Scubaverse

In this exclusive Zoom interview, Jeff Goodman, Scubaverse Editor-at-Large, chats to Kimberley Ray, Founder and CEO of Marine Conservation Network, about her work and some of the issues around marine conservation.

As Founder and CEO of Marine Conservation Network, Kimberly started her passion for ocean and marine conservation as a teenager wanting to become a dolphin trainer. Her dad was a fisherman and took her boating nearly every weekend, and that is what motivated her to get involved with marine life and education. She received her marine biology degree and quickly realized that the oceans were under threat from plastic trash, overfishing, and lack of compassion for marine life. She initially began a company called “Sustainable Seafood Experience,” but realized more coverage and education was needed concerning the many issues involving ocean conservation.

She then incorporated MCN, Marine Conservation Network, and began a global effort to link ALL conservation organizations around the world so that knowledge can be shared and efforts in marine conservation could become more effective. She also developed a common language in her efforts to educate the general public on the issues facing our oceans, one that even the public can relate to and not just other scientists. To this end, she has implemented a new focus of a Youth Ambassador Program involving children around the world from the ages of 8–15 who are becoming actively involved in marine conservation efforts and spreading the word of this mission. A scholarship is awarded to those who stay with the program when they reach their majority and go on to college. Kimberly believes that the oceans are the lungs of the planet providing half of the oxygen we breathe, and if we kill the oceans, then we will die with it.

Find out more about Kimberley and her work at www.marineconservationnet.org.

In this exclusive Zoom interview, Jeff Goodman, Scubaverse Editor-at-Large, chats to Kip Evans about his time living in an underwater habitat for 17 days, his work with with Sylvia Earle and his lecture on Marine conservation 'Our Oceans 20 years from now'.

Award-winning film-maker, photographer, and explorer Kip Evans has led or participated in more than seventy expeditions throughout the world, including recent assignments in Antarctica, Arctic, Costa Rica, Chile, and the Galapagos Islands. As a photographer, he has worked on dozens of National Geographic Society projects since 1998, including the five-year Sustainable Seas project to explore and document the U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries. As a cinematographer, Kip’s films have been featured at film festivals around the world and he has contributed video work to all the major television networks including National Geographic, BBC and Discovery. From 2008-2020 he was the directory of photography and expeditions for Mission Blue. He was honoured as the 2017 Ocean Champion by the San Francisco International Ocean Film Festival and in 2020 was selected as an Explorer’s Club Fellow.

Find out more about Kip and his work at www.kipevans.com and www.seafilms.net.

In this exclusive Zoom interview, Jeff Goodman, Scubaverse Editor-at-Large, chats to Andrej A Gajic, CEO Sharklab ADRIA, about the effects of pollution on the development of disease in sharks, skates and rays.

Andrej A. Gajic  NGE, BEng (Hons.), M.Sc., Prof. biol is a proactive and awarded scientist, author, research diver, ROV pilot and documentary filmmaker with academic specialization in fish pathology, ecology and conservation - focused on sharks, skates and rays.

Andrej has more than 5 years of professional experience including National Geographic, Discovery Channel and he has published over 60 papers and two books. His current research is focused on the effects of pollution and war waste on disease development towards the mitigation of those negative effects through revitalization and long-term in-situ conservation. In the past 5 years, Andrej was the principal investigator (PI) of 15 cutting-edge regional and international projects. Over 150 media reports are covering his work including National Geographic, FOX, Disney, BBC, Discovery Channel, CNN, Al Jazeera and many more.

Find out more about Andrej and his work at www.andrejgajic.com.

In this exclusive Zoom interview, Jeff Goodman, Scubaverse Editor-at-Large, chats to Marine Biologist Dr Emma Camp about the true state and future of Coral Reefs and marine conservation.

Dr Emma Camp is a marine biologist and the Deputy Team Leader of the Future Reefs team at the University of Technology Sydney. Emma is a United Nations Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals, a National Geographic Explorer, a 2019 Rolex Associate Laureate and was recently named a 2020 Time Magazine Next Generation Leader and UNESCO-L'Oréal Australian Women in Science Fellow. Emma researches and advocates for the world’s marine life under threat from environmental and climate change. She is one of the founders of the Coral Nurture Program on the Great Barrier Reef – a unique program involving scientists and Tour Operators to enhance reef biodiversity and promote site stewardship. Emma is an advocate for Women in STEM and improved Climate Action.

Find out more about Emma and her work at www.emmafcamp.com

In this exclusive Zoom interview, Jeff Goodman, Scubaverse Editor-at-Large, chats to Shark Biologist and Conservationist Michael Scholl.

Michael's initial field experience with Sharks began in 1995 at the Bimini Biological Field Station (BBFS) in The Bahamas. He then spent the next decade studying the population and ecology of White Sharks around Dyer Island in South Africa. In 2002, he founded the White Shark Trust (WST) to support research, education and conservation projects focused on white sharks. His genetic, tagging and finprinting studies were integral in discovering a link between South African and Australian White Shark populations. This work was a major factor in the decision to list white sharks on CITES in 2004. Michael taught bilingual high school and IB level Biology, Mathematics and Physics classes in Lausanne, Switzerland, and worked for South African Explorer, Mike Horn on the Pangaea Expedition, assisting Young Explorers worldwide to establish environmental and social projects worldwide. Michael was the Chief Executive Officer of the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) from 2012 to 2019, which allowed him to merge decades of experience in science, conservation, education and communication, and his lifelong passion for conserving Sharks and the Oceans.

