Are all protected areas in the ocean equal? A study on the bonus species protection
Release Date: 02/28/2025
What is ethical seafood, and why the way fish are treated could change how you eat forever
How To Protect The Ocean
What is ethical seafood, and why does it matter if fish can suffer in the systems designed to feed the world? As seafood consumption rises globally, most people never see what happens on fish farms or how ethical decisions are made behind closed doors. This episode asks a simple but uncomfortable question: if fish feel pain and stress, what responsibility do we have when we farm and eat them? Fish welfare in aquaculture is rarely discussed in public, yet it affects hundreds of millions of animals every year. In this conversation, we unpack how fish are raised, handled, and harvested, why...
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Right whale baby boom: The fragile hope that could decide the future of a species
How To Protect The Ocean
Right whale baby boom is giving scientists and conservationists a rare moment of hope, but it comes with a hard question: is this surge in newborn calves enough to save one of the most endangered whales on Earth? With only around 360 North Atlantic right whales left, every birth matters, and this episode breaks down why this moment is so important and why the clock is still ticking. North Atlantic right whale recovery has been painfully slow for decades due to ship strikes, fishing gear entanglement, and shifting ocean conditions. In this episode, we explore what led to 21 calves being born...
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Scientific Discoveries That Changed How We See the Ocean
How To Protect The Ocean
Scientific Discoveries are transforming our understanding of the ocean in ways that were once unimaginable. In this episode of Surfacing Secrets: Explore the Ocean. Know the Planet, Richard Dewey, Kohen Bauer, and Gwen Klassen of Ocean Networks Canada share some of the most exciting breakthroughs made possible by real-time ocean monitoring. From mysterious sediment flows to acoustic insights that map marine life, this conversation reveals how cutting-edge technology is unraveling underwater mysteries. Ocean conservation has never felt more urgent or more hopeful. Scientific discoveries...
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Marineland Beluga Whales: What Happens Next and Why This Decision Matters for Animal Welfare
How To Protect The Ocean
Marineland Beluga Whales are once again at the center of a national debate, and the outcome could shape the future of captive whales in Canada. Marineland Beluga Whales face uncertain futures as government decisions, export permits, and welfare concerns collide, raising a critical question, are these whales being protected or simply moved out of sight? Beluga whales in captivity reveal a deeper problem that goes beyond one facility. This episode breaks down the latest updates on relocation plans, the role of federal permits, and why animal welfare groups argue that sending belugas to other...
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Will the US move towards Deep-Sea Mining? What’s Really at Stake for the Ocean and Our Future
How To Protect The Ocean
Will the US move towards Deep-Sea Mining? This question is no longer theoretical, it is urgent, political, and deeply consequential for the ocean. As pressure grows to secure critical minerals for batteries and clean energy, the US is facing a decision that could permanently alter the deep ocean. In this episode, we break down what deep-sea mining really means, why it is suddenly back in the spotlight, and why scientists are sounding the alarm about what we stand to lose before we even understand it. Deep sea mining explained through real testimony, expert insight, and clear examples that cut...
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Should bull sharks be culled? The truth behind shark bites and how people can actually stay safe
How To Protect The Ocean
Should bull sharks be culled? Shark bites spark fear, outrage, and calls for action, but the real question is whether killing sharks actually makes people safer. In this episode, we unpack why bull shark incidents happen, what science tells us about risk, and why quick emotional reactions can lead to decisions that do more harm than good. Bull shark attacks are tragic and serious, but one surprising insight from this episode is that bull sharks often bite because they cannot clearly see what is in front of them. Murky water, river runoff, and warm summer conditions dramatically increase...
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Ethical climate storytelling: How honest stories move people from fear to action
How To Protect The Ocean
Ethical climate storytelling asks a hard question that most climate conversations avoid: why do so many people shut down when the science is clear and the stakes are high, and how do we tell stories that actually move people to care and act. In this episode, we explore how ethical climate storytelling can reconnect audiences to climate issues without fear, guilt, or manipulation, and why this approach matters for protecting the ocean and the communities that depend on it. Climate communication strategy often defaults to urgency and catastrophe, but our guest explains why that approach can...
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Who Decides Offshore Drilling, And Why Coastal Communities Pay the Price
How To Protect The Ocean
Who Decides Offshore Drilling is the central question behind decisions that shape coastlines for decades, yet are often made by people who never have to live with the consequences. This episode breaks down how offshore drilling decisions are made far from the coast, why public input often feels symbolic, and how risk quietly shifts from decision-makers to coastal communities. Offshore oil and gas leasing sounds like a technical process, but the impact is deeply human. Through firsthand voices from across the US, this episode reveals a surprising truth: once an area is leased, the future of...
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Cook Inlet Offshore Oil Drilling: Why Alaskans Are Questioning Another Generation of Fossil Fuels
How To Protect The Ocean
Cook Inlet offshore oil drilling is being pushed forward through new federal lease plans, but the people who live closest to these waters are asking a hard question: who really benefits, and who takes the risk. In this episode, we unpack why Cook Inlet matters so deeply for salmon, beluga whales, and coastal communities, and why offshore drilling decisions made far from Alaska can have permanent local consequences. Alaska offshore oil and gas leasing has shaped the state’s economy, politics, and identity for decades, and that history still influences how people talk about jobs, revenue, and...
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Distant water fishing fleets are stripping the ocean bare and the new high seas treaty may be our last chance
How To Protect The Ocean
Distant water fishing fleets are operating just beyond national borders, pulling massive amounts of squid from the ocean with almost no rules, and this episode asks a simple but urgent question: can the new high seas treaty stop ecological collapse before it is too late? Off the coast of Argentina, hundreds of vessels gather in international waters to exploit a regulatory loophole, threatening a keystone species that supports whales, seabirds, and entire food webs. What happens here does not stay here, it affects global fisheries, biodiversity, and the seafood on our plates. High seas squid...
info_outlineAre OECMs (Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures) just as effective as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in protecting biodiversity? In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we break down the differences, benefits, and challenges of OECMs, particularly in Canada’s conservation strategy. Learn how fisheries closures and Indigenous-led conservation initiatives contribute to marine biodiversity and whether they should be counted toward Canada’s 30x30 target.
🔹 What are OECMs, and how do they compare to MPAs?
🔹 Can fisheries closures serve as effective conservation tools?
🔹 How do OECMs support Canada’s marine biodiversity targets?
Tune in to explore how these conservation measures fit into global marine protection efforts.
#OECMs #MarineProtectedAreas #Biodiversity #OceanConservation #SustainableFishing #30x30 #FisheriesManagement #ClimateAction #MarineEcosystems #Oceans #ConservationScience #MPAs #SustainableOceans
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