Conservation Vol. 1

Natalie Webster is the granddaughter, daughter, and wife of tuna fishermen so tuna fishing and the ups and downs of the tuna industry have long been part of her life. Five years ago she helped found the American Albacore Fishing Association, a small fishery made up of 21 family-owned boats in San Diego, California. She talks to us about her views of the state of the tuna industry today and how the instability and potential bleak future for the industry can be helped.

Desray Reeb, Ph.D., is what is commonly called a whale hugger. She obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, where her research included studies of pygmy right whales, mike, humpback, and both northern and southern right whales. More recently she has participated in studies of the northern Pacific right whale in the Bering Sea and sperm whales and other cetaceans in the Gulf of California.

Sara Gerhardt and Elizabeth Pepin not only know how to surf waves, they also know how to make them. Each in her own way has pushed the envelope for women in the male-dominated world of surfing. Gerhardt, who has a PhD in physical chemistry, has been a surfer for over 20 years. She was the first woman to surf Mavericks with its 20 foot tall waves. Pepin has been capturing the women's surf scene with her camera since 1997. Her skills at photographing the surfing scene have earned her four Emmy Awards.

Carl Palazzolo, DVM, likes large animals as evidenced by his experiences caring for a 300 pound Siberian tiger. He has traveled the world to work on the conservation of endangered species such as black rhinos in Zimbabwe, Africa and the critically endangered orangutans of Borneo. De Palazzolo shares his experiences with the orangutans and the adventures he has had working to save other endangered species.

Robert Gottlieb is a Henry R. Luce Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Director of the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College in Los Angeles. He is a writer, educator, and activist who has been described as a "pioneer in redefining environmentalism, turning ideas into action, and forging coalitions in the often murky atmosphere of Los Angeles". The author of "Reinventing Los Angeles", he believes that LA can become a more livable and sustainable city.

Professor of Biological Sciences, University of California at Irvine, Francisco J. Ayala, states while although it is desirable to improve the human condition, there are issues surrounding the human genome. There also is an ongoing conflict between science and religion, but Ayala attempts to explain that these two viewpoints can coexist and are simply different dimensions of the world.

Francisco J. Ayala, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of California at Irvine, shares how evolution shows us the history of life through time and how natural selection is the mechanism by which change in organism occur. Ayala also covers ways to improve awareness of the current ecological crisis our world faces, and ways to preserve the environment and biological diversity.

Are you seafood savvy? Do you know what fish are good for you, which are sustainably fished and which are overfished? Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret), Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, talks about FishWatch. This new program of NOAA’s Office of Fisheries presents up-to-date scientific data and is designed to help the public make intelligent, informed decisions about the fish they select to consume.

There are rescue animals, or animals that would not be able to survive in the wild, that reside at the Aquarium of the Pacific, including sea otters, sea lions, and other marine creatures. One of those is a recent addition to the Aquarium family, a sea lion named Odin. Despite the fact that Odin is nearly blind, he has acclimated to his new home quite nicely.

Herman Karl, a marine geologist and former chief scientist with the US Geologic Survey's Western Coastal and Marine Geology Program, and co-director of MUSIC—the Massachusetts Institute of Technology—USGS Science Impact Collaborative, discusses "wicked environmental problems."