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Dr. Brent Hughes takes us on a fascinating journey through California's coastal ecosystems, revealing the unexpected ways sea otters transform their environments. As an Associate Professor at Sonoma State University with a background spanning from the center of landlocked Kansas to the rugged Pacific coast, Hughes brings unique perspective to marine conservation.

The conversation explores how foundation species like kelp, seagrass, and salt marshes create the physical structure that supports entire ecosystems. Hughes shares his groundbreaking discovery that sea otters prevent coastal erosion by consuming burrowing shore crabs – research so significant it earned the cover of Nature magazine. These "crab condos" weaken marsh banks, but when otters remove the crabs, the marshes stabilize. It's a perfect example of how restoring natural food webs can solve environmental problems that human intervention struggles to fix.

California's sea otter population faces a precarious future, stalled at just 3,000 individuals despite historical numbers likely reaching 20,000-30,000. The culprit? What Hughes calls the "white shark gauntlet" preventing otters from expanding their range north or south of central California. His research suggests San Francisco Bay alone could support twice the state's current population, reveali

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Leigh Anne Lindsey, Producer Sea Storm Studios, The Sea Ranch, North Sonoma Coast

Scott & Tree Mercer, Co-hosts/Producers, Mendonoma Whale & Seal Study, Mendocino and Sonoma Coasts.

Planet Centric Media is Media for a Healthier Planet. Resilient Earth is a project of this 501 (c) (3) non-profit that is developing & producing media to elevate awareness of the interconnectedness of all living things.

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What if the trash polluting our environment could be transformed into schools, homes, and opportunities? In San Juan Comalapa, Guatemala, that's what's happening thanks to Matt Panaitz and Long Way Home. 20 years ago, Matt was a Peace Corps volunteer stationed in this predominantly Mayan community nestled in Guatemala's Western Highlands. Rather than returning to ordinary life in the U.S. after his service, Matt sold his car, moved back to Guatemala, and embarked on a remarkable journey. What began as building the town's first grass soccer field evolved into a revolutionary approach to education and sustainability. The Hero School campus now stands as a testament to possibility—20 buildings constructed from over 35,000 discarded tires and 100,000 plastic bottles filled with trash. This approach has earned recognition from UNESCO- aligning Education with Sustainable Development and ripples far beyond the school itself—in one village, students mapped every household, identified needs, and implemented 57 stove projects, with grateful residents throwing rose petals at their feet as they departed. By treating waste as a resource rather than a problem, they've created sustainable infrastructure while addressing poverty through education that empowers students to become heroes in their own communities. Learn more about volunteering,

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Thank you for listening, subscribing, & supporting Resilient Earth Radio!

Leigh Anne Lindsey, Producer Sea Storm Studios, The Sea Ranch, North Sonoma Coast

Scott & Tree Mercer, Co-hosts/Producers, Mendonoma Whale & Seal Study, Mendocino and Sonoma Coasts.

Planet Centric Media is Media for a Healthier Planet. Resilient Earth is a project of this 501 (c) (3) non-profit that is developing & producing media to elevate awareness of the interconnectedness of all living things.

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We still have time to make a positive impact on the future of life on this planet.

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Storytelling has the power to transform how we see our oceans and inspire meaningful action. Two visionary filmmakers, Cynthia Abbott and Andrea Leland, join us to share how they're using documentary filmmaking to spotlight both the crisis facing our marine environments and the everyday heroes working to save them. Their Emmy-winning documentary "Three Ocean Advocates" introduces us to remarkable individuals making a difference: Dick Ogg, a fisherman developing innovative methods to prevent whale entanglement; Tess Felix, an artist transforming beach plastic into stunning portraits; and Barbara Kritz, who unintentionally captured the devastating decline of Caribbean coral reefs through her underwater photography. The conversation takes a deep dive into Cynthia's latest project, "The Abalone Chronicles," which explores the critical endangerment of red abalone along the Northern California coast. Through the eyes of 3 distinct characters—a shell collector, a Yurok tribal regalia maker, and a diver working to restore kelp forests—viewers witness the interconnected challenges facing our coastal ecosystems. Rather than overwhelming viewers with environmental doom, Abbott and Leland spotlight solutions and provide concrete calls to action. Become an ocean advocate! Visit everysecondbreathproject.org to watch these inspiring films,

Support the show

Thank you for listening, subscribing, & supporting Resilient Earth Radio!

Leigh Anne Lindsey, Producer Sea Storm Studios, The Sea Ranch, North Sonoma Coast

Scott & Tree Mercer, Co-hosts/Producers, Mendonoma Whale & Seal Study, Mendocino and Sonoma Coasts.

Planet Centric Media is Media for a Healthier Planet. Resilient Earth is a project of this 501 (c) (3) non-profit that is developing & producing media to elevate awareness of the interconnectedness of all living things.

Follow us!

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We still have time to make a positive impact on the future of life on this planet.