided to let her feelings out. What happen...

A great Mongabay article describes a 5-fold increase of Humpback Whales in less than two decades in a Multi-Use Protected Area in Chile called the Francisco Coloane Multi-Use Marine And Coastal Protected Area.  In 2003, 40 Humpback whales were observed in the MPA compared to 190 individuals in 2017. The same study revealed a feeding area for the Humpback Whales was in a 15 square km area that was...

The last segment in the Marine Conservation Career series covers the topic of Interviews. I LOVE doing interviews. Connecting to people is my jam! However, I know that not everyone loves interviews so I created this episode to help you better prepare for your next Marine Conservation Job Interview.  Do you have any suggestions for preparing for Interviews? Share your experience in the Speak Up For...

At some point in your Marine Conservation Career, you will face the question of whether one species is worth more than the other. Science alone will not be able to answer the question. A team of interdisciplinary scientists may be able to answer the question; however, the results may not agree with the moral stance from the public.  The article that I cover today explores this idea using grey seal...

We are living in unprecedented times, where the Coronavirus has taken over our lives to the point where many of us are living in self-quarantine and practicing social distancing.  People are buying up tons of toiler paper and disinfectant wipes to ensure they do not catch or spread the virus. Others are hoarding all sorts of products.  The amount of purchasing can lead to the wasteful use of some...

Your resume verifies all of the information you provided in your cover letter. It's very important to put it the right information and customize the resume to fit each job to which you are applying.  In this episode, I run through how you should build each section of your resume for a Marine Conservation Job.  Do you have any strategies that you would like to share? Share them in the Marine Scienc...

Pacific Salmon species love cool, clean waters and they are able to enjoy those waters all throughout British Columbia, Canada. Glacial retreating due to warmer air temperatures has revealed many suitable habitats for Pacific Salmon species; however, those glaciers are getting smaller and some have stopped revealing suitable habitat. It's all due to Climate Change that increased the speed of melti...

How do we stop plastic pollution from getting into the Ocean? Is banning single-use plastic the way to go, or do we make the manufacturers bare the responsibility or both? Link to article: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/plastic-problem-recycling-myth-big-oil-950957/ Let me know what you think in the Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group . Check out the new Spea...

The times of a single-page cover letter are over. In Marine Conservation, your cover letter needs to include specific information that will help the person reviewing your application to decide whether you warrant a closer look (i.e. an interview).  I give you tips on how to write a cover letter that will get you closer to getting the interview. It worked for me. Once I started using this strategy,...