Central California Marine Protected Areas On Track To Help Ocean: Play Now | Download (95)
The first major study of California’s marine protected areas shows they are on track to help to improve ocean health. Scientists, fishermen, resource managers and environmentalists gathered recently to share results from the first five years of monitoring in the Central Coast region. We spoke with Liz Whiteman, Director of the MPA Monitoring Enterprise program at California Ocean Science Trust, who says monitoring is showing promising results for marine life and the ocean economy.
109-Year-Old Shipwreck George E. Billings: Play Now | Download (112)
Did you know that hundreds of historic ships and aircraft lie beneath the waves off of California’s coast? We talked with Bob Schwemmer, a NOAA maritime archaeologist, whose job is to explore and document shipwrecks like the wreck of a 109-year-old schooner discovered on the ocean floor. The George E. Billings once hauled timber in the early 1900s from the West Coast to Hawaii and Latin America. Bob tells us how it was found last year after two decades of searching in NOAA’s Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. And there’s more to the story!
What discoveries shocked author and Blue Frontier president David Helvarg while writing The Golden Shore? What would surprise you about California and its environmental history? We talked with David about The Golden Shore: California’s Love Affair with the Sea, the tale of the history, culture, and changing nature of California’s coasts and ocean. Part history, part travelogue, part love letter, The Golden Shore tells the story of California’s majestic coastline and ocean. David captures the spirit of the Californian coast, its mythic place in American culture, and its role in a state whose ongoing natural disasters and unremitting sense of renewal are intimately linked to its deep connection with an ever-changing sea.
Thank You Ocean Report: Jean-Michel Cousteau: Orcas: Play Now | Download (138)
“The ruler of the ocean,” orcas are one of the ocean’s most fascinating inhabitants. Found along California’s coast and within national marine sanctuaries, the largest species of the dolphin family is often called “killer whale.” We talk with Jean-Michel Cousteau, who says that people and orcas share surprising similarities.
Capturing the Beauty of California’s Ocean and Coast: Play Now | Download (171)
The beauty, mystery, excitement, wildlife and lifestyle of California’s Ocean and Coast are captured in this montage of spectacular photos representing some of the winning images from the 14th Annual California Ocean and Coastal Amateur Photography Contest. We talk with Sylvie Lee of the California Coastal Commission about the contest, sponsored by the Thank You Ocean campaign, the California Coastal Commission, and Fairmont Hotels and Resorts of California.
BLUE Ocean Film Festival: September in Monterey: Play Now | Download (193)
September 24-30, filmmakers, photographers, scientists, explorers, entertainment executives and the general public, will gather in Monterey at BLUE to honor the best in ocean filmmaking, to learn more about the issues facing our ocean, and to collaborate on improving the future of our ocean. BLUE will screen more than 100 ocean films, showcase manned submersibles and host numerous events and parties. World-class speakers include HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Sylvia Earle and explorers Don Walsh, Graham Hawkes and Bob Ballard, among many others. Debbie Kinder, BLUE’s CEO and Executive Director, tells us what’s in store during the festival. Thank You Ocean campaign is proud to be a supporting sponsor of BLUE, and excited to be on a panel with TYO spokesman Edward James Olmos: “Igniting a Movement, Leveraging the Power of Celebrity.” (Photo credit: Bob Talbot)
We’re celebrating our 100th Thank You Ocean Report podcast in style–beach style! It’s summer, and more people enjoy the beaches than any other time. California’s beaches offer a variety of experiences, from quiet coves to broad expanse of sand to rocky crashing waves. You’re a part of the celebration as Thank You Ocean fans share some of their favorite beaches in a video montage ended with a summer beach message in English and Spanish. Here’s to 100 Thank You Ocean Reports and we look forward to hundreds more! Thanks for the support!
BLUEMiND is a look at the Ocean through neuroscience, linking studies of the mind and ocean. Summit founder Wallace J. Nichols talks about BLUEMiND questions: why the Ocean makes us happy, why we are drawn to the ocean, and what’s happening to our brain when we feel a connection to the Ocean. BLUEMiND 2 Summit will take place June 4th and 5th on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Staff from the Thank You Ocean campaign will be there to present on the topic of “Gratitude”, and this summit will also be livecast, so no one will miss the inspiring ideas being shared.
In celebration of our upcoming 100th Thank You Ocean Report podcast, we launched a contest that let our supporters and fans select their favorite podcast. The winner: sharks!
The Project AWARE Foundation is a non-profit conservation organization working with divers around the world to conserve underwater environments. On this report, former Director Jenny Miller Garmendia talks about one of their projects that is aimed at protecting sharks. (This podcast was originally broadcast on September 6, 2010)
What is this threat and how can it affect our ocean world? What does it mean for organisms such as sea urchins? Dr. Gretchen Hofmann, Professor of Marine Biology at the University of California Santa Barbara, discusses her work with Ocean Acidification and why we should pay attention. (Photos courtesy of NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory)
