Why do so many promising ocean conservation projects stall before they ever reach their potential? In this episode of the Ocean Leaders Podcast, host Andrew Lewin, Ocean Communications Manager at Pisces Oceans and longtime host of the How to Protect the Ocean podcast, sits down with the Pisces Oceans team for a candid, in-person conversation recorded at the HTO conference.

Andrew is joined by co-CEOs Melissa Weaver and Natalie Gilson and Ocean Project Manager Kirsty Burnett to unpack the patterns they see again and again while helping ocean projects succeed: capacity limits, funding gaps, high staff and student turnover, unrealistic budgets, and the most underestimated piece of the puzzle, communications.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why ocean projects that start strong often lose momentum a few years in
• How funding life cycles and student or staff turnover quietly derail long-term research
• What ocean leaders consistently underestimate when writing grant proposals
• Why communications, not just funding, decides whether a project gets renewed
• How a neutral, unbiased partner like Pisces helps researchers and industry bridge the gap between good science and real-world impact

Whether you're a scientist, project manager, or ocean advocate trying to get your work funded and heard, this conversation offers a grounded look at why projects stall and what it takes to keep one moving.

Learn more about Pisces Oceans at piscisocean.ca, and follow the Ocean Leaders Podcast for more conversations on the business side of ocean conservation.

Strengthen Your Ocean Project: https://www.piscesoceans.ca/strengthen