Ocean Solutions: a NOISE Lab podcast

With episode 9, we conclude season 3 of the Ocean Solutions Podcast! For the finale, we turn to marine social scientist Sara Nawaz, the Director of Research at American University’s Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy. We discuss her research on marine carbon dioxide removal technologies, especially ocean iron fertilization, and how to design policies that are just and equitable. We also t...

Season 3 episode 8 of the ocean solutions podcast explores the marine carbon dioxide removal strategy called ocean alkalinity enhancement. We chatted with Woods Hole Oceanographic Insitution’s Adam Subhas, the project lead for LOC-NESS (Locking away Ocean Carbon in the Northeast Shelf and Slope), which was the first EPA permitted field trial for ocean alkalinity enhancement. We discussed Adam’s jo...

We turn to the world of water for Season 3 Episode 7 where we chat with Meghan Halabisky, the CEO and Chief Scientist of Teal Waters, a company that maps the hidden values of wetlands around the world. A remote sensing ecologist by training, Meghan talks about navigating the start up world as an academic as well as the importance of overlooked “teal” waters in carbon management. We chat all things...

For Season 3 episode 6, we returned to soil science and were joined by Dani Gelardi who works for the Washington State Department of Agriculture. We talk about their pioneering Soil Health Initiative, a collaboration between state agencies and academics to conduct research, outreach, education, and funding calls for farmers in Washington. In this final terrestrial episode, we learned just what goe...

Season 3 Episode 5 explores the powerful field of critical ecology, founded by guest Suzanne Pierre. We talk about her journey starting this new field, which examines climate change through an interdisciplinary lens that focuses on how power imbalances have negatively impacted Earth systems. We also discuss one of her projects looking at the ecological scars of plantation slavery in St Croix in th...

For Season 3 Episode 4, we return to the world of dirt and talk to NRDC soil scientist and self-proclaimed microbe nerd Daniel Rath to learn about the climate impacts and solutions around agricultural nitrogen emissions. We talked about his path from soil science at UC Davis to his time in Belize to working at the intersection of policy — including his recent work studying the major greenhouse gas...

Back to the ocean for Season 3 Episode 3, where we talk kelp with Tremaine Bowman, a program manager at Seafields. We discuss the growing industry of seaweed aquaculture and its role in everything from Caribbean tourism to marine carbon dioxide removal. We also talk about Tremaine’s journey as a PhD student in fish ecology to working on a circular marine economy. To learn more about Seafields and...

For Season 3 Episode 2 of Ocean Solutions, we move from the atmosphere to land to talk about Enhanced Rock Weathering with Cascade Climate's Alison Tune. We discuss the sequestration power of this climate solution, including Cascade's new mapping tool that visualizes where rock weathering has a high chance of succeeding due to physical and economic factors. To learn more about Alison and her work...

In the opening episode of Season 3 of the Ocean Solutions Podcast, hosts Lena Capece and Alexandra Phillips interview Danielle ("Danie") Potocek of Spark Climate Solutions to talk about an emerging climate solution called atmospheric methane removal. We discuss potential risks and rewards for this new geoegineering method, as well as Danie's relationship to optimism following her cancer diagnosis...

In this episode we talk to Dr. Kim Selkoe, who is the Co-Founder and CEO at Get Hooked Seafood, a community supported fishery based in Santa Barbara. Join us in learning about the history of fisheries in California, sustainability and community supported fisheries. To learn more about Get Hooked or join the community click here: https://gethookedseafood.com/.

In this episode we talk to Chris Ragland who is the Founder and Executive Director of the Sea League, a non-profit organization based in Santa Barbara that offers ocean-based after school programs and summer camps for the next generation of ocean stewards. Here, we have an inspiring conversation about his connection to the ocean and his path to finding the Sea League. You can learn more about the...

In this episode we talk to Dr. Veronica Padilla Vriesman who is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science at Scripps and Pitzer Colleges in California. She shares how a lifelong curiosity about the natural world—especially in California—inspired the ShArE Lab (Shells as Archives of the Environment). Through studying mollusks, Dr. Padilla Vriesman uncovers what shells can reveal about climate...

In this episode we talk to Dr. Alexandra Atlee Phillips who is an Assistant Teaching Professor in Environmental Communication at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UC Santa Barbara. Dr. Phillips talks about the role of science communication and politics in ocean climate solutions, her experience as an American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow for the U.S. S...

In this episode, we talk to Dr. Melissa Ward who is the Chief Scientist of Windward Sciences which is a company that develops and guides ocean-based solutions to environmental change. Specifically, we talk to Dr. Ward about her path to finding her passion for science and blue carbon, as well as the challenges and opportunities of having your own company. Find out more about Dr. Wards company and h...

In this episode, we have an inspiring conversation with Karina Johnston, Executive Director of Heal the Ocean, a nonprofit based in Santa Barbara. She shares insights from her PhD research, working with Tidal Influence and her over 20 years of experience managing nature-based solutions that support coastal resilience across California’s diverse seascapes. Find out more about Karina's work in the o...

In our final episode of the season, we talk with Mia Lopez who is the founding Director of the Su’nan Protection, Art & Cultural Education (The SPACE) in Santa Barbara. Mia has held many important leadership and representative positions within the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation and also currently serves as a liaison between the Tribe and various local, state, and federal agencies. Here, we get...

In this episode we talk to Eliza Harrison (MBA Candidate, Fuqua School of Business) about her path to Ocean Rainforest, an international seaweed agricultural company with operations based in Santa Barbara California. At Ocean Rainforest she was the Director of California Operations for 7 years and while there she managed the first offshore permit exclusively for seaweed cultivation in the United S...

Dr. Raquel Bryant invites us into the world of foraminifera, tiny shells that record how oxygen in the ocean has changed over Earth history and how it is likely to change in the future.

Anthony Shiao and James Ray, both with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, talk with us about urchin barrens and how we might rebuild healthy kelp forests off of our coast.

We learn about one of the major threats to whales – ship strikes – and how regulators are trying to reduce them from marine mammal policy expert Laura Ingulsrud.

The humble seaweed is a powerhouse resource for food, animal feed, agriculture, plastics, coastal remediation, and so much more. Rae Fuhrman, founder and CEO of Stingray Sensing, tells us about the future of seaweed farming.

Sea level is rising – so what can coastal communities do? Heather Dennis, Advanced Planner with the County of Marin in Northern CA, talks us through the options and the actions that are already underway.

What's going on with all of these fires and hurricanes? What does the future hold, and how do we know? We get answers from Dr. Danielle Touma, climate scientist.

We talk with Arlo Hemphill, Senior Oceans Campaigner with Greenpeace USA, about the perils of deep-sea mining and how conservation NGOs are working to stop it before it starts.

We talk with Juan Carlos Villaseñor-Derbez about an innovative non-profit organization called COBI that helps fishing cooperatives in Mexico create and manage their own ecological reserves.