The Speak Up For Blue Podcast

One of the scariest thoughts to me is wondering how far does our plastic pandemic reach in the ocean. We know that plastics reach every part of the ocean's surface, but how far down? And is it consistently found in the deep-sea? If so, how much of the microplastic accumulates within the deep-sea organisms? So many questions would require thousands of samples from around the world which would cost several millions of dollars. The good news is our guest today, Dr. Andrew Thaler, is now the steward of such a dataset and he hopes to answer the questions above. He just needs your help to fund the pilot study.   Link to Experiment: https://experiment.com/projects/establishing-a-baseline-for-microplastic-accumulation-in-deep-sea-animals-using-an-historical-sample-archive?s=discover   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservation Career: https://www.speakupforblue.com/career   Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3NmYvsI Conne

Blue carbon is not just a huge buzzword in the conservation space. It's a field within conservation that could help the oceans recoup from climate change impacts while decreasing climate change. There are many start-up companies that are popping up in the space to get in on what could be a lucrative business model for the near future and a way to save the planet. However, there are still many questions that remain unanswered for the space that could have unintended negative impacts on the ocean and the planet. For example, a recent study revealed that coastal ecosystems may release methane (a more severe greenhouse gas than CO2) after absorbing CO2. We are going to discuss these effects and why it is so important to know this information.   Link to article: http://bit.ly/3KaX9Ak   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservation Career: https://www.speakupforblue.com/career   Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3NmYvsI Co

Lolita is coming home...well maybe. The long-awaited journey home that people all over the world, especially the Lummi people (Indigenous people near the waters from which Lolita originated) closer to going home. The new owners of the Miami Seaquarium would like to release her, an NFL owner is ready to donate the funds, and local organizations are ready for her arrival. However, you may not see her home anytime soon as there are some regulations and challenges that need to be overcome before that could happen. We are going to talk about those challenges and more in this episode.   Link to article: http://bit.ly/3nw7uzg   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservation Career: https://www.speakupforblue.com/career   Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3NmYvsI Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc   

The congressional hearing where the CEO of TikTok was questioned about the security of the app seemed like a total farce and there are many things that could be said about some of the conflicts of interest of the politicians in that most of them had Meta stock (a direct competitor to TikTok). However, the chair of the hearing said that she thinks the app should be banned in the United States due to safety and security concerns. The recent success of making the Willow Project go viral on TikTok showed a real promise for environmental campaigns to succeed and reach audiences with a specific message. But now, the app may not be around and this will impact creators on the app, including marine science communicators. I am going to talk about what you should do in this situation.   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservation Career: https://www.speakupforblue.com/career   Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3NmYvsI Connect

A new proposal by an aquaculture company to farm octopuses is raising concerns among animal activists, conservationists, and scientists about whether it is right to farm octopuses for the purpose of food. The company proposes that farming octopus will help reduce trawling practices and provide the cultural demand for octopus as certain places around the world eat octopus as part of their culture; however, others are worried about the ethical and physical problems that might arise from the farming octopus. Octopuses are sentinel beings that have been documented as feeling pain. They are also territorial animals so one would think that it would be difficult to put more than one animal in the same tank. I am going to explore the many aspects surrounding the question of whether Can Octopuses be farmed?   Links to articles:  1) http://bit.ly/40FDD5w 2) http://bit.ly/40EgNvq   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservati

I get asked the same thing all of the time: How do I get a job in marine biology? The first thing I say is, do you have some time to talk? Marine Biology is a career that many people want when they grow up. They watch some great documentaries and TV shows and now even social media content of scientists and conservationists sharing their work in incredible places do some amazing things. When people graduate from university/college and start to look for a job they get frustrated about a number of things: not getting a job, not getting paid enough, having to move to remote places, etc. The career isn't for everyone and there are a few things that you should consider before you jump into the pursuit of a career in marine biology. Dr. David Shiffman shared an exercise he conducts with his students so they know what to expect when pursuing this career. I want to share it with you because I think it's super important.   Dr. David Shiffman's Twitter Thread: https://twitter.com/WhySharksMatter/status/16381793969967308

