Climate Change Actions Using Sargassum and Black Fly Larvae
Release Date: 12/23/2024
3 For-Profit Companies Cleaning the Ocean and Paying Living Wages
How To Protect The Ocean
Not every ocean conservation win comes from a nonprofit or a government program. In this episode, Andrew breaks down three for-profit companies that are cleaning up the ocean, funding wildlife research, and paying living wages to the people doing the work. These businesses show that conservation and profit are not opposing goals. They can be the same goal. Andrew covers 4Ocean, whose full-time captains and cleanup crews earn living wages with health insurance and bonuses across Florida, Bali, Haiti, and Guatemala. He covers Ocean Sole, the Kenyan social enterprise that pays local collectors...
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How 4ocean Turned Bracelets Into 50 Million Pounds of Ocean Trash Removed
How To Protect The Ocean
4ocean has removed more than 50 million pounds of plastic and trash from the world's oceans, rivers, and coastlines. That milestone did not come from a government program or a traditional nonprofit. It came from a for-profit business built around a single idea: every bracelet sold funds the removal of a pound of ocean trash. In this episode, Andrew breaks down how 4ocean went from one viral video in Bali to a global cleanup operation, why founders Alex Schulze and Andrew Cooper chose a business model over a nonprofit, and how the company built local jobs, recycling infrastructure, and B Corp...
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The Boat Sharing Economy Is Exploding, Here's Why You Shouldn't Buy a Boat
How To Protect The Ocean
The boat rental market is bigger than most people realize, and it's growing fast. In this episode, Andrew shares a personal story about his dad, boats, and why he's spent the last few months considering buying one, before walking through the data that changed his mind about ownership altogether. Andrew breaks down the numbers behind the boat sharing economy: a market valued between nineteen and twenty three billion dollars US, growing five to seven percent a year, with electric propulsion emerging as the fastest growing segment in boat rentals. Peer to peer platforms like Getmyboat,...
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Why Cargo Ships Are Bringing Back Sails to Cut Emissions
How To Protect The Ocean
Global shipping moves roughly 80 to 90% of the world's trade, and it comes with a real climate cost: the industry is responsible for a little over 2% of global CO2 emissions. On today's episode of the How to Protect the Ocean Podcast, Andrew looks at one of the more surprising fixes the industry is turning to: sails. Not the old canvas kind, but massive rigid wing sails retrofitted onto modern cargo vessels to cut fuel use and emissions without waiting on next-generation fuels. The centerpiece example is the Pyxis Ocean, a bulk carrier fitted with two 37.5-meter WindWings that fold down like...
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Can Hollywood Go Green? Inside the Sustainable Production Movement
How To Protect The Ocean
Hollywood might not be the first industry you think of when it comes to protecting the planet, but film and TV production has been quietly transforming how it operates behind the scenes. In this episode, Andrew sits down with Zena Harris, founder and president of Green Spark Group and co-host of The Tie-In podcast, to unpack what sustainability actually looks like on a working film set. Zena walks through the surprising ways major productions are cutting fuel consumption, swapping diesel generators for solar power and battery stations, and building a circular economy for set materials instead...
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Greenwashing Exposed: Why 400+ Companies Got Caught Lying About Sustainability in 2026
How To Protect The Ocean
Businesses love to say they are sustainable. Andrew breaks down why that word is no longer enough on its own. A new EU consumer protection regulation now requires companies to prove environmental claims with evidence, and it has helped drive more than 400 greenwashing-related enforcement actions across the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, and India in 2026 alone. Andrew draws on his own university experience with food labeling regulation to explain how vague standards let companies technically comply while misleading the public, then walks through real cases including SEC fines against Goldman...
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People and Sustainability: The Human Cost Big Business Keeps Ignoring
How To Protect The Ocean
Sustainability conversations usually center on ecosystems, emissions targets, and corporate pledges, but this episode makes the case that people belong at the center of that conversation too. Andrew looks at how communities living closest to refineries, extraction sites, and industrial waterfronts carry a disproportionate share of the pollution burden, often without having consented to the risk in the first place. Using a Philadelphia refinery as a case study, Andrew walks through how fenceline communities experience higher poverty rates, higher rates of residents of color, and elevated cancer...
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Why Sustainable Companies Actually Save Money
How To Protect The Ocean
Sustainability isn't just good PR; it's good business math. In this episode, Andrew breaks down why companies are shifting toward circular business models, using Philips Lighting as a case study in selling light as a service instead of a product. He digs into the economics behind the shift: a British industrial symbiosis study that saved companies significant money and cut CO2 emissions, a PwC Sweden study showing double-digit operating cost reductions in circular electronics, and the rise of sustainability-linked loans that reward companies for hitting circularity targets with lower interest...
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Why Sustainability Is Becoming a Business Requirement
How To Protect The Ocean
Sustainability anxiety is real. Watching wildfires spread, sea levels rise, and ice melt while governments drag their feet on climate policy can leave anyone feeling stuck. Andrew opens today's episode by naming that frustration directly, then makes the case for where real momentum is actually coming from: business. This episode breaks down why companies are adopting sustainability practices, sometimes because they want to and sometimes because regulation and consumer pressure leave them little choice. Andrew walks through the European Union's corporate sustainability due diligence directive,...
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How to Network at Marine Science Conferences Like a Pro
How To Protect The Ocean
Conferences can feel intimidating, expensive, and overwhelming, especially if networking doesn't come naturally to you. In this episode, Andrew shares what more than a decade of attending marine science and conservation conferences has taught him about making real connections, from picking the right event for your career stage to crafting an elevator pitch that actually works. Andrew walks through how to choose a conference that fits your specific field, why in-person events build stronger professional relationships than virtual ones, and why even seasoned scientists like Dr. David Ebert still...
info_outlineIn this episode of the "How to Protect the Ocean" podcast, host Andrew Lewin interviews Dr. Annalisa Bracco, a professor at Georgia Tech specializing in ocean and climate dynamics. The discussion centers around innovative climate solutions, moving away from the typical focus on the negative impacts of climate change.
Key Climate Solutions Discussed:
Sargassum Management:
Problem: Since 2011, there have been significant blooms of sargassum in the tropical Atlantic, impacting beaches in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. These blooms require costly cleanup efforts, amounting to approximately $300 million per year.
Solutions:
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Sinking Sargassum: Research is being conducted to explore the feasibility of sinking sargassum to sequester carbon. This involves understanding the ecological impacts and ensuring that the carbon captured is not released back into the atmosphere.
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Biofuel Production: Collaborations with engineers and biologists are underway to convert sargassum into biofuels. One approach involves using black fly larvae, which can efficiently consume sargassum and accumulate lipids for biofuel extraction.
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Bricks from Sargassum: A small business in Mexico is creating bricks from dried sargassum, which are reported to be more resilient to storms than traditional building materials.
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Coral Reef Connectivity:
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Dr. Bracco's team is using machine learning to study the connectivity among coral reefs, which is crucial for understanding how larvae disperse and how healthy ecosystems can support one another.
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The research highlights the dynamic nature of coral ecosystems, particularly in the Pacific, where certain areas can recover from bleaching events due to the exchange of larvae. In contrast, the Atlantic faces challenges due to pollution and overfishing, which hinder recovery.
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Interdisciplinary Collaboration:
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The episode emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary work in addressing climate issues. Dr. Bracco collaborates with experts from various fields, including biology, engineering, and computer science, to develop comprehensive solutions to climate challenges.
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Overall, the episode provides a hopeful perspective on climate solutions, showcasing innovative approaches to managing ocean health and addressing the impacts of climate change.
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