The Speak Up For Blue Podcast

Last week was a crazy week for the environment, to say the least. The ocean was set on fire due to a busted pipeline, a town in British Columbia ignited into flames due to a heatwave, and the Arctic ice is melting at a phenomenal rate.  All of these events are related as they either contribute to Climate Change or are one of the many consequences of climate change.  We need to act fast to reduce Climate Change and eventually eliminate it, but we won't get there by electing politicians that don't act on policies that will help reduce/slow down Climate Change.  Your voting power is huge during elections in that it helps decide who will act on policies on Climate Change. Participate in all levels of government elections and then strike up a regular dialogue with your representatives.  Let me know what you are doing to work with your government officials by leaving me a message here: https://www.speakupforblue.com/show/speak-up-for-the-ocean-blue/ Link to article:  1) https://uproxx.com/viral/ocean-on-fire-video/

Two experience Canadian Fisheries and Oceans scientists have revealed that data points to multiple factors that are causing the recovery of Northern Cod to move at a snail's pace and seals are not the driving force. Many fishers along the North Atlantic coast in Canada and the US think that the large population of harp seals (7.6 million) is to blame for the slow recovery. However, the blame lies on other major factors such as climate change and competition for the cod's prey by whales, seabirds, and people.  Warming waters due to climate change are influencing the change in dominant fish in places like the Gulf of Maine. Hake is becoming more dominant as the cold water-loving fish move north to cooler waters.  Capelin is a favourite prey food for cod, but it is also prey for whales, seabirds, and people. The low number of cod may not be able to dominate the food chain with their smaller numbers. A number of studies have shown that seals are not affecting the recovery of Northern Cod. The study of seal scat (

The US Navy conducts drills in the ocean on a regular basis whether it uses sonar or detonates bombs. Unfortunately, many marine species including marine mammals, suffer from these exercises.  Sonar exercises can affect the hearing of marine mammals and disrupt their communication within a pod that is used to hunting and looking after young individuals.  Explosives are a different beast. Small to large explosions can be tested that will result in the killing of nearby ocean animals and affect the hearing of marine mammals in the distance.  Two more "shock" tests, where a large explosive will be detonated will cause more marine species deaths in a time where we are trying to protect every individual.  Link to Article: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jun/23/us-navy-shock-exercises-marine-life 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/

Does Subway use real Tuna in their Tuna sandwiches? That is the question that many headlines read throughout social media sites recently as people were sharing variations of a New York Times article along the same lines.  The purpose of the article was to test whether a lawsuit filed by some people in California about what was in the Tuna sandwich at Subway; however, the experimental design was weak at best.  The "experiment" came back inconclusive so the result was that they didn't know the answer based on the results. Unfortunately, the headlines looked damning to Subway without any evidence that the restaurant chain doesn't use real Tuna in their sandwiches.  Link to article: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/19/style/subway-tuna-sandwich-lawsuit.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: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https

A recent article highlighted a string of containers that have fallen off of shipping vessels in recent months. Some shipping experts say that it is caused by a change in the direction of waves causing rolling pitches on the vessels.  The experts also say that taller ships with more containers stacked on top of each other are less sturdy, contributing to the increase in falling containers.  Link to article: https://alsum.co/en/noticias/como-los-contenedores-terminan-en-el-oceano/ 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 was in a clubhouse room run by Zakia Rashid called Blue Planet this week and there was a discussion about oil spills at sea. Not the huge oil spills that we hear about on the news, but small spills that not many people ever hear about.  I discuss why these spills happen and how certain countries are trying to do something about these spills in terms of further protection. Links: Clubhouse Blue Planet: https://www.clubhouse.com/club/blue-planet Article: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/2e542d5 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 had an audience member reach out to me this morning to ask me some advice about creating content for Science Communication (SciComm). I love chatting about SciComm so we had a great discussion.  Listen to the episode on what my advice was for her. I think it might help you if you are looking to create SciComm content yourself. Crystal's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ocean.bodhi/ 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 Coelacanth is a fish that continues to surprise the scientific community. Originally thought to be extinct, the living fossil was "rediscovered" after being caught in 1938 off the coast of Africa.  The surprises continue today after scientists found out that Coelacanths don't live until 20 as originally thought. They live up to 100 years.  Listen to the episode to find out how the new lifespan and how the conservation of this species has changed. Link to Article: https://gizmodo.com/ghostly-deep-sea-fish-surprises-scientists-again-it-can-1847120406 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 UK government responded to reports that 97% of their Marine Protected areas had allowed trawlers to fish in the areas where the major goals of the MPA were to protect the seabed making the MPA ineffective. The response was to add High Protected Marine Areas in a pilot scheme next year for 5 ocean areas. It sounds great, but many critiques would like to see the areas designated sooner rather than later. Link to Article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/09/uk-to-trial-highly-protected-marine-areas-in-win-for-ocean-campaigners Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com Tune into Earthx TV Wednesday and Thursday at 7pm ET for Live Shows of Speak Up for the Ocean Blue Podcast: https://earthxtv.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 US government passed a bill that will ban the sale and/or purchase of shark fins in the United States. There is more to the bill than a shark fin ban, which will address in a second. The shark fin ban has had some controversy over the past years where some shark scientists have spoken out on the policy as punishing sustainable shark fishers who fish for sharks legally in the US. The ban of fin sales will effectively leave them out of the equation. Not everyone thinks the ban is bad. In fact, a number of conservationists and scientists think that the ban of sales/purchases of shark fins in the US will help protect sharks in the future.  An additional benefit of the bill is that it includes measures to address fisheries slavery and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing of imported seafood.  This addition provides regulations for companies that import seafood to ensure the seafood is sustainable.  Link To Article: https://usa.oceana.org/press-releases/senate-passes-ban-us-shark-fin-trade-world-

Oceans Week 2021 has been a very busy week for me as I scheduled 4 Speak Up For Ocean Blue episodes and a number of episodes for my client podcasts (more on that another time).  I also had the opportunity to take this podcast live on Earthx TV (earthxtc.com). I hosted 4 live episodes bringing on past guests of the podcast to do a video recording to discuss some of their new projects and strategies to help conserve the ocean.  I finish off the episode with a major theme for the week which is behaviour change and how we need to rethink the way we approach conservation with more positive vibes and achievable goals.   Check out all of our episodes on www.speakupforblue.com Tune into Earthx TV Wednesday and Thursday at 7pm ET for Live Shows of Speak Up for the Ocean Blue Podcast: https://earthxtv.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

I am joined by RARE's Katie Velasco who is here to discuss a contest for solutions to water pollution from around the world. The contest that is led by RARE and is run by Solution Search is down to 10 finalists that have a product or service related to fighting against water pollution.  The contest provides a platform where contestants can get more exposure for their product or service that is already running to help them scale their ideas and bring more help to people all over the world.  You can vote for the 10 Finalists (every day until the contest is over) by clicking on this link: https://solutionsearch.org/ Tune into Earthx TV Wednesday and Thursday at 7pm ET for Live Shows of Speak Up for the Ocean Blue Podcast: https://earthxtv.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

Happy Oceans Day!!! As promised in the last episode, here is the entire audio piece created by Michelle Amor. Enjoy! Tune into Earthx TV Tuesday-Thursday at 7pm ET for Live Shows of Speak Up for the Ocean Blue Podcast: https://earthxtv.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

Michelle Amor is a Masters Student in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at Scripps Institute of Oceanography. She is also an avid music composer and a violin teacher.  This episode dives into how Michelle decided to merge her two passions, music and oceans, into an audio creation that takes you through the sounds of someone driving from their house in the city to a beach. The piece reveals why we love the ocean so much as we seek calm sounds of waves hitting the beach and the sounds below the sea surface.  Today's episode will focus on the making of the audio piece while tomorrow's episode (a bonus episode for Ocean's Day) will have the audio piece in its entirety.  Tune into Earthx TV Monday-Thursday at 7pm ET for Live Shows of Speak Up for the Ocean Blue Podcast: https://earthxtv.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/Spea

It starts with trying to solve a problem. Dr. Rebecca Helm, Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina Ashville, wanted to make sure ocean species such as jellyfish and other non-commercial species are protected in the High Seas. She complained about it on Twitter and people responded with the same sentiment. She turned to her Twitter friend, Nichola Clark from the Pew Charitable Trusts, and a marine policy scientist that specialized in the High Sea.  Nichola knew the ropes and how to put the movement Rebecca was building into good use, especially since there was a Biodiversity Treaty being negotiated at the United Nations. The movement continued and two years and one global pandemic later, a scientific letter was written and sent to the UN to outline three things the scientists wanted out of the treaty. Listen to the episode to find out what those three things are.  Are you a scientist? Sign the letter: http://www.protectthehighseas.com/ Contact me to download the document Nichola mentioned call

Eden Robins and Dr. Craig McClain join me on today's episode to talk about why they started a podcast to make boring science things not so boring with their new podcast. It's funny, it's witty, it's actually quite informative as it dives into science to make things like lichens and the Kreb's Cycle exciting.  Follow the podcast here: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/no-such-thing-as-boring/id1566049669Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1WxUiisgFOX9awi8ns4DCs?si=46WLZzoKTmKQm0pAmWX_Iw 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  

Plastic pollution in the Ocean is a serious problem as 12 million tons of plastic pollution is added to the Ocean on a daily basis.  An amendment to the UN's 1989 Basel Convention added the disposal of plastic to reduce the amount of plastic pollution. where all of the original signatories have signed on to the amendment including China and Canada in the last year. However, the US has yet to ratify the convention since its inception. The Biden-Harris administration might be different, but they have not had the time to even consider it and there is a strong industry lobby that is opposing the Basel Convention. Link to Article: https://news.mongabay.com/2021/05/as-the-rest-of-world-tackles-plastics-disposal-the-u-s-resists/https://news.mongabay.com/2021/05/as-the-rest-of-world-tackles-plastics-disposal-the-u-s-resists/ 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 Twit

This episode is purely motivational. I find that there is a perception that people should do everything perfectly if they are going to be eco-friendly. Apparently, there is no room for failure. You are either all eco-friendly or you are not at all. And that is the wrong way of thinking.  Changing human behaviour is hard and it takes time to achieve your full goals. I provide examples of how I changed certain aspects of my life to improve myself. I oftentimes will throw things against the wall to see what sticks and work on improving myself each time.  Don't be afraid about failure and act now for the Ocean. 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 Deep Sea is quite a mysterious place. In fact, we know more about space than we do about the Deep Sea, which doesn't make a lot of sense since the Ocean is on our planet and we need to make a better effort in knowing our planet better. There are people who are trying to explore the Deep Sea more though and they are using technology to increase the chance of discovering more.  Dr. Edith Widder and Dr. Nathan Robinson have been collaborating since they were able to film a Deep Sea squid in the Gulf of Mexico using a camera system that was in the tons in weight and required a massive boat to carry. The weight and size of the camera restricted the number of times and places they could search for the Deep Sea squid. So they made the camera lighter (300 lbs) and smaller to provide the opportunity for more institutions to buy and cast the camera in various places around the world more times.  I am joined by Nathan to discuss why this camera could to more than additional footage of the Deep Sea squid and what it

I feel as though my first lesson in web food ecology was learning about the dynamics between the Sea Otter, Sea Urchin, and the Kelp Forest. When one is out of balance (i.e. population is up or down) then it affects all of the other species.  When Europeans settled along the West Coast of North America, they hunted Sea Otters for their pelts. The Sea Otters nearly went extinct. Environmental protection from the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act increased the Sea Otter population, but not everywhere.  The Sea Otters are not found off the coast of Northern California, just North of Monterey Bay where the Kelp Forests have decreased by 90% over the past decade. However, in Monterey Bay the Kelp Forests have only decreased by 60% (still not great, but significantly better than to the North). The reason? There is a presence of Sea Otters in Monterey Bay and they are keeping the Sea Urchin population in check. Link to Article: https://www.kpbs.org/news/2021/may/04/sea-otters-guardians-mont