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.