Today I want to take a look at those strange-looking, gelatinous, floating blobs in the sea that often look like deflated balloons with long strings attached. In fact, this summer, beachgoers along the coast of Maine where I live, have observed some of these creatures as large as five feet in diameter, trailing tentacles as long as 100 feet.

These sea creatures are collectively known as JELLYFISH (which seems like a cute enough name) but those who are in-the-know AVOID them like the plague - because some varieties can use their tentacles to STING you with needle-sharp, mini-harpoons called nematocysts - capable of injecting a toxic venom – causing pain, often a lot of pain – that can affect your respiratory system which can be extremely dangerous – and in severe cases even cause paralysis and death in as little as 20 minutes.

After 30 years on board a wide range of ships, my guest today, Capt. Elliot Rappaport has shared his knowledge of the weather in a fascinating and engaging narrative published in 2023, it’s titled, Reading the Glass, a book that in my humble opinion (one shared by many reviewers as well) should be essential reading for every sailor – no matter their experience or background. Enjoy.

Today we’re going to be talking about an important Portland, Maine based organization that concentrates on the preservation and protection of the seas around us – The Friends of Casco Bay. As I look out from my studio at the beautiful waters of Casco Bay, I find myself thinking - this place is gorgeous, this bay is a playground for sailors, kayakers, fisherman and boaters. The islands are taken care of, there’s no floating debris… the waters look healthy. And I know that doesn’t come with a lot of hard work.

Today we're going to be talking about caviar, salted, processed fish eggs, or roe, the only kind that can truly be called caviar. Because it comes from various species of the anadromous fish, more commonly known as sturgeon. As early as the ninth century, the joys of eating caviar were on record over the centuries, this nutrient rich food was famously served by Russian czars, middle Eastern Shaws, and many other royalty, but also eaten by the common folk. That is until scarcity and price took it out of their reach. Joining me on this journey is George Faison, a market associate and caviar specialist at Brown Trading Company, the premier supplier of fine caviar and all things fish related to fine restaurants and home kitchens across the US Brown Trading Company is located right here in Portland, Maine. George has over 12 years of experience in aquaculture and has become an expert in sustainable seafood. Let's take a look at the source of these tasty fish eggs, how they're harvested, why they're so appreciated, and why they're real good stuff is so expensive. And why Caviar dream signify images of decadence and great luxury.

Today we're going to be talking about kelp. Yep, seaweed.

Alright. Kelp is not synonymous with seaweed, but they are related, and those in the know tend to use the terms interchangeably.

The question we'll examine is this; is kelp one of the resources that will help sustain our planet and its ever-growing population in the future.

My guest today is Liz McDonald. Liz is responsible for farming partnerships at Atlantic Sea Farms, a main base company working alongside fishing families on the coast of Maine to cultivate regenerative kelp, one of several hundred species of seaweed on open ocean sea farms.

Based in Biddeford, Maine, the folks at Atlantic Sea Farms have grown to a point where they now represent the majority of farm seaweed in the United States.

I'm pleased to welcome as my guest today a multidisciplined and passionate advocate for the Sea, Alexandra Doudera. What Alexandra has accomplished in a very short period is quite extraordinary.

As a young girl growing up in Camden, Maine, she formed a deep and lasting connection with the ocean. I'll use her own words here. “I felt called to it. It was an almost unavoidable consequence of spending summers exploring Maine's Rocky Coast.”

Lexi, as her peers and students call her, has gained great success, not only as a passionate ocean advocate and educator, but also as a successful business entrepreneur. She's the founder and executive director of Saltwater Classroom.

Saltwater Classroom's mission is to foster an ethic of ocean stewardship in learners of all ages, especially among students in elementary and middle school. Lexi believes in hands-on education, tech integration, and global collaboration.

Today’s topic is an aquatic creature that has been on the planet since the Cretaceous Period – that’s about 145 million years ago. Indigenous tribes in the state of Maine were catching and consuming this tasty fin fish in the local rivers and streams for thousands of years – using handmade traps that pre-date the pyramids at Giza.

Yup, we’re talking about the creature commonly known as the Eel.

And today we'll take a look at this fascinating and mysterious creature that has baffled philosophers, scientists, and fisherman alike for thousands of years. The book is called Slippery Beast: A True Crime Natural History, with Eels. Its author and my guest today is Ellen Ruppel Shell.

A short time ago one of my sisters was looking through a box of correspondence – letters from my father to his sister in the days following World War II. That’s a lifetime ago – 83 years – the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor having pulled America into the war.

John Winkworth, my father, had enlisted in the Navy and reported for training in the winter of 1943. My dad was 24 when he enlisted – and he along with other young soldiers volunteered to face the growing escalation of the enemy offensive in Europe.

After basic training, he was assigned as a Lieutenant Junior Grade aboard the Guadalcanal, a Casablanca Class Escort Carrier. Following the war, my dad was asked to give a talk, to tell the story of the carrier’s anti-submarine work in the Atlantic Ocean – including details of the remarkable capture of the German enemy submarine U-505.

The winter of 2023-24 saw a series of fierce storms that reshaped the main landscape. The storms battered landmarks and waterfront communities. Most of us hunkered inside, did not venture out to face the storms fury and impact. Unprecedented rains flooded Western and central Maine with sustained winds of 35 to 40 miles per hour gusting well beyond that, bringing additional damage to the state.

My guest today is Sam Belknap. Sam is the current director of Maine Island Institute Center for Marine Economy, overseeing the work on several fronts, including protecting and sustaining Maine's working waterfronts.

My guest today is an ocean policy specialist. He didn’t start there… after college Michael Conathan worked as a journalist, a children’s book editor, and a Hollywood Screenwriter. But the ocean has always had a hold on him and now he’s got over15 years of experience working on making things happen on international, federal, and regional marine initiatives.

Lately he has been focused on growing the sustainable “Blue Economy”.

I’m pleased to welcome Michael Conathan – dad, surfer, and number one fan and supporter of his writer / comedienne wife – and a Senior Policy Fellow with the Ocean Foundation. Mike is also an independent consultant for a number of likeminded organizations including the Environmental Defense Fund, the World Bank, and the Sustainable Ocean Alliance.

Yup, all of that.

He believes, obviously in a well-rounded life, and that collaboration is fundamental to durable solutions that can help to sustain our oceans – in other words, the “Blue Economy”.