Rising Tide: The Ocean Podcast

In the latest episode of Rising Tide David and Blue Frontier’s Natasha Benjamin talk with Reef Check Executive Director Jan Freiwald. For 30 years his organization has been developing citizen science projects to survey and protect both coral reefs and kelp forests around the world. Jan, who studied marine biology in Germany before moving on to complete his PhD on Marine Protected Areas in California talks with us about the differences between coral and kelp, the threats they both face from a warming ocean, how they’re growing their pool of volunteers through training young people who might not otherwise have access to scuba diving and how El Nino and the next marine heatwave might impact kelp forests (and corals) and how people will respond. So, dive in with us on this latest and highly informative Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast.

Additional Resources

Reef Check — Saving reefs worldwide & empowering people to save our reefs and oceans. Let’s work together to create a sustainable future through education, research, and conservation.

In the latest episode of Rising Tide – the Ocean Podcast David and Vicki talk with filmmaker Ben Judkins whose award-winning documentary ‘The Cigarette Surfboard’ tells the story of eco-surfer Taylor Lane who built his first cigarette surfboard from 10,000 plastic cigarette filters he collected cleaning up California beaches. It goes on to tell the story of his improved models ridden by professional surfers committed to protecting the health of the ocean. He talks about the growth of the movement to hold Big Tobacco responsible not only for the cancers of its victims but also for the water polluting toxic plastic waste it generates. All that plus some Gnarly surf footage to discuss.

Additional Resources

The Cigarette Surfboard — A DOCUMENTARY USING CIGGY BUTTS & SURFING TO BUILD OCEAN MINDFULNESS & STEWARDSHIP. Impassioned surfer Taylor Lane builds a functional surfboard with 10,000 cigarette butts collected from California beaches. The Cigarette Surfboard becomes a platform to learn from professional surfers who are working to protect the ocean, and the symbol of a grassroots campaign to hold Big Tobacco accountable for their toxic, plastic waste. Surfing is the medium, but the message is universal.

In the latest episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast David Helvarg and Vicki Nichols Goldsteinr talk with Jordan Flagel about Giant Clams. Jordan is the lead environmental scientist with IMARCS – the International Marine Science and Carbon Sequestration Foundation. Along with his work with coral reefs and mangrove forests Jordon studies these unique Indo-Pacific mollusks – and yes, they really are giants – growing up to five feet and weighing over 500 pounds. For those of us who’ve seen them in the wild reefs of the Pacific they have amazingly soft bright mantles in electric blues, greens, orange, turquoise, brown, white and black. Along with discussing restoration of these endangered wonders of the ocean Jordan also talks about his work studying how the algae in their mantles might help restore coral reefs after bleaching events. So, lots to cover and let’s snap to it on this latest episode.

Additional Resources

IMARCS Foundation — Pioneering novel research in reef restoration and coastal conservation

through innovative marine science practices.

Blue Frontier / Substack — Building the solution-based citizen movement needed to protect our ocean, coasts and communities, both human and wild.

Inland Ocean Coalition — Building land-to-sea stewardship - the inland voice for ocean protection

Fluid Studios — Thinking radically different about the collective good, our planet, & the future.

In the latest episode of Rising Tide - the Ocean Podcast David and Vicki reconnect with past guest and renown marine ecologist Dr. Nancy Rabalais of Louisiana State University. For decades Nancy has been doing pioneering work tracking and mapping a large seasonal ‘Dead Zone’ in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s the result of algae blooms fed by urban and agricultural runoff from the Middle of the country that flow down the Mississippi River every spring. In August she released her latest annual report on the state of the dead zone that this year is about the size of Rhode Island although in the past it’s grown as large as New Jersey.

Along with explaining what’s going on with the nutrients and the algae, she also talks about some other aspects of our changing ocean including the impacts of the 2010 BP oil spill. So, gear up as we dive into an engaging new episode with LSU’s Nancy Rabalais.

Additional Resources

Blue Frontier / Substack — Building the solution-based citizen movement needed to protect our ocean, coasts and communities, both human and wild.

Inland Ocean Coalition — Building land-to-sea stewardship - the inland voice for ocean protection

Fluid Studios — Thinking radically different about the collective good, our planet, & the future.

In the latest episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast David and Vicki talk with Natalie Shuman, the owner of Sun Divers Roatan on the famed island located on the Meso-American Reef 40 miles north of Honduras in the Caribbean. A certified scuba instructor, co-founder of a scuba scholarship program called ‘Roa Girls Dive’, a board member of the Roatan Marine Park, Natalie will cover a range of issues with us. These include the challenges of running a conservation focused dive shop, her favorite reef animals, what someone considering becoming a diver should know, invasive lionfish as seafood, slopping on only coral safe sunblock and of course, should you burn your new dive mask? Learn that and much more as we get down with Natalie Shuman.

Additional Resources

Sun Divers Roatan — One of the leading dive shops Roatan has to offer, Sun Divers Roatan stands apart for our commitment to safety, conservation, and personalized service. Their status as Roatan’s first-ever PADI Eco Center means you’ll dive with a team that’s as passionate about protecting the reef as they are about delivering epic underwater adventures.

Blue Frontier / Substack — Building the solution-based citizen movement needed to protect our ocean, coasts and communities, both human and wild.

Inland Ocean Coalition — Building land-to-sea stewardship - the inland voice for ocean protection

Fluid Studios — Thinking radically different about the collective good, our planet, & the future.

