The Speak Up For Blue Podcast

Polish researchers observed a young female polar bear chasing a reindeer into the ocean, drowning it, and feeding on it.  The observation in addition to another observation of the same young female feeding on a different reindeer carcass in the same region sparked a wonder as to whether polar bears were altering their diets in the Svalbard region because there was less ice.  Other researchers disagree with that line of thinking as the bears have been seen feeding on reindeer since the 1950s and 60s on occasion. They think that more people are able to document the observations with phone cameras to post on social media making it seems as though polar bears feeding on reindeer occurs more often than we think. Link to Article: https://bit.ly/3pcuQat Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

Did you ever wonder how well your State is managing your beaches? Your state has a coastline along the ocean or the Great Lakes which can be a dynamic place. Coastlines are always changing, usually slow changes, but they are changing. Your state and local governments are in charge of how your beaches are managed and adapted to any changes that might occur but are they managed well? There are so many laws and policies that can contribute to the management of beaches that it can be difficult to find a good indicator of how well they are managed. Luckily, there is a great organization and assesses the management of the beaches in each state annually, Surfrider.  I am joined by Surfrider's Stefani Sekich-Quinn, who manages Surfrider's annual State of the Beach report. Stefanie joins me today to discuss the results of this year's report and reasons we can be hopeful for the future of our beaches...BUT we will have to keep up the pressure.  Link to the report: https://www.surfrider.org/coastal-blog/entry/surfrider

There have been over 1,000 manatees that have died in 2021. Most of the manatees died of starvation due to the lack of seagrass available for food.  This episode explores why the seagrass disappeared over the past decade and suggests what needs to be done to protect the manatees better.  Link to article: https://www.ecowatch.com/florida-manatees-starvation-feeding-2655776281.html#toggle-gdpr Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

The North Atlantic Right whale's population dipped from 366 to 336 from 2019 to 2020 making it the lowest it has been in 20 years. Whale entanglement is the leading culprit in the North Atlantic Right Whale's mortality off the coast of Maine. Lobster fishing gear tends to be the gear that entangles the whales.  A court recently ruled on whether the government should implement a 4-month ban on offshore lobster fishing in Maine to protect migrating North Atlantic Right whales that travel through the area. The court ruled against the ban on lobster fishing to protect the $1.4 billion fishing industry citing the data presented by the government was not sufficient enough to show a risk to the whale population in the area. The government is appealing the decision.  Conservationists are calling for more collaborations between conservations and fishers to help make new technologies safer and more affordable gear (such as lineless lobster traps. Link to article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/12/mai

This interview with Alifa Haque is a sample of the second episode of season 2 of the Beyond Jaws podcast about the science and conservation actions for wedgefish and guitarfish.  Alifa is a doctoral candidate at the University of Oxford and is studying shark catches in Bangladesh, her home country.  In this episode, Alifa tells the story of how she wanted to learn more about the shark fishery in her country after observing how many sharks the fishers catch. Alifa built relationships with the fishers and formed her own citizen science project that had volunteers work with fishers at various sites along the coastline.  Find out how her data is being used to inform future policy.  Follow the podcast here: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/beyond-jaws/ Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3DnGntm Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3FnQ9MB Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3ozRFEC Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: h

My co-host for the Beyond Jaws Jaws podcast, Dr. David Ebert, joins me on the podcast today to discuss the new season of our podcast discussing wedgefish and guitarfish science and conservation. Wedgefish and guitarfish are commonly known as rhino rays or shark rays due to their long rostrum and uniquely shaped bodies.   This season of Beyond Jaws features interviews of shark scientists from all over the world that are studying the life history, ecology, and the conservation of these species.  Follow the podcast here: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/beyond-jaws/ Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3DnGntm Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3FnQ9MB Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3ozRFEC Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

OceanEye, a non-profit organization dedicated to collecting plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea to understand the level of pollution, has contributed data and results to international bodies such as the IUCN and UN for their reports. The reports address the plastic pollution problem in the sea that is bordered by 22 countries.  Each country has its own policies to dispose of its trash; however, some of its waste management systems are not up to par to prevent the trash from entering the Meditteranean Sea.  Now that there is more data available, governing bodies and non-profit organizations can work with countries to help assess their plastic pollution problem. Links: Article: https://news.mongabay.com/2021/11/despite-deals-plans-and-bans-the-mediterranean-is-awash-in-plastic/ OceanEye: https://www.oceaneye.ch/ Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the latest voicemail that came in was from my neighbour Brynn, who lives two doors down the street from me. She responded to my request for people to send a voicemail to discuss their thoughts on the COP26 announcements.  Brynn found more hope in local action and less hope in federal announcements. Cities tend to take a more action-based approach to climate change as their problems affect their citizens faster and at a local level.  I also discuss some criticism I received in an email about a recent episode on the Fore Islands and the dolphin hunt.  Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

COP26 is all about the big announcements and Canada definitely made a big one. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will cap emissions on the oil and gas industry, but the cap won't affect the production of oil and gas.  Canadian scientist and environmentalist, Dr. David Suzuki, did not attend COP26 this year because he is tired of empty promises. He is happy that the government made the announcement to cap oil and gas emissions, but would hope to see action soon.  Indigenous groups were divided on the meeting. Some past attendees opted to stay in their communities to implement community action for a better climate while others attended the meeting as they thought it was their duty to represent their communities.  What do you think of the announcement? Have your say by leaving a voicemail here: https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/speak-up-for-the-ocean-blue/ Links to articles:  1) https://www.cbc.ca/radio/sunday/the-sunday-magazine-for-october-31-2021-1.6229995/why-david-suzuki-skipped-cop26-a

Good ol' COP26, the Climate Change meeting, is happening again and there were some major announcements made at the meeting by countries such as the US, India, and Canada. I will cover the Canadian announcement in the next episode.  The announcements sounded great, but what do scientists think about the announcements. Link to article: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-03034-z Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

I received some great questions from some audience members about episode 1230 where I interviewed Dr. Virginia Schutte about the Teamseas campaign and why you might not want to support the campaign, but donate directly to an organization's programs (such as the Ocean Conservancy's Plastic Pollution Program).  Andrew Lester-Coll asked another great question today. He asked whether it was a good idea for the Ocean Conservancy to team up with the Ocean Clean Up for the #Teamseas campaign.   Sousa Kalliovski emailed some questions that wondered what happened to the plastic after it was collected from the ocean. Sousa also asked if there are campaigns that focused on not using plastic in the first place.  Some great questions from our Speak Up For The Ocean Blue podcast community.  Check out the last episode for more details on the Teamseas controversy: https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/speak-up-for-the-ocean-blue/sufb-1230-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-teamseas-fundraiser/ Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Web

There are many fundraisers that occur throughout the year for the oceans and they are run by various organizations. Most of them have good intentions to help protect the Oceans. Some raise a lot of money and some not so much; however, the organizations to which you donate matter.  There is a large fundraiser that is going on right now to help raise $30 million dollars that promises to take out 30 million lbs of trash from the Ocean. Two organizations will split the money into two equal parts. One of those organizations is called the Ocean Conservancy and they have a great plastic pollution program; however, the other organization is the controversial Ocean Clean Up.  If you don't recall, the Ocean Clean Up is an organization that promised to clean up the Pacific Garbage Patch within 5 years of its operation. It not only failed, but it ignored many scientific criticisms and never made their environmental assessment public, but promised that everything was fine. None of their prototypes have worked even though

There was an unfortunate situation along the Pacific Coast when at least 300 Olive Ridley's Sea Turtles washed up dead on the shore.  Experts say that cause of death was most likely drowning after getting caught in fishing gear; however, there was no mention of fishing gear found with the sea turtles.  Link to article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-59077086  

