Ocean Currents Radio Program

Guests: Lauren Wenzel-National Marine Protected Areas Center, Dan Howard, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Shannon Lyday, Hawaii Pacific University

We cover some terminology used frequently in talking about marine protected areas, and discuss the recent announcement of the expansion process for Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries, and finally we remember Rich Stallcup who gave countless hours of time, knowledge, and dedication to the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank sanctuaries.

California's ports that are busy with large ship traffic also overlap with some of the most important feeding areas for large whales, whales have found dead as a result from getting struck by these ships, find out what conservation groups, science groups, industry, and agencies like NOAA are doing to work together to reduce the impact on these endangered species.

How do the tiniest living things in the ocean dominate the food web and ocean processes?Learn about the many complexities of phytoplankton and find out how important it is not only to the ocean food web, but to us humans.

Guest: Dr. William Cochlan- biological oceanographer

Hear Eben Schwartz from the CA Coastal Commission talk about the status of marine debris and coastal pollution reduction efforts in California

The Ocean Inside: An adventure afilm and art project exploring the deeper side of the ocean found in everyone.

Hear how the 2012 spring season is shaping up out on the Farallon islands and about the oceanographic conditions that dictate what wildlife will be breeding and feeding in the coming months. Also, hear about the Bluemind Symposium and how the Leatherback Sea Turtle may become the State of California's official marine reptile.

What will it take to raise the awareness of the ocean amongst our legislators and voters? Hear Daniel J. Basta, director of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, NOAA, and Mike Dunmyer, Executive Director of Ocean Champions share their ideas about this issue.

Learn from NOAA Tsunami expert Dr. Vasily Titov, from NOAA's Center for Tsunami Research about the natural phenomena of tsunamis, as we remember the tragic March, 2011 tsunami that impacted the coast of Japan. We also focus on the aftermath of debris that entered the ocean after the tsunami and discuss how it is traveling and how the North Pacific Gyre system is moving debris across and around the Pacific.

Dr. Jim Delgado, Director of NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuary's Maritime Heritage Program talks about the various shipwrecks, cultural landscapes and stories that have shaped our society as we know today. How does the past, shape our future?

I talked with Barbara Emley, a San Francisco based fisherman (yes fisherman!) who fishes Salmon and Dungeness crab with her husband Larry. We cover many aspects of fishing policies, issues, the livelihood, and her most recent efforts to establish a San Francisco Fishermans coop.