In the latest episode of Rising Tide - the Ocean Podcast David and Vicki reconnect with past guest and renown marine ecologist Dr. Nancy Rabalais of Louisiana State University. For decades Nancy has been doing pioneering work tracking and mapping a large seasonal ‘Dead Zone’ in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s the result of algae blooms fed by urban and agricultural runoff from the Middle of the country that flow down the Mississippi River every spring. In August she released her latest annual report on the state of the dead zone that this year is about the size of Rhode Island although in the past it’s grown as large as New Jersey.

Along with explaining what’s going on with the nutrients and the algae, she also talks about some other aspects of our changing ocean including the impacts of the 2010 BP oil spill. So, gear up as we dive into an engaging new episode with LSU’s Nancy Rabalais.

Additional Resources

Blue Frontier / Substack — Building the solution-based citizen movement needed to protect our ocean, coasts and communities, both human and wild.

Inland Ocean Coalition — Building land-to-sea stewardship - the inland voice for ocean protection

Fluid Studios — Thinking radically different about the collective good, our planet, & the future.

In the latest episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast David and Vicki talk with Natalie Shuman, the owner of Sun Divers Roatan on the famed island located on the Meso-American Reef 40 miles north of Honduras in the Caribbean. A certified scuba instructor, co-founder of a scuba scholarship program called ‘Roa Girls Dive’, a board member of the Roatan Marine Park, Natalie will cover a range of issues with us. These include the challenges of running a conservation focused dive shop, her favorite reef animals, what someone considering becoming a diver should know, invasive lionfish as seafood, slopping on only coral safe sunblock and of course, should you burn your new dive mask? Learn that and much more as we get down with Natalie Shuman.

Additional Resources

Sun Divers Roatan — One of the leading dive shops Roatan has to offer, Sun Divers Roatan stands apart for our commitment to safety, conservation, and personalized service. Their status as Roatan’s first-ever PADI Eco Center means you’ll dive with a team that’s as passionate about protecting the reef as they are about delivering epic underwater adventures.

Blue Frontier / Substack — Building the solution-based citizen movement needed to protect our ocean, coasts and communities, both human and wild.

Inland Ocean Coalition — Building land-to-sea stewardship - the inland voice for ocean protection

Fluid Studios — Thinking radically different about the collective good, our planet, & the future.

In the latest episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast David and Vicki talk with Boulder- based weather and climate scientist Dr. Daniel Swain about the emerging El Nino that’s predicted to become a major, perhaps historic one this fall on top of a new marine heatwave already impacting the Pacific coast. Along with working with the University of California and National Science Foundation’s Center for Atmospheric Research, Daniel also shares his knowledge of weather and climate across our blue world through his popular Weather West blog and Weather West YouTube channel. So, he’s the right informed communicator in this summer of climate disasters to talk about what we can expect and why in the coming months. Let’s find out what might happen along our coasts and rolling onto our shores with the Rising Tide.

Additional Resources

Weather West — Weather West has provided unique perspectives on California weather and climate since 2006.

Blue Frontier / Substack — Building the solution-based citizen movement needed to protect our ocean, coasts and communities, both human and wild.

Inland Ocean Coalition — Building land-to-sea stewardship - the inland voice for ocean protection

Fluid Studios — Thinking radically different about the collective good, our planet, & the future.

In the latest episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast Oceanographer and Blue Frontier board member Joy Leilei Shih and David Helvarg talk with Australian based scientist Dr. Aaron Eger, one of the world’s top kelp researchers. Based at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, he is the founder and program director of the global ‘Kelp Forest Alliance,’ also the lead author of 3 major scientific kelp reports that have come out over the last 4 years. These include one that identifies the value of kelp forests at roughly half a trillion dollars a year. Aaron discusses food and biodiversity, coastal protection, nutrient and carbon reduction and other values of kelp. He’ll also talk about growing up in coastal British Columbia and the fun of being in on and around macro-algae as the other great fast-growing world forest that is less known because it thrives underwater. Also, he’ll say what threatens it and what we can do about that. So, dive in with us.

Additional Resources

Blue Frontier / Substack — Building the solution-based citizen movement needed to protect our ocean, coasts and communities, both human and wild.

Inland Ocean Coalition — Building land-to-sea stewardship - the inland voice for ocean protection

Fluid Studios — Thinking radically different about the collective good, our planet, & the future.

In the latest episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast we highlight the 2026 Peter Benchley Awards that were held at the Monterey Bay Aquarium this spring. They’re named after the author of Jaws who spent most of his subsequent life as a shark and ocean protection advocate. Founded almost 20 years ago by Blue Frontier and Wendy Benchley and continuing under the auspices of the Aquarium Conservation Partnership, the awards have become known as the Oscars of the Ocean with over 80 winners to date.

The 2026 award winners included Julie Packard of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, President Jose Manuel Bolero of the Azores, Congressman Jared Huffman of California, Dr. Diva Amon, the ocean business Bureo, Marce Guiterez – Graudins, the documentary Ocean with David Attenborough and youth winner Coji Senanayake.

Additional Resources

Blue Frontier / Substack — Building the solution-based citizen movement needed to protect our ocean, coasts and communities, both human and wild.

Inland Ocean Coalition — Building land-to-sea stewardship - the inland voice for ocean protection

Fluid Studios — Thinking radically different about the collective good, our planet, & the future.

An inside look at the determined youth ambassadors advocating for oceanic policy reform.

In the latest episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast David and oceanographer and Blue Frontier board member Joy LeiLei Shih talk about our Youth Ambassador program before interviewing our 2026 ambassadors – Avery, age 13, Jack, 13, Liam, 14 and Kianna 16 on their return from an Ocean Week trip to Washington DC.

We discuss their impressions after having worked the halls of Congress taking a dozen meetings over 3 days to educate their elected officials and staff members on the issues they are involved in from plastic waste to sea turtle protection. We also discuss the direct meetings they held with Senators Padilla, Schiff and Schatz and Representatives Raskin, Huffman and Liccardo. It’s a great conversation and reminder that our ocean youth – even those in middle school - are not necessarily our leaders of the future - but can be leaders today if we work with and mentor them.

Additional Resources

Blue Frontier / Substack — Building the solution-based citizen movement needed to protect our ocean, coasts and communities, both human and wild.

Inland Ocean Coalition — Building land-to-sea stewardship - the inland voice for ocean protection

Fluid Studios — Thinking radically different about the collective good, our planet, & the future.

In the latest episode of Rising Tide Ocean Podcast, Natasha Benjamin and Vicki Nichols talk with marathon swimmer Catherine Breed — a record-breaking endurance athlete, former U.S. National Team swimmer, and founder of Sea Dreamers. From world-record swims between the Farallon Islands and the Golden Gate Bridge to crossings of Lake Tahoe and beyond, Catherine shares stories from a life shaped by the ocean and discusses her most ambitious challenge yet: swimming the entire California coast. The conversation explores open-water swimming, adventure, ocean conservation, and of course, everyone’s first question — what about the sharks? Tune in for an inspiring and thought-provoking conversation with Catherine Breed.

Additional Resources

Sea Dreamers — Opening doors for women to get involved in ocean activities through community, inclusivity, empowerment and education surrounding ocean conservation.

Blue Frontier / Substack — Building the solution-based citizen movement needed to protect our ocean, coasts and communities, both human and wild.

Inland Ocean Coalition — Building land-to-sea stewardship - the inland voice for ocean protection

Fluid Studios — Thinking radically different about the collective good, our planet, & the future.

Exploring the Depths: An Investigative Dive on Ocean Conservation and Cultural Impact

In the latest episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast David Helvarg and Vicki Nichols Goldstein have an engaging conversation with Paul Greenberg, author of the best-selling book ‘Four Fish’ and more recent writings including his latest novel ‘A Third Term’ (George Washington takes on Donald Trump). A Writer in Residence at the Safina Center, a former Pew Fellow and recipient of many honors, Paul discusses growing up fishing, his literary journey (with a short jaunt into Semiotics) how people’s habits and perceptions often differ from common environmental messaging they receive and why Bluefin Tuna give him hope for the future. Tune in for a thoughtful and thought- provoking conversation in depth with our guest Paul Greenberg.