Rising Tide: The Ocean Podcast

Join us in conversation with Ana Blanco, Executive Director of the International Ocean Film Festival. We talk about the ocean in our living rooms and theaters, how documentaries and other media from Cousteau TV specials to this year’s Academy Award winning ‘My Octopus Teacher,’ help connect people to the ocean in both its wonder and its warnings. Join us to learn more about this unique film fest and some of Ana (and our) favorite ocean films.

Join us with Dr. Kristin Aquilino, head of the White Abalone breeding program at UC Davis marine lab in northern California. Find out how a deep-water marine snail almost got pan-fried to extinction and what she and others are doing to reintroduce it into the ocean.

After listening read David’s story on the scientist and the mollusk in Sierra magazine

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/abalone-edge

Another Rising Tide, another amazing, salty woman. This time we’re talking with Mehgan Heaney-Grier, an early record-holding free diver who helped introduce the sport to the U.S. Her latest project is the web-series the ‘Imperfect Conservationist.’ In her long ocean career she’s also been a stunt diver for ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and part of the Discovery Channel explorers team for ‘Treasure Quest – Snake Island.’ Curious to hear more? Just tune in.

Join us in conversation with the amazing Roz Savage. Roz is the first (and so far only) woman to row solo across the world’s “Big Three” oceans: the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Indian. A Guinness World Record holder, appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire by the Queen, she talks about her motivations, challenges and what she learned about how we can all make a difference for our blue planet.

If you missed our Writers for the Sea Authors Panel with Brian Skerry, Sylvia Earle, and Carl Safina, we’re offering the full panel discussion on this week’s podcast. Dive in with two famed scientist-authors and a renowned in-depth photographer talk about their latest books or those about to surface.

From using genetics to aid coral survival to processing whale DNA to track illegal slaughter, from toxic dolphins to the wonders of Monterey Bay, ocean scientist Dr. Steve Palumbi has been a leader in applying science to ocean solutions. Join us in conversation with this widely admired Stanford scientist and popular author. As a bonus you’ll hear about an extremely interesting deep-sea octopus and her egg hatch.

The search for a dolphin Sanctuary, cold turtle rescues (also seal pups), a coral nursery, a floating wetland in Baltimore harbor visited by eels, crabs and a muskrat, climate change education for millions, the COVID pandemic and environmental justice as key to our future. Our conversation with the National Aquarium’s President and CEO John Racanelli is proof that what you’ll find there today – which he says may be the best time to visit – is not your father’s aquarium.

David talks with Hawaii-based author and activist Stuart Coleman about his 30-year journey surfing and writing about ocean legends such as big wave surfer Eddie Aikau (“Eddie Would Go”). Also his decade long work leading Surfrider Hawaii in their many battles won to keep the ocean clean and safe from plastic pollution, toxic sunscreen and more, plus, his latest passion to get the poop out of the water through incineration and recycling of our waste products. Talk about Hot Sh*t!

Vicki and David talk with shark-protector, member of the Women’s Diving Hall of Fame and honored board member of Blue Frontier Wendy Benchley. Wendy shares some of her thoughts about ocean adventures she shared with her late husband, ‘Jaws’ author Peter Benchley (see pix) and the challenges and hopes for ocean conservation and ocean-climate action today. Also learn how it was almost Jaws – the comedy.’

Join our wide-ranging discussion with John Hocevar, Greenpeace USA’s Oceans Campaign Director. From piloting two-person submarines into deep canyons in the Bering Sea to Antarctic ocean floors covered in sea stars to fighting plastic pollution and recording the impacts of the BP oil spill – hear about John’s wide ranging efforts and adventures. Also get updated on Greenpeace’s hopes and plans for saving the Ocean under the Biden administration and following the pandemic.