The Speak Up For Blue Podcast

There was a great article on Mongabay News (link below) that asked the question as to whether marine biologists should work for natural resource companies that would like to mine the deep sea.  It's a more complicated question than you might think as marine biology is not well funded for governments, non-profit organizations, and academia. There are companies that have a vested interest that would like to utilize marine biologists to characterize the deep-sea habitat for their own purpose. The decision to work with deep-sea mining companies weighs heavily on every marine biologist. Most of us would like to protect the Ocean, but are we doing so when working for companies that are exploiting it.  On the other hand, it's difficult to find a good-paying job in Marine Biology. Natural Resource companies pay well and the biologists get to work in their field.  Link to article: https://news.mongabay.com/2021/10/antithetical-to-science-when-deep-sea-research-meets-mining-interests/ Connect with Speak Up For Blue: W

The one thing that I love about doing this podcast is the fact that I can talk to people who have done amazing things in Marine Conservation. Sometimes, people are supported by large organizations/companies that help them get on their way to launching these amazing conservation projects. Other times, the people start the projects on their own and create something really special.  In today's episode, I speak with Ted Cheeseman who co-founded the site HappyWhale.com, a website that tracks humpback whales that have been identified by photos taken from citizen scientists from all over the Pacific Ocean. There are over 60,000 photos in the database spanning decades.  Ted discusses: 1) Why he started the site with his co-creator; 2) How he builds relationships with the photographers and the scientists to study the tracks; 3) How Ted started his Ph.D. on tracking humpback whales, and, 4) How he would like to see Happy Whale be used in the future. Connect with Ted: Website: https://happywhale.com/home Help Fund Happy

A listener named Sydney Stauffer asked me to create an episode on my thoughts on swim-with-dolphin programs that are held with dolphins in captivity. She heard the episode with Stephanie Stack (e1214) about swim-with-whales in the wild and wanted me to discuss the captivity aspect of swimming with dolphins.  Sydney was concerned that we don't discuss the captivity programs, especially the smaller companies that we see in tourist destinations such as the Caribbean. Tourists participate in these experiences because they think the animals want to participate, but that is not the case. The captive dolphins do not have a choice.  A captive dolphin that has to undergo human swimming encounters multiple times per day (10-20 on the small end) is not comfortable interacting with that many humans who do not know how to properly interact with a dolphin. Dolphins can (and have!) get aggressive with humans who pay a lot of money to have a dream-come-true encounter with the cetacean.  Education is the number one solution i

Did you hear the Brittany Spears may not be under conservatorship anymore and her father was removed as the head of said conservatorship? Wait...what? You are probably wondering what Brittany Spears has to do with marine conservation. You are right, it really doesn't, but the reason I know what is happening with Brittany Spears is because of a documentary on her that was centred around her conservatorship.  Documentaries can inspire audiences to support a pop star that is going through something personal or can help shut down orca shows at SeaWorld.  They are powerful tools for storytelling that can turn the tide on many aspects of environmental conservation issues.  In this episode, I discuss three documentaries that invoked different behavior changes, in good and not-so-good ways. Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue 

A study is underway in Mozambique to study the distribution ranges of two species of wedgefishes family (bottlenose wedgefish and bowmouth guitarfish) to help better manage their population.  The species are considered critically endangered due to the fin-trade industry. The fish are either sought for their fins through catching them individually or as bycatch. The fin-trade can yield more money for the rays' fins that will bring in more revenue for the fishers than the meat from the rest of their body.  The study employs a new tactic in Mozambique, where it uses acoustic and satellite tags to track the wedgefishes in close and long ranges.  The results from the study will inform policy to help better protect these fishes in marine protected areas or through quotas (or both!). Link to article: https://news.mongabay.com/2021/09/new-research-hopes-to-shine-a-light-on-wedgefish-the-pangolin-of-the-ocean/ Link to Beyond Jaws Podcast: https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/beyond-jaws/ Connect with Speak Up For Blue

South African penguins are having a tough time with their population numbers. The IUCN lists them as endangered in the Red List due to lack of food from commercial fishing and the fact that their food source may have shifted to different locations due to changing ocean currents from the consequences of climate change.  So it makes things even worse when 63 Endangered South African penguins were found dead and the culprit was concluded to be bees. The penguins were found to have multiple stings near the eyes and flippers (not covered by feathers). One penguin had 27 bee stings on it.  Scientists assume that the bees left the nest to defend their hive after something threatened them and the penguins were the first animals the bees met in their flight path.  Link to article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58622482 Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

