There’s this conversation from one of our early Sea Change episodes, and it's about our relationship with the ocean--with water. How being in or near water changes us for the better. The marine biologist Wallace J Nichols has said: “It is true that oceans give us life, but our planet’s wild places also make life worth living and help heal us when we are broken.” He said it's not going to be fear and guilt that motivates us to protect the ocean; it happens when people are connected to the value of the ocean. Because when we value something, we want to protect it. 

Wallace J Nichols died last year. He was a passionate ocean lover and sea turtle advocate. He was dedicated to science and helped start many ocean conservation projects. So, in honor of J and all his amazing work to protect this blue planet, we wanted to bring you again this inspiring conversation. To leave you with J's signature email sign-off: wishing you water. 

For more about Blue Mind, and Wallace J. Nichol's work, click here.  

Hosted by Carlyle Calhoun and Halle Parker. Our managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun. Our sound designer is Emily Jankowski and our theme music is by Jon Batiste. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and The Water Collaborative. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.