There is nothing better than going to a beach after a rain storm to sea the calmness of the sea and enjoy the ocean's tranquility. But, you might want to stay away from those areas after you hear what a recent study found in the ocean spray after storms near rivers where sewage is disposed of during storms. A recent study that sampled ocean spray in the air found sewage particles carrying bacteria, viruses, and potentially other nasty things in the air after a storm hit. The study becomes scary after realizing how far inland the aerosols can travel inland via ocean spray.  We are going to talk about it in this episode.   Link to article: http://bit.ly/3n6YujH   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservation Career: https://www.speakupforblue.com/career   Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3NmYvsI Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG Twitter: https://bit.ly/3r

Red tide has hit the Florida coastline once again due to a variety of reasons that will not go away any time soon unless Florida's water quality problem is solved soon and it's affecting the local people and economy. It's not the worst red tide event that we have seen in the recent past, but it seems to be popping up year after year and that is concerning many scientists as climate change is making things worse.  We are starting to see the long-term effects of red tide, increased nutrients, and warmer waters so we are going to talk about it during this episode.   Link to article: http://bit.ly/3mYg0GR   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservation Career: https://www.speakupforblue.com/career   Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3NmYvsI Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc   

My family and I love to travel down south to the Caribbean for vacation during the winter to get a break from the cold and lie on the beach and explore the inshore of the ocean. But there has been a massive increase in the coverage of sargassum along the coastline and the accumulation is getting to the point where trucks are working around the clock to get rid of the algae. Climate change and increased nutrients for massive rivers are the culprits to the increase in the biomass of sargassum. The problem is not going away anytime soon but something needs to be done to reduce the problem.   Link to article: http://bit.ly/3Tqdl5d   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservation Career: https://www.speakupforblue.com/career   Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3NmYvsI Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc   

The Biden administration approved a controversial proposal to drill in Alaska (a project that could produce 280 million metric tons of carbon emissions/9.2 million per year)despite campaign promises of not approving any more oil projects due to climate change concerns. Many petitions with hundreds of thousands of signatures were submitted and numerous comments were made on social media posts asking for people to Speak Up against the project. Former government officials said the administration was bound by the leasing contract to approve the proposal or else face a potential $5 Billion lawsuit for breach of contract. Other factors that might have influenced the decision were an energy crisis and a looming election. However, did President Biden lose the younger vote with campaign climate change promises broken?   Link to article: http://bit.ly/42aEyg6   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservation Career: https://w

Kiska the orca who was known as the loneliest orca in the world passed away due to a bacterial infection on March 10th and people around the world are angry at Marineland for their lack of effort in taking good care of Kiska. But the most frustrating part of Kiska's story is that she could have been the first orca to participate in the whale sanctuary project. Therefore, we need to intensify the efforts of retiring orcas and other marine mammals to seaside sanctuaries so we don't repeat Kiska's tragedy.   Link to article: http://bit.ly/41YNt42   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservation Career: https://www.speakupforblue.com/career   Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3NmYvsI Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc   

After 2 decades we have a UN High Seas Treaty and there is hope for protecting the ocean in international waters, but there is an important step that needs to be taken...the treaty needs to be ratified by the countries. There are great reasons to ratify this treaty, specifically 4 important actions that will help the world and its ocean. Therefore, it is time that the people of the countries who need to ratify this treaty need to tell their politicians to ratify this bill. We are going to talk about the important points of this treaty and why we should be hopeful.   Link to article: http://bit.ly/3yt4sOA   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservation Career: https://www.speakupforblue.com/career   Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3NmYvsI Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc   

Last year, the Biden administration rolled out the most comprehensive climate bill in US history and launched the journey of climate action that was promised during the campaign. But it is now evaluating the approval of an oil and gas drilling opportunity in Alaska called the Willow Project. You may not have heard of the project because it seems to have flown under the radar, but people are talking about it on TikTok. In fact, my daughter is the person who told me about it. I wanted to find out more information on the project so I reached out to my good friend, Angelo, and he put me in touch with Jenny Rowland-Shea who has been working on this project at the Center for American Progress for a while now. Jenny tells us about the history and future plans of the project and how people in Alaska feel about it.   Link to article: http://bit.ly/3JiHnEi   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservation Career: https://www.