I answer a listener voicemail on today's episode. Laura asked if an organization's work, named Coral Vita, is worth supporting. She wanted to know if the work they do is helpful to coral reefs.  Coral Vita recently won the Earthshot Prize as they were recognized for the coral reef restoration work that they do in the Bahamas. However, not every organization that wins a prize does work that will have a net benefit in the local region that they work.  Coral Vita is one of those organizations that DO have a net benefit, locally. I discuss why in the podcast. Link to Coral Vita: Website: https://www.coralvita.co/  Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

I answer a listener question from a voicemail I received about how people who communicate science can get their message across to their target audiences about Climate Change.  There is a long history of messaging about climate change and how scientists were late to the game in getting the message out about a topic that is affecting all of us today.  I discuss why scientists were late to the game to speak out about climate change and how today's social media tools are allowing more scientists to discuss their research and projects easier than ever.  Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

I received a question from Josie Greenston who asked me (I am paraphrasing): Where do I begin with helping with the Ocean? There are so many things that are harming the ocean (climate change, over-fishing, plastic pollution, etc.) that I don't know where to begin helping the Ocean. Josie asks a great question that I've heard before. I wanted to take this episode to address how people can help the ocean with various levels of available commitment.  You can choose any one of the options or combine them depending on your interest and commitment level.  Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

I see many people profess to go Zero Waste and I think it's great; however, I have trouble relating to them because they are oftentimes at different life stages than I am. They are single or a two-person household, which makes it easier to change their lifestyle choice than it is with a family with kids.  Or it was just one of the many excuses I use to procrastinate more on changing my lifestyle.  Well, I can't use my family as an excuse anymore because of the Zero Waste Family. They are a family that has dedicated years of their life to live a Zero Waste lifestyle as a family unit. I had the pleasure of interviewing them to help them promote their journey on going Zero Waste and to promote their episode on the new NBC show, Home Sweet Home.  The premise of the show is to take two different families have them switch homes to live each other's lifestyle and see what it's like to step outside of your life. It's a great concept for a TV show, especially when one family is the Zero Waste Family. Check out the pro

The Blob, a massive heatwave in the Pacific Ocean raised the average sea surface temperature by 2-4C and changed the distribution of some species.  The Blob raised the temperature in cooler waters as well as the direction of currents. These changes allowed for species in the south to move north as their habitat was suitable.  New species could outcompete species that are already found in the northern waters. They could grow and reproduce faster, which will cause some resident species to disappear from the area.  There will be a Blob 2.0. The question is will the research currently being conducted allow for the prediction of where species will move to and settle next? Link to article: https://theconversation.com/five-years-after-largest-marine-heatwave-on-record-hit-northern-california-coast-many-warm-water-species-have-stuck-around-168053 Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

Last episode (Episode 1223), I spoke to Virginia Schutte and Bethann Merkel about their approach to Science Communication that they discuss on their new podcast called Meteor.  During the interview, I talked about how I just launched Speak Up For The Ocean Blue with minimal planning because I just wanted to start doing the "fun part" of my SciComm. I now realize that I would do things differently if I were to start over today. I talk about 8 steps I would take if I was going to launch a Sci Comm platform today.  Connect with Virginia and Bethann: Website: https://meteorscicomm.org/ Podcast: https://meteorscicomm.org/podcast/ You can find the podcast on your favourite podcast app.  Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue  

I am a huge advocate for science communication (scicomm). It's important for audiences to understand what science is doing for our society and how we are affecting it. However, scicommers like myself do not have a formal community where I can exchange ideas and experiences with other people who are in a similar position as me...until now! Virginia Schutte and Bethann Merkel join me on the podcast to talk about their newly launched podcast, called Meteor, that exists to help build a community of practice for Science Communicators.  The episode is one of my favourite episodes that I have ever recorded for this podcast. If you are a midcareers scicomm person then this is the episode for you. Connect with Virginia and Bethann: Website: https://meteorscicomm.org/ Podcast: https://meteorscicomm.org/podcast/ You can find the podcast on your favourite podcast app.  Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: https://twitter.