A viral TikTok video has sparked a debate on the app and on Twitter as to whether a woman working on a small ocean vessel should have made a sea lion go back in the water as three orcas were circling her boat. The sea lion leaped out of the water onto the boat to escape the orcas that were chasing it. It looked comfortable waiting there until the orcas left, but the woman on the boat had other plans. the woman was frightened of the orcas and was clearly worried about what the orcas would do to get access to the sea lion.  Viewers of the video were contributing to both sides of the question of what they would do in the same situation.  So I pose the same question to you: Would you help save the sea lion from the orcas? Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

Swim-with-whale tour operators are popping up in various places around the world. The idea of getting in the water and swimming with humpback whales nearby can be a dream come true for many people; however, the tour operators are running without any regulations to ensure that the tours are not altering the behavior of the humpback whales.  The humpback whales that hang out in Hervey Bay, Australia every year do so to rest during their long migration from Australia to Antarctica. The trip requires a ton of energy to move such large bodies that distance in the ocean. Any excess energy used can be detrimental to the migration of the whales.  Stephanie Stack, Chief Scientist at the Pacific Whale Foundation, and her team studied the humpback whale behavior before, during, and after swim-with-whale tours and whale watching tours occurred in Hervey Bay.   Stephanie joins me on today's podcast to discuss the results of the study and what next steps need to be taken.  Connect with Stephanie: Pacific Whale Foundation:

We are entering the 6th mass extinction. When I tell people about the mass extinction, people are not too worried. I don't think they realize that we are already starting to see the effects of the mass extinction and that the planet has gone through this before, but there is one difference.  The major difference is the fact that the Permian extinction (which occurred approximately 66 million years ago) was caused by volcanic activity while the 6th mass extinction was caused by humans.  The good news is that we can stop it; however, we need to act now. Voting for political candidates is the best way that you can enact change, but there are other things too. Listen to hear more.  Link to article: https://www.sciencealert.com/mass-extinction-events-can-turn-freshwater-into-toxic-soup-and-that-s-bad-news-for-today Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

The Faroe Islands government has announced that they will review their regulations of the dolphin cull after some whalers and critics thought that the last cull of 1400 white-sided dolphins was too numerous to use all of the meat.   The current regulations that I mentioned during the last episode raised a number of questions about how quantitative are regulations? How many animals can they take at once? What is the ratio of hunters to animals to ensure a quick hunt of each individual? How much meat is given to each family? Hopefully, questions such as the ones above will be answered during this review.    Last episode: https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/speak-up-for-the-ocean-blue/sufb-1211-questions-around-the-legality-of-killing-1400-white-sided-dolphins-in-the-faroe-islands-circulate/ Link to article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/faroe-islands-dolphin-follow-1.6179472 Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitte

There was a cull of 1400 white-sided dolphins in the Faroe Islands recently has some people wanting to know if it was legal.  Whaling of pilot whales and other small cetaceans is legal in the Faroe Islands as the local community relies on whale meat as their primary protein source. The small island autonomous territory has been culling whales for centuries. The meat is processed in the open bays and handed out for free to the local community.  The average catch per year is approximately 800 pilot whales and 250 white-sided dolphins; however, the total number of dolphins killed was 1400 individuals. That is 6 times the normal amount of dolphins and almost twice as many individuals as pilot whales. There seemed to be a number of questions surrounding the cull of the dolphins including: were there enough killers present, did some boats run over the dolphins,  was all of the meat used, etc.  You may feel that the cull is inhumane, but I ask you to keep an open mind to some of the questions and understand that the

The Canadian federal election is less than a week away before we find out who will lead Canada into a very different world than it was 18 months ago. There are many predominant issues at hand in this election such as the COVID pandemic, the economy, reconciliation with Indigenous communities across Canada, and climate change.  I am very interested in all of these issues, especially that of how each party running will handle climate change. In this episode, I provide an overview of each of the parties' climate change policies and who I think has the best one. Of course, each party says their policies are the best and do not provide a ton of detail during the election, but as a Canadian citizen, it is up to me and my fellow Canadians to make the decision that best aligns with our values.  Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakupforblue

