Let's Sea

We chat all things polar bear with the wonderful Kiersten King, a researcher with Polar Bears International! These sea-based bears will blow your mind; from their spiritual history, to how they use their big ol’ paws, you’ll bear-ly believe it. BIG TAKEAWAY: The Arctic is vital in regulating our global climate - from the Sahara, to Antarctica, to the Amazon, it all starts in the land of the polar...

Listen in as we octopi our hearts with the ink-credible Chanel Hason The Zooquarium Podcast! We dive into these brilliant, donut-brained creatures (no, really), and answer the question - is it octopi, octopuses, or neither? BIG TAKEAWAY: Octopus continue to surprise and enthrall us with their intelligence. Honestly, best eco-forward message we can share this episode? Go talk about the cool stuff y...

Listen in as we chat with Kaitlyn Kowaleski of University of Washington’s Sea Grant to find out how many eyes scallops have, and how oddly similar to Pac Man they are. Stick around to hear Ash’s Art History degree finally come in handy. BIG TAKEAWAY: Because scientists worked WITH scallop fishers to identify the right course of action, instead of without them, the US scallop fisheries are an incre...

Listen in as we discuss the amazing lives of bluefin tuna with our new pal from @millerswildlife, Jason Miller! From how powerful they are, to the crazy way their circulatory system works, these huge fish are way beyond shelf staples or sushi stars. We also devolve into chats about The Office, skunks, Gloucester fishermen, sharks, and red bellied cooters. 🎣BIG TAKEAWAY: Successful conservation ha...

What was the ‘seapup’, what does it have to do with the Titanic, General Mills, and a revolution in scientific discovery? Listen in as we explore Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's history, focusing on deep sea exploration and the discovery of hydrothermal vent communities! BIG TAKEAWAY: Don’t let yourself become indifferent! Take a pause before you make a purchase and think about it. Use your...

Listen in as we chat about the seaside trees that walk: mangroves! We’re joined by Stephanie Cadaval , Alyssa Vinson , and Jose Cajiga Lopez who will blow your minds about these funky flora. BIG TAKEAWAY: Mangroves are living shorelines, and vital for the health and safety of our seashore communities. Let’s channel our inner Lorax and speak for the trees - before trimming mangroves, consult local...

Listen in as we chat with marine conservation ecologist and plankton expert, Professor Abigail McQuatters-Gollop, about her work shaping our world’s understanding of plankton’s important role in our environment. We chat about all things jellyfish (aka jellies), how changing water temperature affects them (not how you may think), fun on ferries, international policies, and a smack-ton more! BIG TAK...

In this first episode of SEAson 3, we’re going bananas for leopard seals with Banana Boy #2 himself, Scotty Landes from The Bananas Podcast! In our first flipped-script episode, we dig into the secret lives of these Antarctic predators (literally, we don’t know much about them). Are they science fiction, the stuff of explorer legend, or oddly motherly creatures trying to teach humans to hunt pengu...

You know the term ‘big baby’, but what about a 75-pound newborn that sounds like a velociraptor? Listen in as we chat with The Marine Mammal Center’s own Adam Ratner about one of the biggest shnozs in the sea, the elephant seal! BIG TAKEAWAY: Given ease of access, animals who habitually raise their young on the beach are inherently targets for human predation; even one of the biggest, boldest crea...

What is the Everglades, and how is its wellness intertwined with the ocean? Listen in as we discuss Kait’s hometown ecosystem(s) and why they are critical to the surrounding marine & terrestrial communities. BIG TAKEAWAY: You may have heard of Alligator Alcatraz, an ICE ‘detention center’, but have you heard of the vital wetlands that it’s being built on? Speaking up against the construction of th...

Listen in as we discuss these cute sea ferrets, their secret pockets, and purple bones with our pal Katie Russell, and learn how her work is helping to bring otters back to their native range off the Oregon coast! BIG TAKEAWAY: Human interference can displace native species and destroy their natural habitats, even hundreds of years later. But, just like Captain Planet, with our powers combined we...

Listen in as we chat with Dr. Missy Partyka about how freaking awesome and wildly important the Gulf of Mexico is! Do you know what a brine pool is (aka, ‘jacuzzis of death’)? We didn’t either, but they’re entirely natural and generally badass. We also dig into the negative (and shockingly positive) effects of the 2010 BP Oil disaster. BIG TAKEAWAY: Sometimes a disaster can result in the silver li...