Open-net pen salmon aquaculture has been operating along the west coast of Canada in the Discovery islands for almost 30 years and it was supported by the government. But not everyone was happy with the results that occurred in the surrounding waters. Indigenous groups and environmentalists were noticing that there was more disease in and outside of the pens and fewer wild Pacific Salmon coming out of the Fraser river. A court ruled that many of the licenses for the aquaculture pens should not be renewed and it's finally starting to happen. We are going to talk about it in this episode of the podcast.   Link to article: http://bit.ly/3KMfUw2   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservation Career: https://www.speakupforblue.com/career   Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3NmYvsI Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc       

We have heard the experts tell us time and time again that diversity and inclusion is critical for protecting the ocean and the planet. But many organizations, governments, and private companies often fail to implement policies within the workplace to foster a better environment and work culture that could lead to better conservation. I was recently contacted by a listener to tell me about a mistake that I made in referencing the terms equality and equity. The conversation developed into a great exchange of ideas that lead to this interview about implementing diversity and inclusion training and policies in the workplace. Christie Mazzeo-Pfoertner works for the New York Department of State and tells you how she personally got involved in becoming more aware of diversity and inclusion, which led to her volunteering to be on a working group for the department. We are going to talk about her journey in this episode.   The Black Agenda: https://bit.ly/3J1RVYk Melinda Epler (Podcast, Book): https://bit.ly/3J2COhm

Science communication has the power to capture the eyes and minds of any audience and the ability to find a way to explain science is various aspects of life takes a certain skill and passion. But it's not easy to communicate the science and build an audience that will continue to come back for more. Therefore, the message has to be entertaining to get attention and you must go where the audience goes. Melissa Truth Miller is my guest today and an example of meeting an audience to communicate her science message. Melissa is a marine scientist who also has written blogs for sites like Nerdist and organizes Comic Con panels to bring science to an audience that is interested in science fiction.   Connect with Melissa Truth Miller:   Convention Panel recordings https://melissatruth.com/bylines/ Article about the marine debris in the sperm whale: http://bit.ly/3KL4VTl The podcast: https://skywalkingthroughneverland.com/star-warsologies/   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey  

Kelp forests have a number of benefits to the coastal oceans: They provide a habitat for a diverse set of species; they provide food for species; and, they take up carbon dioxide more than land trees. But kelp forests are at risk as a predator that used to be a problem is becoming more of a problem and eating live kelp. We need healthy kelp forests for all of their benefits including reducing climate change. Therefore, it is crucial that we discuss what will help protect them.   Link to article: http://bit.ly/3Y8oHeC   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservation Career: https://www.speakupforblue.com/career   Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3NmYvsI Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc   

I recently did an episode where I interviewed a great colleague and great friend, Dr. Andrew Thaler. At the end of the interview, I asked him what he was up to these days because you never know what Andrew Thaler is up to at any point and time. He let me know that he was spending his time on a climate change committee in his county. I was so proud of him because we had a similar discussion about 5 years ago and he mentioned that he wanted to do something like this. And then he said something that really hit me. He said that local government/committees is where specialists and experts can really make a difference. We are going to talk about why that statement is so profound in this episode.   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservation Career: https://www.speakupforblue.com/career   Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3NmYvsI Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rI

There seems to be a resurgence of tuna fish advertising as influencers show the benefits of eating tuna and try to bust myths of mercury poisoning and overfishing if you look up government standards you will find that specific tuna is safe to eat, but are the supermarkets that sell them sourcing from the right supplier? Are they making sure the suppliers are sustainably catching tuna and treating their staff right? Over a number of podcasts, I have revealed the tragedies of overfishing on the high seas including transhipping at sea and the use of fisheries slaves. I think you have the right to know if your favorite grocery store is sourcing its tuna from the right companies. Greenpeace recently released a report ranking worldwide grocery stores that sell tuna based on sustainability and human rights. I am going to go over some of those results.   Link to Article: http://bit.ly/3xGjakT   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Scienc

You need to know what's happening in deep-sea mining, or what's not happening in deep-sea mining. I kept hearing different stories about how close deep-sea mining was to becoming a reality. At times it concerned me and at other times I was just thinking that it was never going to happen. Over the past year, things have seemed to progress and you might be seeing more stories in the media about the topic. That is happening for a reason and it's partly due to the work of a small group of people that became a resource to the industry on both sides of the industry. My guest today is here to tell us the biggest things that have happened over the past 13 years. Dr. Andrew Thaler joins the podcast to tell us about his four years as Editor-In-Chief of the Deep-Sea Mining Observer and how it filled a gap in knowledge to the press on the latest stories in the industry.   Fill out our listener survey: https://www.speakupforblue.com/survey   Join the audio program - Build Your Marine Science and Conservation Career: