Speak Up For The Ocean Blue

Melissa Marquez joins me on the podcast today to discuss the hot topics of the week in Marine Science and Conservation. This week, we discuss a push to ban plastic straws in the UK and how Bonnethead sharks have been found to ingest as well as digest seagrass.  But we first chat about how Melissa is creating the Spanish version of the Speak Up For Blue Podcast called ConCiencia Azul. We talk about how the idea came about and what she is going to be talking about on the podcast.  Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Hypoxic, or oxygen-depleted zones, are growing in size and number around the world. I cha about why this is happening and my experience working with a research team that measured the extent of the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico stemming from the Mississippi River.  I also chat about an article shared by one of our Group members about how Climate Change is affecting the sex ratio of green sea turtles in the Great Barrier Reef. I tell you why this is happening and what the implications are. 

The Trump Administration has proposed to open 90% of US Outer Continental Shelf to Oil and Gas Drilling. I discuss what that means for the Marine Environment and how we can prevent these types of changes in the future. (14:53) I also chat about a recent discussion on the internet about whether we should avoid citing people who have been outed as sexual harassers, sexual predators, or even people known to mistreat their colleagues and employees. (28:15) Sea Turtle Cold-Stunned (44:35)

Science and Policy articles always give us an insight on how local communities depend on local resources. In today's episode, I discuss an article that studies how breastfeeding is a socio-economic driver for fishing effort. the article describes how malnutrition of impoverished fishing communities are working as a driver for fishers to spend more time trying to catch fish of which there are less because the fish population has been drastically reduced over time.

Climate Change is not proven or disproven by the current Weather. Freezing temperatures have brought on questioning by climate deniers as to whether climate change is real. It's still real and I talk about why during the podcast.  I also talk about how a cyclone in India dumped 80 tons of plastic debris along its coastline. I bleak reminder of the severity of plastic pollution in our oceans.  Check out more detailed show notes on our website.

In this last episode of 2017, I breakdown what you can expect from Speak Up For Blue in 2018. Here is the list: 1) New podcast shows on Marine Science and Conservation  2) Weekly You Tube Videos 3) Creating more LIVE content 4) Bringing more Marine Science content 5) Providing more Speak Up For Blue Community resources 6) Create more incentives for the Speak Up For Blue Patreon Campaign 7) Create branded Merchandise 8) Consulting as a Podcast Producer and Host for organizations

As we wind down 2017 and get ready for 2018, I revisit the top 5 most downloaded podcasts of 2017: 5) Episode 285 - Ocean Talk Friday featuring Lyne Morissette 4) Episode 326 - How To Eat Sustainable Seafood with Fish Nerds Clay Groves 3) Episode 289 - Human Activities and the Ocean 2) Episode: 360 - Marine Conservation Career Struggles: 4 Perspectives (Marine Conservation Happy Hour Preview) 1) Episode: 335 Shark Science Communication with Melissa Marquez Enjoy the Podcast!!!

I wanted to post a shorter episode today (Merry Christmas everyone!!!) to highlight my wishes for the Marine Science and Conservation Field: 1) See people read more science papers or know more about them; 2) See people in the field be nicer to each other; 3) See citizens support politicians who support science; 4) See more people get involved in science communication ; and, 5) See the Speak Up For Blue Community supporting smaller organizations who are results-oriented.

On today's Ocean Talk Friday Episode, I string an article, a conversation that I had with a bank teller this week and a guide on how you can reduce your Climate Change footprint and how they all relate to Ocean Acidification (and provide an important way you can support the reduction of climate change). Enjoy the Podcast!!!

In this interview, Vic Ferguson tells me about how he founded the WFCRC and its primary function is to contribute to protecting Coral Reefs and helping people protect their coastline. He also describes an upcoming collaborative project with Ocean Guardian that will take place in the Cook Islands. Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Welcome to the Ocean Update Episode where I take you through 2 stories and an opinion piece that I think are important: 1) Scientists did not find a 512 year old Greenland Shark (9:54); 2) Opinion: We have quite a bit of work as Marine Conservationists to educate the people (16:22); and, 3) US Federal Government is banning words for scientists to use (33:19). Enjoy the Podcast!!!

I ask myself three questions on today's Ocean Talk Friday episode: 1) Will charging 3 men with animal cruelty deter others from hurting animals?; 2) Did Blue Planet II help save the Ocean by raising awareness? Was it designed to do that? 3) Did you know some Shrimp are injected with a chemical called CMC to make them look bigger? 

Bonnie Waycott joins me on the podcast today to discuss how the Japanese aquaculture industry is recovering after the March 11th, 2011 Tsunami that devastated part of Japan. Recovery efforts are still ongoing almost 7 years later, where some families are still in temporary housing as their homes are still not back together. 

Environmental Documentary Photographer, Paul Nicklen, released a video and photos of a Polar Bear on its last legs this past week and tied the dying condition to climate change. Nicklen intended for the piece to inspire people to change their behaviour to reduce/eliminate climate change; however, not everybody agreed.  So it's time to discuss this matter on the podcast! Enjoy the Podcast!!!

Nathan Johnson joins us on the podcast today to discuss this week's top stories that we think you should know about: 1) Giving Small-Scale Fishing a voice on an international platform; 2) Regular people work to help Sea Turtles; 3) Countries around the world agree that Plastic Pollution in a Global Problem; and, 4) Arctic Countries agree to stop fishing in Arctic High Seas for 16 years so researchers can study the area. Enjoy the Podcast!!!