In the latest episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast David and Vicki talk with Boulder- based weather and climate scientist Dr. Daniel Swain about the emerging El Nino that’s predicted to become a major, perhaps historic one this fall on top of a new marine heatwave already impacting the Pacific coast. Along with working with the University of California and National Science Foundation’s Center for Atmospheric Research, Daniel also shares his knowledge of weather and climate across our blue world through his popular Weather West blog and Weather West YouTube channel. So, he’s the right informed communicator in this summer of climate disasters to talk about what we can expect and why in the coming months. Let’s find out what might happen along our coasts and rolling onto our shores with the Rising Tide.

Additional Resources

Weather West — Weather West has provided unique perspectives on California weather and climate since 2006.

Blue Frontier / Substack — Building the solution-based citizen movement needed to protect our ocean, coasts and communities, both human and wild.

Inland Ocean Coalition — Building land-to-sea stewardship - the inland voice for ocean protection

Fluid Studios — Thinking radically different about the collective good, our planet, & the future.

In the latest episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast Oceanographer and Blue Frontier board member Joy Leilei Shih and David Helvarg talk with Australian based scientist Dr. Aaron Eger, one of the world’s top kelp researchers. Based at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, he is the founder and program director of the global ‘Kelp Forest Alliance,’ also the lead author of 3 major scientific kelp reports that have come out over the last 4 years. These include one that identifies the value of kelp forests at roughly half a trillion dollars a year. Aaron discusses food and biodiversity, coastal protection, nutrient and carbon reduction and other values of kelp. He’ll also talk about growing up in coastal British Columbia and the fun of being in on and around macro-algae as the other great fast-growing world forest that is less known because it thrives underwater. Also, he’ll say what threatens it and what we can do about that. So, dive in with us.

Additional Resources

Blue Frontier / Substack — Building the solution-based citizen movement needed to protect our ocean, coasts and communities, both human and wild.

Inland Ocean Coalition — Building land-to-sea stewardship - the inland voice for ocean protection

Fluid Studios — Thinking radically different about the collective good, our planet, & the future.

In the latest episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast we highlight the 2026 Peter Benchley Awards that were held at the Monterey Bay Aquarium this spring. They’re named after the author of Jaws who spent most of his subsequent life as a shark and ocean protection advocate. Founded almost 20 years ago by Blue Frontier and Wendy Benchley and continuing under the auspices of the Aquarium Conservation Partnership, the awards have become known as the Oscars of the Ocean with over 80 winners to date.

The 2026 award winners included Julie Packard of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, President Jose Manuel Bolero of the Azores, Congressman Jared Huffman of California, Dr. Diva Amon, the ocean business Bureo, Marce Guiterez – Graudins, the documentary Ocean with David Attenborough and youth winner Coji Senanayake.

Additional Resources

Blue Frontier / Substack — Building the solution-based citizen movement needed to protect our ocean, coasts and communities, both human and wild.

Inland Ocean Coalition — Building land-to-sea stewardship - the inland voice for ocean protection

Fluid Studios — Thinking radically different about the collective good, our planet, & the future.

An inside look at the determined youth ambassadors advocating for oceanic policy reform.

In the latest episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast David and oceanographer and Blue Frontier board member Joy LeiLei Shih talk about our Youth Ambassador program before interviewing our 2026 ambassadors – Avery, age 13, Jack, 13, Liam, 14 and Kianna 16 on their return from an Ocean Week trip to Washington DC.

We discuss their impressions after having worked the halls of Congress taking a dozen meetings over 3 days to educate their elected officials and staff members on the issues they are involved in from plastic waste to sea turtle protection. We also discuss the direct meetings they held with Senators Padilla, Schiff and Schatz and Representatives Raskin, Huffman and Liccardo. It’s a great conversation and reminder that our ocean youth – even those in middle school - are not necessarily our leaders of the future - but can be leaders today if we work with and mentor them.

Additional Resources

Blue Frontier / Substack — Building the solution-based citizen movement needed to protect our ocean, coasts and communities, both human and wild.

Inland Ocean Coalition — Building land-to-sea stewardship - the inland voice for ocean protection

Fluid Studios — Thinking radically different about the collective good, our planet, & the future.

In the latest episode of Rising Tide Ocean Podcast, Natasha Benjamin and Vicki Nichols talk with marathon swimmer Catherine Breed — a record-breaking endurance athlete, former U.S. National Team swimmer, and founder of Sea Dreamers. From world-record swims between the Farallon Islands and the Golden Gate Bridge to crossings of Lake Tahoe and beyond, Catherine shares stories from a life shaped by the ocean and discusses her most ambitious challenge yet: swimming the entire California coast. The conversation explores open-water swimming, adventure, ocean conservation, and of course, everyone’s first question — what about the sharks? Tune in for an inspiring and thought-provoking conversation with Catherine Breed.

Additional Resources

Sea Dreamers — Opening doors for women to get involved in ocean activities through community, inclusivity, empowerment and education surrounding ocean conservation.

Blue Frontier / Substack — Building the solution-based citizen movement needed to protect our ocean, coasts and communities, both human and wild.

Inland Ocean Coalition — Building land-to-sea stewardship - the inland voice for ocean protection

Fluid Studios — Thinking radically different about the collective good, our planet, & the future.