Exploring the Field Guide to Sharks, Rays, and Chimeras of North America
Release Date: 05/08/2024
The Fish That Feed Your Fish: What Farmed Salmon Really Eat
How To Protect The Ocean
The family behind the world’s largest salmon farming company built a global industry. Now one of its members is asking how it can be sustainable to grind up fish from poorer countries, ship them across the world, and feed them to salmon sold to wealthier shoppers. In episode 2048, Andrew Lewin follows farmed fish from your plate back to the fishmeal boat to answer him. More than half the seafood eaten worldwide now comes from farms, and most of it is fed. Andrew breaks down what fishmeal and fish oil are made of, why roughly a fifth of the global wild catch ends up as feed, and how forage...
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What Your Farmed Salmon Ate: Inside a Five-Year Fishmeal Investigation
How To Protect The Ocean
More than half the seafood eaten on Earth now comes from fish farms, and most of those farmed fish are raised on fishmeal made from wild-caught fish. Maya Martin, deputy editor at The Outlaw Ocean Project, joins Andrew Lewin to unpack Food for Feed, a five-year investigation that traced fishmeal from the ships that catch it, through the plants that grind it, to the farmed fish on your plate. Maya explains how forage fish like sardinella and anchoveta are pulled from waters off West Africa, Peru and Southeast Asia, often from stocks that are already overexploited and from communities that...
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How to Read the Seafood Counter Like a Marine Biologist
How To Protect The Ocean
Picture a big sign over the seafood counter promising sustainable fishing, with a fish every independent guide says to avoid sitting on ice right below it. In most countries nobody broke a rule, because the word "sustainable" on seafood has no legal definition. In this final episode of our sustainable seafood week, Andrew Lewin walks you through how to see past that sign and choose seafood you can feel good about. You'll learn how to use the eco-labels and seafood guides that have already done the research for you, including the Marine Stewardship Council's blue tick for wild seafood, the...
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Is Bottom Trawling Always Bad? It Depends Where
How To Protect The Ocean
Off the south coast of England, about 100 kilometres out, sits Haig Fras, a granite reef covered in jewel anemones and cup corals. For years it was protected on paper, yet heavy fishing gear could still drag across it. In March 2024, that finally changed. In this episode, Andrew Lewin explains why where we fish matters as much as how much we fish, and what it takes to turn a line on a map into real protection. Andrew breaks down the difference between midwater and bottom trawls and puts the damage shown in the recent Ocean documentary into context. Bottom trawling lands about a quarter of the...
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The Trapdoor That Saves Sea Turtles From Shrimp Nets
How To Protect The Ocean
A Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, the most endangered sea turtle on Earth, gets swept into a shrimp trawl. It hits a metal grid, slides out through a flap in the net, and swims away. That small trapdoor, the turtle excluder device, is one of the biggest success stories in fisheries management, and in late August 2026 a US federal appeals court upheld the rule extending it to skimmer trawl boats 40 feet and longer. In this episode, marine biologist Andrew Lewin walks through the bycatch fixes that are working and the fights still underway. You’ll hear why North Atlantic right whales get tangled...
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The Cod Came Back: What a Fishery Collapse Teaches Us About Overfishing
How To Protect The Ocean
Five centuries ago, explorers off Newfoundland described cod so plentiful that a weighted basket lowered into the sea came back full. By July 2, 1992, so few remained that Canada shut the northern cod fishery overnight. About 30,000 people lost their work in what became the largest single layoff in Canadian history. In this first episode of a week-long sustainable seafood series, Andrew tells the story of how the collapse happened and how slowly the cod came back. Andrew then breaks down the words that cause the most confusion in fisheries headlines: overfishing, overfished, depleted, and...
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How to Choose Sustainable Seafood
How To Protect The Ocean
You want to eat seafood the right way. Then you hit the seafood counter and face a wall of labels, a sign promising “sustainable practices,” and an employee who has no idea where the tuna came from. Add documentaries like Seaspiracy telling you to quit fish entirely, and it’s tempting to give up and buy whatever looks good. Unsustainable fishing is the biggest threat to marine biodiversity, so those choices carry real weight. In this episode, Andrew’s good friend Dr. David Shiffman joins the show to talk about his new book, Why Sustainable Seafood Matters. David spent two years on the...
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Slow Down for Whales: How Global Shipping Learned to Share the Ocean
How To Protect The Ocean
Blue whales can’t dodge ships. When scientists tracked blue whales alongside cargo ships off Southern California, the whales responded in just over half the encounters, and every response was the same: a slow, shallow dive. Not once did a whale move sideways out of the ship’s path. Models suggest ships kill around 18 blue whales a year off the U.S. West Coast, nearly eight times what the population can lose and still recover. The good news is in the data. Most blue whale strike deaths happen in a small slice of ocean, and that’s where ports, air quality agencies, marine sanctuaries, and...
