The Speak Up For Blue Podcast

Fisheries and Oceans Canada's (DFO) Whale Protection Program has several investigations open of illegal drone activity along the southern shores of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.  The drones are being flown near marine mammals (whales, seals, and sea lions) causing disturbances and, in some cases, interfering with government activities surrounding whale entanglement.  DFO has issued a warning to residents in the area that the penalties for breaking the law with illegal drone activity can be severe (mandatory court appearance and a $100,000 fine). Link to article: https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/news/troubling-trend-of-drones-buzzing-b-c-marine-mammals-leads-to-dfo-warning/ 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 speak to Dr. Johann Bell from Conservation International on today's episode to discuss a Climate Justice example in the Pacific Islands.  Many small islands states in the Pacific received a majority of their revenue from fishing licenses from the distance water fleets of other countries such as the US, China, Korea, Japan, and others. The revenue pays for education and other programs in the Pacific Island nations. However, there is a problem that is being caused by Climate Change. The change in water temperature is shifting the tuna populations outside of the small island jurisdiction where the other countries could fish for free rather than paying for the licenses. The small island countries would miss out on crucial revenue and the fisheries would not be regulated in the high seas.  Dr. Johann Bell discusses the solutions for this problem with me during this episode.  Links from the episode: 1) Article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-021-00745-z 2) Press Release: https://www.conservation.org/pre

COVID caused a lot of disruption in the form of shutdowns, but something that was always available in North America was grocery stores. However, there were some small island states such as Cape Eleuthera that did not know if their food was coming via shipping boats. Luckily it was only temporary.  During that time, people looked to the sea to provide food without regard for catch limits and quotas. People were searching for food and needed to eat, so catch sizes were not on their minds.  Dr. Nick Higgs noticed this behaviour and decided to study how many conchs were affected by this temporary food shortage.  Nick is on the podcast today to discuss his new paper and the results of the study. We also discuss what this could mean for conservation.  Connect with Dr. Nick Higgs: 1) Website: http://www.ceibahamas.org/

Canada is about to have a federal election in September 20th. The election was called during a time when we are entering the 4th wave of a pandemic; major forest fires are happening on the West Coast (and around the world); and, parts of Canada are flooding (also happening around the world). Some Canadians are not happy that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for an election, but I am happy.  It gives Canadians a chance to evaluate their current government representation on their Climate Action policies and demand that new candidates make a bigger commitment to Climate change policies.  The election is a chance where Canadian citizens can ask for change. We hold the power and Climate Change should be at the top of the list.  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/SpeakUpforBl

Dr. Naomi Rose joins me on the podcast with an interesting story that resulted in the death of a recently transferred beluga whale at Mystic Aquarium. The beluga whale named Havoc was transferred from the troublesome Marineland located in Canada.  Naomi describes how the process was flawed from the beginning including the fact that Havoc was sick before the transfer and Mystic Aquarium is known for research that showed cetaceans that are sick don't do well with being transferred.  This story highlights the problems with processes even though they are in countries that have animal welfare laws that are perceived as effective; however, you will find out that the processes need crucial improvements.  Link to article: https://www.treehugger.com/mystic-whale-beluga-whale-death-controversy-5197322 Connect with Dr. Naomi Rose: 1) AWI Website: https://awionline.org/ 2) Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/frdolphinPOV 3) Twitter: https://twitter.com/frdolphinPOV Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupfor

Trying to buy environmentally beneficial products is not as easy as you would think it is. Companies will always try to save money that may compromise the overall environmental benefit of the product. For example, selling vegan food in a plastic container.  Trying to navigate eco-friendly products can also become difficult because there is misleading information published by "experts" that can confuse or make people think twice about buying a product that does not impact the environment. Electric vehicles (EVs) fall within the same category.  Buying an electric vehicle is a bit nerve-racking. It's a different type of car. A car that is not familiar to consumers. Any information is difficult to interpret and/or believe.  In this episode, I take a listener voicemail from Andres Lester-Coll regarding which is better for the environment: Electric Vehicles or Combustion Vehicles. Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speak

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Chad Nelson, CEO of the Surfrider Foundation, to catch up from our last conversation on the changes and growth that the Surfrider Foundation has undergone over the past five years.  Chad and I discuss how Surfrider has not only doubled in staff but continues to grow an army of volunteers that represent the foundation well across the US and even into Canada.  We also discuss how Surfrider collaborates with other organizations to help get good environmental policies passed at local, state, and federal levels.  Connect with Surfrider Foundation: Website: https://www.surfrider.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Surfrider Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Surfrider 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

You would think that we would know more information about whales because they are so big; however, that is not the case. There are many information gaps in what we know about whales, especially whales that leave in extreme climates like the Arctic.  Beluga and narwhal whales are especially tricky because they live so far up north and often under the ice. Knowing where they go and why is really important as the Arctic is rapidly changing.  We have been able to track the smaller mammals using aerial surveys and drones however, those technologies are expensive and, in the case of the aerial survey, could be dangerous.  Bertrand Charry, the co-founder of Whale Seeker, is using satellite imagery to help track these elusive whales and he is my guest on today's podcast to discuss why it's important to track marine mammals from space. He also talks about his career and why he chose to seek the entrepreneurial route to conduct marine science in Canada.  Connect with Bertrand and Whale Seeker: Whale Seeker Website: htt

I am a Science Communicator. I use this podcast to communicate marine science to you and other listeners who would like to know more about how to protect the Ocean. My goal is to present accurate and real information so that you and others could learn about Oceans that may not be readily available online.  II know many colleagues who communicate science by conducting guest lectures/teachings in K-12 schools. They do it on a volunteer basis in hopes to inspire future scientists of the world. However, it is difficult when other communication platforms such as TV stations say they have a mission to enlighten their audience but create fake documentaries that scare and confuse many people.  I describe a situation written to me by a listener who sent me an email (you can contact me here with your questions/comments) on today's email.  The listener described a situation that he faced where he attempted to convince a group of students that the megalodon and mermaids were not real despite recent TV programs stating o

Ghost nets are discarded nets from fishing vessels that float around in the ocean unmonitored. The nets continue to snag fish, marine mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds that causes needless deaths every year.  There are organizations that search for Ghost Nets to retrieve and dispose of them; however, disposing of the plastic nets is not as simple as we think. The nets are often discarded in landfills, but they have the potential to become part of the circular economy.  Nina Latinga, the co-founder for Nets For Net Zero, is working to connect companies and organizations that would like to use the nets in their circular economy. She joins me on the podcast to discuss how she came across this venture from a background in the circular fashion industry.  Connect with Nets For Net Zero: Website: https://www.netsfornetzero.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/netsfornetzero/ Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speak

I had a great listener question that I decided to cover on the podcast because I thought it was an important topic.  @harveyperello asked: Why do we ignore ocean solutions when fighting climate change? It's a terrific question! The answer comes down to how the ocean is covered in media. You never hear about great ocean projects such as the ones that plant mangroves to combat climate change (mangroves absorb 50 times more carbon than trees on land), but we do hear about 1 billion trees being planted as a new government program.  There are great programs out there, we just don't hear about them. I have some thoughts on why that I share in during this episode. 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  

Discovery's Shark Week is their biggest rating week of the year and is quite the spectacle. The shows aim to inspire people to learn about sharks and understand how they work; however, is the program effective at communicating the right information?  A new scientific paper has been published to provide evidence that Shark Week has contained a lot of misinformation over the decades that they have been on TV. They also showed the lack of diversity in the hosts and the lack of experts in many of their programming.  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  

Salmon populations can't stand the heat so they may be removed from many of the waterways that they normally occupy for spawning.  Salmon are cold-water species that do not do well in warm water; therefore, freshwater rivers where the salmon spawn are not ideal habitats when they heat up due to climate change. Add human barriers such as culverts, dams, and eroding habitats which impede access to spawning habitats and you get a recipe for disaster.  I also should not forget to mention that changes in ocean prey due to ocean temperature rising result in less healthy salmon.  Habitat restoration can help cool hot spot areas in rivers and allow more water to be held cooling river water further. Canadian and US governments are working hard to get restoration actions implemented to help wild stocks.  Closing salmon fisheries are also in place in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans to provide all of the chances possible for bigger and fitter salmon to spawn.  Link to article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/salmon-clima

Florida is in a Red Tide event two years after its last red tide event. Hundreds of ocean species are washing up along the shore dead and rotting causing health problems for people with respiratory issues and killing the tourism industry. Red tide events happen when nutrients feed a species of phytoplankton in combination with the right sea temperatures (high temps) and lack of wind. The proliferation of the plankton population is toxic to anything that ingests it including sharks and other fish, marine mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds.  There are two things that need to fix this situation: 1) work to reduce climate change (long term); and, 2) reduce the number of nutrients from industry (short term).  Link to article: https://au.news.yahoo.com/insane-world-famous-tourist-hotspot-decimated-by-toxic-crisis-054312592.html 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: htt

There were 841 manatee deaths since January 1st of 2021, which is the largest mass mortality event since 2013 (830 deaths). The deaths were due to a lack of seagrass in their favourite eating spot, Indian Lagoon.  Seagrass is a crucial part of the manatee diet and without the presence of the ocean plant, manatees end up starving to death. It's important to maintain good water quality for optimal seagrass health.  Unfortunately, water quality along the Florida coastline has been awful over the past decade due to sewage overflow runoff with high nitrogen and phosphorus levels. The higher nutrients create algal blooms that block the sun from getting to the seagrass. When the algal blooms die off, they land on the seagrass resulting in a major die-off of the plants.   Government policy on water quality and restoration of seagrasses will help re-establish the important coastal habitat; however, that will require a lot of time and money.  Link to article: https://www.livescience.com/manatees-florida-die-off-record.

This episode is a bit of a rant that I have been thinking about for a while. Over the past few months, I've noticed that media companies (video, audio, and written forms) have been putting out content that either ignores science or drives a wedge between science and the public.  The film Seaspiracy told the audience and non-profit organizations that worked to conserve the ocean were actually working to support overfishing. Obviously a false statement; however, much of the audience still quote the movie four months later.  The New York Times published an article, where the author conducted their own "study" to determine whether Subway (the sandwich company) used real tuna in their tuna sandwiches. The study was not scientific and the results were inconclusive (stated in the article); however, the headline read "Subway does not use real tuna in their sandwiches."  Discovery is releasing a new program during Shark Week this summer (2021): a reality show that is searching for the next shark expert. An expert can

A new report written by researchers at the University of British Columbia and supported by Oceana reveals the foreign fisheries subsidies are contributing to overfishing in foreign countries.  Countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, the USA, Thailand, Taiwan, Spain, Indonesia, and Norway will pay up to 35% of their total subsidies to their distant fleets to fish within the jurisdiction of other countries. In some countries, the foreign vessels outfish the domestic fleet two to one. The foreign fleet is often not allowed to fish and contribute to the illegal, unregulated, and unreported fisheries.  The best way to find out if your tax dollars are contributing to distant fleet fishing is to speak to your federal elected representative.  Link to article: https://news.mongabay.com/2021/07/billions-in-fishing-subsidies-finance-social-ecological-harm-report-finds/ Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupf

Fishers have had to adapt to many changes over generations. Some of those changes are natural, but most are human-induced.  For one fisher in Alaska, adapting has been part of his entire life. Dune Lankard is an indigenous fisher in Alaska who has had to endure tsunamis, oil spills, the commoditization of the Indigenous way of fishing and life, and now climate change.  Dune's latest adaptation to regenerative ocean farming provides a sustainable fishing model that is good for the ocean and his income.  Link to article: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/facing-warming-waters-fishermen-are-taking-up-ocean-farming-180978091/ 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

Dr. David Ebert joins me on the podcast today to discuss four publications that went out in the last 5 weeks that name and describe a new shark species. These new shark species bring Dave's total described species to 50.  Dave talks about the process of naming and describing species and describes the four new shark species.  A couple of things that Dave is promoting today: 1) A new book: Sharks of the World - A complete guide https://www.amazon.com/Sharks-World-Complete-Guide-Nature/dp/069120599X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3SQ7LPP1WBTVB&dchild=1&keywords=sharks+of+the+world&qid=1626233963&sprefix=Sharks+of+the+world%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-1 2) A new Shark podcast: Beyond Jaws https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-jaws/id1576456233 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.c

The last episode on Climate Change might have been a bit pessimistic so I decided to share a great resource on how you can fight climate change.  The David Suzuki Foundation has been working within Canada for decades to help Canadians understand and take action on Climate Change. I read out their tips on how you can fight climate change and added some of my comments.  Link to article: https://davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/top-10-ways-can-stop-climate-change/ 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