Find out more about Michael and his work at www.michaelscholl.net.

In this exclusive Zoom interview, Jeff Goodman, Scubaverse Editor-at-Large, chats to Dove Joans.

Dove is an Author, Animal Advocate, Artist, Creative Conservationist, Host, Storyteller, and Explorer in The Explorers Club in the cognitive sciences of dolphin communications, like Dr. Jane Goodall, except with dolphins for the past 40+ years.

Dolphingirl - Dove Joans - is an investigative researcher with a background in marine biology, fine arts, animal behavioural work, the healing arts, neurolinguistics, storytelling, and film work.

After a dolphin epiphany in 1977, she has been actively researching and devoting her life to "interspecies communications with dolphins" in an area she's coined, The Dolphin Memory Movement.

Her motivation is compassion in action by crossing the bridge into the dolphin's world, so that we can learn to put the humane back into the word humanity.

Find out more about Dove at www.dolphingirl.org

In this exclusive Zoom interview, Jeff Goodman, Scubaverse Editor-at-Large, chats to David 'Strikey' Strike about his diving career in the military and beyond. They also reflect a bit on life in general.

Certified as a diver in 1961, with a background encompassing military, commercial, scientific, and technical diving sectors, Australian-based, David Strike is a former Diving Instructor and Diver Instructor Trainer, and a regular editorial contributor on dive-related topics to diving publications from around the world.

Organiser of several world class diving events – with an emphasis on Technical Diving – he is the recipient of several ‘Industry Recognition’ awards and a Fellow of the Explorers Club of New York.

Find out more about David at www.nektonix.com.

In this exclusive Zoom interview, Jeff Goodman, Scubaverse Editor-at-Large, chats to Brendon Sing, Director of Shark Guardian, a UK Charity working for shark and marine conservation worldwide.

Brendon Sing is from South Africa and has been diving and researching sharks for over 25 years. Whilst achieving the highest qualifications in the scuba diving industry, he has been leading participants on shark diving expeditions from Africa to Asia with a strong focus on conservation, education and research. Together with his wife Liz, Brendon created Shark Guardian as a UK Charity in 2013. His goal is to inspire everyone worldwide to protect sharks - our ocean guardians. Shark Guardian has 4 main operational arms including (1) Conservation activities and campaigns, (2) educational programs and developing materials, (3) Research through citizen science and (4) shark diving expeditions.

Find out more at www.sharkguardian.org.

In this exclusive Zoom interview, Jeff Goodman, Scubaverse Editor-at-Large, chats to Underwater Photographer and Author Marty Snyderman.

Honored with the 2018 NOGI Award in the Arts by the Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, an EMMY Award for cinematography, a Reaching Out Award in 2008 as a photographer presented by the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association’s (DEMA), Marty Snyderman is a widely published still photographer and author who has worked to conserve and share the magic of the undersea world for more than four decades.

Marty serves as the Marine Life Editor of Dive Training magazine and the Senior Editor of California Diving News. His still photography has been used by many major diving and wildlife publications, natural history museums, and aquaria. Representing Nikon Inc., Sea&Sea USA, and through his own one-on-one courses taught on Zoom, Marty has taught underwater photography in person and offered instruction as a magazine columnist for more than four decades. He enjoys sharing what he has learned and takes a lot of pride in his ability to teach others.

With his partner Eric Riesch, Marty has recently launched a publishing company - www.wisedivers.com -  specializing in a line of eBooks for anyone interested in the world beneath the waves. Their first book, 101 Tips for Underwater Photographers, was released in February 2021. Amazing Animals You Can See Underwater, Volumes One and Two, will be released next month. All are available through Apple Books and Amazon

Find out more about Marty and his work at www.martysnyderman.com.

In this exclusive Zoom interview, Jeff Goodman, Scubaverse Editor-at-Large, chats to Jett Britnell of Jett Britnell Photographics.

Jett Britnell is an underwater, wildlife and expedition photographer, internationally published writer, explorer, scuba diver and speaker based in Vancouver, Canada. His images and editorial are published worldwide in print and online media. He has achieved what is known in explorer circles as being the “Holy Trifecta!” having been named a Fellow in three of the world’s most prestigious explorer societies: The Explorers Club (New York), the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (Ottawa) and the Royal Geographical Society (London). From Jan 2019 to Dec 2020, Jett served a two-year term as Regional Director BC/Yukon in The Explorers Club’s Canadian Chapter.

A 30-year diving photojournalism veteran with 57 magazine covers to his credit, Jett is also an Ocean Artists Society member, an Ambassador in EXPLOCEAN’s League of Underwater Explorers, a featured photographer with The Ocean Agency, and consultant to Elephanatics, an elephant advocacy organization based in Vancouver whose mission is to assist global elephant conservation efforts by educating Canadians about issues of ivory poaching, habitat loss, and the continued exploitation of elephants by humans, and to connect Canadians directly with elephant conservation partners in Africa and Asia. In December 2015, Jett was named one of “122 Inspiring Shooters You Should Know” in Scuba Diver Ocean Planet Magazine’s special underwater photography issue. Jett is also the inventor of the official “Sedna Epic Expedition Martini.”

Find out more about Jett at www.jettbritnell.com