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When Whale Food Moves: Climate Change, Crab Traps, and Pop-Up Gear
How To Protect The Ocean
In 2014, a patch of unusually warm water nicknamed "the blob" settled off the west coast of North America. The cold, food-rich water that normally stretches far offshore shrank into a narrow strip along the coast, and hungry humpback whales followed their food straight into the waters where Dungeness crabbers had set thousands of traps, each tied to a vertical rope. Entanglements jumped from about 10 a year to 53 in 2015 and 55 in 2016. In this episode, Andrew traces the line from warmer water to a specific whale in a specific rope. You'll learn why lunge-feeding whales depend on dense patches...
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The Whale Heart That Beats Twice a Minute
How To Protect The Ocean
Fill your hands with cold water, hold your breath, and press your face in. Your heart slows within seconds. That reflex lives in every whale in the ocean too, and in a blue whale it is pushed so far that the largest heart on Earth can drop to two beats a minute on a deep dive. In this episode, Andrew walks through the first heart rate recording from a wild blue whale, led by Jeremy Goldbogen's team at Stanford, and a study by Terrie Williams of UC Santa Cruz that tracked narwhals fleeing after release from nets in East Greenland. The narwhals swam as hard as they could while their hearts fell...
info_outlineOn this episode of the How to Protect the Ocean podcast, Dr. David Ebert discusses the importance of his book, "The Field Guide to Sharks, Rays, and Chimeras of the East Coast of North America," which describes over 1,200 species. He has authored over 30 books on marine life and is joined by shark illustrator Mark Dando. Listeners will learn about the growth in knowledge of shark species and the significance of field guides for shark conservationists and enthusiasts.
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Dr. David Ebert is a renowned expert in the field of elasmobranchs, having described 50 shark species and authored an impressive 36 books on sharks, rays, and chimeras. His extensive knowledge and dedication to studying these marine creatures have significantly contributed to our understanding of their diversity and biology. Through his research and publications, Dr. Ebert has expanded the scientific community's knowledge and provided valuable resources for shark enthusiasts, conservationists, and researchers.
Beyond identifying and describing new species, Dr. Ebert has delved into various aspects of shark biology, including trophic ecology, diet studies, reproduction, and distribution. His expertise in these areas has allowed for a comprehensive understanding of the ecological roles and conservation needs of different shark species. Additionally, his focus on lesser-known species, such as skates and ghost sharks, highlights the importance of studying and conserving these often-overlooked elasmobranchs.
Dr. Ebert's impact extends beyond the scientific community. His field guides and books serve as valuable resources for fishermen, beachgoers, and conservation organizations, enabling them to identify and learn more about the sharks, rays, and chimeras found in the East Coast of North America and beyond. By inspiring others to explore and study these fascinating marine creatures, Dr. Ebert's work continues to shape the future of shark research and conservation efforts.
The Field Guide to Sharks, Rays, and Chimeras of the East Coast of North America, authored by Dr. David Ebert, is a crucial resource for identifying and understanding the diverse species of elasmobranchs found along the East Coast. This comprehensive guide, featuring detailed illustrations by Mark Dando, provides valuable information on 173 species, including 92 sharks, 72 rays and skates, and nine chimeras. The book aims to assist scientists, conservationists, and the general public in recognizing and appreciating the marine life in this region.
Dr. Ebert's extensive experience in describing and studying sharks has led to the creation of this field guide, essential for promoting conservation efforts. By accurately identifying species and understanding their distributions, researchers, government agencies, and NGOs can develop effective conservation and management strategies. The book not only highlights common species but also sheds light on lesser-known and endangered species, such as sawfish and ghost sharks, emphasizing the importance of protecting these vulnerable populations.
Moreover, the field guide serves as a tool for inspiring future research and conservation initiatives. Dr. Ebert's work has motivated students and enthusiasts to delve deeper into the world of elasmobranchs, leading to potential graduate studies and conservation projects. By providing accessible and informative content, the book encourages individuals to explore and appreciate the diversity of sharks, rays, and chimeras along the East Coast.
Overall, The Field Guide to Sharks, Rays, and Chimeras of the East Coast of North America plays a vital role in species identification, conservation awareness, and scientific exploration. It serves as a valuable resource for anyone interested in marine biodiversity and underscores the importance of protecting these fascinating creatures for future generations.
Dr. David Ebert's extensive collection of books, particularly his field guides on sharks, rays, and chimeras, have not only served as valuable resources for the scientific community but have also inspired young scientists to delve into the world of lesser-known species. Through his books, Dr. Ebert has highlighted the importance of studying and understanding species like rays and ghost sharks, which are often overlooked in favor of more charismatic species like white sharks.
His dedication to documenting and describing these lesser-known species has sparked curiosity and interest among aspiring scientists. By providing detailed information and illustrations in his books, Dr. Ebert has made these enigmatic creatures more accessible and intriguing to a wider audience. This accessibility has encouraged young researchers to explore these lesser-known species further, leading to potential research opportunities and discoveries in the field of elasmobranch biology.
Dr. Ebert's work not only serves as a guide for identification and conservation but also as a catalyst for future research and exploration. His passion for uncovering the mysteries of the ocean and shedding light on lost sharks has inspired a new generation of scientists to pursue studies on these often neglected species, ultimately contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of marine ecosystems.