Ever think about sea urchins? Probably not, but maybe you should! Listen in as we talk about how these funky animals survive, how they’re similar to both hedgehogs and zombies, and why they’re considered keystone species in both coral reefs and kelp forests! BIG TAKEAWAY: While urchins may look like spiky rocks at the beach that you avoid stepping on, they are pivotal to the health of many oceanic...

Listen in as we discuss a creepy misunderstood creature of the deep, the Abyssus Theory, Teuthologists, and what pineappling is (not like living in one under the sea). BIG TAKEAWAY: Even deep sea creatures are affected by pollution such as microplastics and runoff. Even if there is so much about the deep sea that we don’t know, we know it’s being threatened by the decisions being made today about...

Listen in on our chat with sustainable content creator Alyssa Barber of @newlifestyleABB! We chat about lots of good stuff, from the impacts of community and self-care to generational divides, and focus on sustainable habits and how to make changes in your life and in the world as a whole. BIG TAKEAWAY(s): Go vote! Be an active part of your community! Slow down! Consume ethically! Be intentional!...

Listen in as we discuss the similarities between dolphins and Mario Mario (yes, that is his full name)! Think there aren’t similarities? Well, then prepare to level up your knowledge. This one gets pretty silly 🍷 BIG TAKEAWAY: While they’re adorable, inquisitive, and admirable, dolphins must be appreciated from afar, not touched or fed! They are wild creatures, so not only is it dangerous for bot...

Which came first: slugs or snails? Listen in as we discuss this age-old question, and chat about the differences and similarities between these slimy friends. This episode will have you saying ‘please send nud(ibranchs)’! BIG TAKEAWAY: 🐚Shells are (maybe shockingly) vital to the survival of both snails and slugs, and calcium is a key component in creating and maintaining these structures. Eroding...

Listen in as we discuss these cute little decapods and how they find their homes, why they’re actually not crabs at all, and what we can do to help them out. Are hermit crabs never nudes? Do they exhibit impeccable social skills? Find out in this episode! BIG TAKEAWAY: If you wouldn’t try to steal someone’s home, then please don’t take a hermit crab’s shell. Not only does removing shells destabili...

Listen in as we discuss the enormous issue of garbage patches forming in the ocean and the types of debris found within them. We also chat about what plastic is, why we’re so addicted to it as a society, and what we all can do to prevent plastic pollution. BIG TAKEAWAY: Plastic does not degrade, and much of it is not recyclable. The best way to prevent plastic pollution is to limit its use by repl...

Listen into this extra long, extra silly episode as we dive deeper into sea turtles, focusing on leatherbacks, cold stunning, and a whole lot more amid a ton of laughter with @TheAmandaFiles herself, Amanda Sargent Mezzatesta!! BIG TAKEAWAY: Sea turtles have very few predators, but the most dangerous to them are us humans. We can help them in many ways: from reducing single use plastic, to volunte...

We’ve got one shell of an episode for you! Listen in as we discuss the different species of sea turtles, how they reproduce, and the major threats to their survival. Stay tuned next week when we’re joined by our herpetologist friend to dive deeper! BIG TAKEAWAY: Sea turtles have survived for > 100,000 years due to their incredible adaptations, but our world is changing too fast for them to adapt t...

Listen in as we take our first flight into our friends the seabirds! We discuss the equatorial grudge match of penguins vs. puffins; these birds may look similar, but their differences may surprise you. We welcome Evan Hennerberry to give more insight on these tuxedoed pals. BIG TAKEAWAY: Despite living on opposite sides of the world, these birds face many of the same threats. Areas of the world w...

Listen to the second half of Kait & Ash’s discussion on coral with special guest Liz Trueblood! We discuss coral protections, climate change, and climate- & coral-friendly options! BIG TAKEAWAY: There are many actions we can all take to protect these crucial ocean ecosystems, from simply changing the types of sun protection we use, to modifying boating practices, to reducing our carbon emissions....

Listen in as Kait explains different types of reefs, what exactly coral is, and how it grows and survives. We discuss what these ecosystems mean to the ocean, where they can be found, and how large they can get. Special guest Liz Trueblood will be on Part 2, coming 9/11/24! BIG TAKEAWAY: There are multiple types of reefs, some even man-made. More than one quarter of all marine life lives in a cora...

Listen in as we discuss the dynamics between different Orca pods, their matriarchal structure, and hypothesize about why they are attacking boats. Ash realizes how much she identifies with the predators from “the kingdom of the dead” and Kait nerds out over peduncles. Also, we welcome our first pod guest, Katie Russell! BIG TAKEAWAY: Orcas are the most widely distributed predators in the world, se...