Kaitlyn Mitchell is a lawyer for Animal Justice, a non-profit organization that looks out for the welfare of animals in Canada.  Website: https://animaljustice.ca/ Kaitlyn came highly recommended as someone to interview on the Canadian side of the border that is involved in advocating for the belugas in the transfer from Marineland (Canada) to Mystic Aquarium (US). I covered the original story by interviewing Dr. Naomi Rose (Episode 1197, https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/speak-up-for-the-ocean-blue/sufb-1197-havoc-the-beluga-whale-dies/). Kaitlyn provides us with an update on the beluga whale transfer as well as how we can make sure that bill S-203 (Canadian Cetacean Captivity Ban) can be made better to avoid needless deaths like that of Havok.  Kaitlyn also tells us about the dire situation with Kiska, an orca that has been recorded bashing her head against the side of her tank. We discuss what Animal Justice hopes to be done about the orca at Marineland.  Connect with Animal Justice: Website: https://an

All of the talks around protecting 30% of the world's oceans by the year 2030 have really put a focus on the quality of MPAs that exist and that will be designated in the future. MPA design and implementation are unique around the world, especially if a country or region is new to the process.  Angelo Villagomez and Johnny Briggs join me on the podcast to discuss the new Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy MPA Guide that will help ocean practitioners with their MPA process beyond just designating MPAs. The guide also has a focus on how to make the MPAs sustainable through sustainable funding and enforcement.  Links: Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group. Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

Every country has a different way of managing its oceans and every region also has its own way of managing its oceans. Various regions can learn from one another and build on each other's successes to implement ocean conservation.  In today's episode, we complete our three-part series with a guest host, Laure Katz from the Blue Nature Alliance, who speaks to Arthur Tuda from WIOMSA (Western Indian Ocean), Angelique Pouponeau from SeyCCAT (Seychelles), and Joaquin Labougle (Blue Nature Alliance) to share their experiences on regional approaches to ocean conservation.  You can watch the video podcast here: https://www.bluenaturealliance.org/iucn-wcc-2021-podcast-series Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group. Speak Up For Blue Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

We are continuing our series in partnership with the Blue Nature Alliance to discuss Marine Conservation and how that will move forward in order to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030.  Incorporating People, Knowledge, and Networks in Ocean Conservation will be crucial to implement successful marine conservation strategies.  I am joined by Kate Brown (Global Island Partnership in New Zealand), Coral Pasisi (Tofia Niue from the Island of Niue) and Ginny Farmer (Blue Nature Alliance based in the US) on the podcast to discuss their experiences in marine conservation and how people, knowledge, and networks help in ocean conservation. Video podcast: https://www.bluenaturealliance.org/iucn-wcc-2021-podcast-series Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group. Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

The Blue Nature Alliance is a collaboration among several organizations that would like to help communities around the world to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030. The goal cannot be reached by any single entity, but teaming up with each other can help all of us achieve this goal.  Getting to 30% ocean protection will take the participation of all ocean users around the world. Social equity will play a large role in designating MPAs; however, it has not been taken into account during many of the past MPA processes.  Several marine professionals wrote a paper on Social Equity and why it is crucial to the proper designation and implementation of MPAs.  I speak with Dr. Asha de Vos (Oceanswell), Dr. Ana Spalding (Oregon State University), and Mael Imirizaldu (Blue Nature Alliance) on the role and importance of Social Equity in marine conservation. Link to article: https://www.bluenaturealliance.org/a-call-to-prioritize-social-equity-in-marine-conservation Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com Wa

I am listening to a podcast series called White Saviors that is produced by Canadaland. It's a series on the rise and fall of a charity called the We Charity that was founded by two brothers (one of which went to my high school in Toronto, Canada) that wanted to save children from child labor. The organization got huge and that's where it went wrong. Now the organization is trenched in scandal and an ongoing legal investigation.  The series made me think of all of the people in marine conservation that start out with a notable mission, but end up on the wrong side of that mission.  Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group. Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

It's that time of year again for me to provide advice for students and early-career scientists/conservationists as people are going back to school or trying to find their first job.  Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group. Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue

I have been reflecting on the subject of collaboration as I work on a special project for this podcast (the project will be released next week!). Collaboration is a term and major theme of the project; however, over the past 6 years I noticed that people in Marine Science and Conservation are more competitive than they are collaborative.  Now it could be the way the system is set up in terms of many organizations that have similar missions are competing for the same funding, but I also believe it starts with the people in all fields of marine science and conservation. People in science podcasting are also acting this way. Some people are worried about the competition and ask why there is more than one podcast on a similar topic. I think it's great for podcasting and marine conservation. Take a listen to the episode to see why. Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group. Speak Up For Blue Instagram: