Eleven years ago, I published the first episode of what eventually became How to Protect the Ocean. At the time, it was not a big media project, a business plan, or a polished career move. It started as a way to talk about the ocean, share stories, …
One of the most important ocean monitoring systems in the world was nearly dismantled.The Ocean Observatories Initiative, or OOI, is a network of scientific instruments that continuously collects data from the ocean. These instruments measure ocea…
If you only read the headlines, it can feel like ocean protection is failing. Coral reefs are bleaching, marine heatwaves are increasing, fish populations are under pressure, and sea levels keep rising. That reality is serious, and we should not ign…
For decades, Indigenous communities were often brought into major project conversations after the biggest decisions had already been made. A company would design a project, governments would get involved, and Indigenous nations would be asked for fe…
Imagine trying to talk to your family while standing beside a jet engine. Now imagine that noise never really stops. That is the kind of challenge some pilot whales may be facing in one of the busiest shipping corridors in the world.A recent story…
When politicians say they are helping fishers by opening protected ocean areas, the first question we should ask is simple: which fishers are they helping? That question sits at the center of this episode of How to Protect the Ocean. The Trump admin…
A recent underwater video of a great white shark in the Mediterranean Sea went viral, and it is easy to understand why. Seeing a great white shark glide through clear blue water is always powerful. But the real story is not that a great white shark …
Ocean conservation often feels overwhelming. News headlines are filled with stories about overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, and declining wildlife populations. It can leave people wondering whether protecting the ocean is …
Canada has made another major commitment to nature conservation, proposing billions of dollars in funding to help protect ecosystems across the country. For ocean advocates, that sounds like great news. After all, Canada has the longest coastline in…
The ocean has reached an important milestone. Around 10% of the world’s ocean is now protected through marine protected areas and other conservation measures.That number represents years of work by governments, scientists, conservation organ…
It Is Easy to Feel PowerlessEnvironmental news can feel overwhelming. Governments roll back regulations, corporations announce massive projects, and it often seems like ordinary people have little influence over what happens next. Many people assu…
The Conservation Question We Rarely AskWhen people talk about ocean conservation, the conversation usually starts with problems. We hear about climate change, plastic pollution, overfishing, habitat destruction, and declining biodiversity. These c…
When most people imagine the ocean, they picture tropical waters. They think of coral reefs, colorful fish, and warm beaches featured in travel brochures and documentaries. Those ecosystems are certainly beautiful, but they represent only part of th…
The Ocean Ecosystem Most People Walk PastWhen most people visit the coast, they focus on the waves, the beach, or the horizon. Few stop to look closely at the small pools of water left behind when the tide goes out. These tide pools often appear q…
Sea Turtles in Canada? That Sounds WrongWhen most people think about sea turtles, they imagine warm tropical beaches, crystal-clear water, and sunny coastlines. Canada is usually the last place that comes to mind. Yet every summer, some of the lar…
Most people hear the word shark and immediately picture danger. Big teeth. Dark water. A dorsal fin cutting through the surface. Popular culture has trained many of us to see sharks as something to fear before we ever learn anything about them.But…
Meet One of the Strangest Fish on EarthImagine looking out across the ocean and seeing what appears to be a giant fish floating sideways at the surface. It barely moves. It looks injured, exhausted, or even dead. Most people would assume something…
The Ocean Beyond BordersThe ocean covers more than 70% of our planet, yet a huge portion of it exists beyond the control of any single nation. These waters, known as the high seas, begin where national Exclusive Economic Zones end and stretch acro…
Everybody says they want to protect the ocean until the conversation turns to money, power, and control.That is the heart of this episode of How to Protect the Ocean. The High Seas Treaty sounds like something the world should have agreed on quick…
The High Seas Treaty is one of the most important ocean agreements in modern history. For the first time, the world has a framework to better protect biodiversity beyond national borders.That matters because the high seas cover nearly half of the …
Creating a marine protected area thousands of kilometres offshore sounds impressive. It sounds like the kind of bold ocean action the world needs.But there is one question that matters more than almost anything else:Who is actually going to enfo…
Almost half of the planet belongs to no country at all.That may sound impossible at first, but once you move beyond the waters controlled by individual coastal nations, you enter the high seas. These are the vast areas of ocean beyond national jur…
Forage fish are easy to overlook.They are small. They move in schools. Most people do not think about them unless they are used as bait, turned into fish meal, or seen washing ashore during a capelin roll.But these fish are not minor characters …
The Ocean Species Most People IgnoreWhen most people think about ocean conservation, they usually picture whales breaching through the surface, sharks moving through deep blue water, or sea turtles swimming over coral reefs. Those animals have bec…