Ocean conservation can begin with ancestral relationships. Conservation scientist Juan Carlos Cruz explains how the Ancestral Tides initiative supports biocultural conservation with Indigenous and local coastal communities across Latin America. The work brings Indigenous knowledge and marine science together around sea turtle conservation, mangroves, coral reefs, and nesting beaches. The episode centers community leadership, cultural continuity, and long-term coastal conservation rather than presenting one knowledge system as a substitute for another.

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Special thanks to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for sponsoring this episode.

Episode Guests: Juan Carlos Cruz

Visit the Amazon Conservation Team website

Visit the Ancestral Tidesw webpage

Review the Ancestral Tides Annual Report

Episode Transcript and more information on the Pine Forest Media website

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Hosted, produced, and edited by Clark Marchese 

Cover art by Jomiro Eming

Theme music by Nela Ruiz

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