Episodes
June 26, 2025
How French Polynesia Protected 4.8 Million km² of Ocean: The World’s Largest MPA
French Polynesia marine protected area is now the largest in the world, covering nearly 4.8 million square kilometers of ocean. This groundbreaking conservation effort was announced during the United Nations Ocean Conference ...
June 21, 2025
The Problem with Seaweed Aquaculture: Hidden Threats to Marine Life
The problem with seaweed aquaculture is that it’s not always as ocean-friendly as it seems. While seaweed farming is often praised as a climate solution—able to sequester carbon, improve water quality, and support sustainable...
June 19, 2025
UN Ocean Conference 2025: Big Promises, Global Funding, and the Push for Ocean Protection
UNOC 2025 brought major headlines in ocean conservation—from billions pledged to protect biodiversity, to significant movement on the High Seas Treaty. In this episode, Andrew Lewin returns from the UN Ocean Conference in Nic...
June 15, 2025
Why Cayman Islanders Voted to Stop a Cruise Ship Pier and Save Their Reef
Why Cayman Islanders Voted against a massive cruise ship pier is a rare and powerful story of reef protection over profit. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean , Andrew Lewin unpacks the bold decision by Cayman citizen...
June 11, 2025
How US Climate Policy Affects Renewable Energy and Ocean Conservation
Climate policy in the U.S. has taken a wild ride in recent years. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean , I speak with Chris Moyer, founder of Echo Communication Advisors, about the turbulent shifts in federal policy—es...
June 8, 2025
Oceans Day: A Message of Hope and Action for Ocean Conservation
Oceans Day is more than a date on the calendar—it’s a moment to reflect on the state of our blue planet and our role in protecting it. In this heartfelt episode, Andrew Lewin shares a personal message for Oceans Day 2025 (and...
June 6, 2025
Surfacing Secrets: Mavericks and Visionaries
Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) began as a bold idea—to create a real-time, always-on listening system for the ocean. In this episode, Surfacing Secrets: Mavericks and Visionaries , we go behind the scenes with the people who mad...
June 5, 2025
Ocean Conservation and the Rise of the WaveMaker Movement
Ocean conservation is more than protecting ecosystems—it’s about empowering people to lead change. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean , Andrew, Serena, and Amanda explore the WaveMaker identity, what it means to be p...
June 4, 2025
Ocean Conservation Meets Innovation: Inside The Undertow’s Global Mission
Ocean conservation is evolving—and The Undertow is leading the way by merging storytelling, technology, and community. In this episode, host Andrew Lewin is joined by Amanda Horn and Serena Nguyen to unveil The Undertow , a n...
June 1, 2025
Prevent Overfishing: How Transparency Can Save the Ocean
Prevent overfishing by making the invisible visible. In this episode, Courtney Farthing from Global Fishing Watch explains how vessel tracking and open data systems are key to protecting marine life and holding industrial fis...
May 29, 2025
Ocean with David Attenborough: Why There’s Still Hope for the Sea
Ocean recovery is not just possible, it’s already happening in places where we’ve taken action. In this episode, I dive into Ocean with David Attenborough , a documentary that reminds us of the ocean’s incredible resilience. ...
May 27, 2025
How Tide Gauges Help Track Flooding and Sea Level Rise in Coastal Towns
Tide gauges are a critical yet often overlooked tool in our fight to understand and respond to climate change. In this episode, Dr. Andrew Thaler returns to the podcast to share a powerful story about installing a tide gauge ...
May 25, 2025
How Harmful Algal Blooms Are Poisoning California’s Marine Wildlife
Harmful algal blooms are wreaking havoc along the California coast, releasing toxic domoic acid that is poisoning marine life. In this episode, we explore how this naturally occurring toxin is causing mass die-offs in sea lio...
May 22, 2025
From Oceanographer to Eco-Baker: Maddie Hamann on Building a Sustainable Bread Brand to Help Protect the Ocean
Ocean conservation isn’t always about what’s happening in the water—it’s also about the choices we make on land. In this episode, we speak with Maddie Hamann, a former oceanographer turned sustainable food entrepreneur. Maddi...
May 20, 2025
How Zazou Saeed Helped Ban Single-Use Plastics in the Maldives
Plastic pollution in the Maldives has become a serious environmental crisis, despite the nation’s image as a pristine paradise. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean , host Andrew Lewin shares the inspiring story of Zaz...
May 15, 2025
Orca Conservation, Shark Ethics, and David Attenborough’s Ocean Film
Orca conservation takes center stage as we highlight an inspiring community-led effort to protect these iconic marine mammals. Andrew explores how nearshore ocean heroes are driving real change, and why their stories matter m...
May 13, 2025
Why Nearshore Ocean Conservation Is Critical for Climate, Biodiversity, and Communities
Nearshore conservation is often overlooked in favor of flashy offshore marine protected areas. But a growing movement of community-led initiatives is showing that protecting coastal waters might be one of the smartest, most e...
May 11, 2025
Why Gray Whales Are Dying: Climate, Starvation, and Human Threats
Gray whales are dying along the Pacific coast—and the reasons are alarming. In this episode, we dive into why hundreds of gray whales have stranded or died between 2019 and 2023. From food shortages in their Arctic feeding gr...
May 8, 2025
Ontario Weakens Species Protections | Hawaii’s Climate Fee | Deep Sea Mining Clash | Frilled Shark Expansion
Endangered species protection in Ontario is under threat as the provincial government proposes Bill 5, repealing the Endangered Species Act in favor of weaker legislation. Host Andrew Lewin breaks down what these changes mean for biodiversity, habitat...
May 6, 2025
Deep Sea Mining in U.S. Waters: A New Era of Ocean Extraction
Deep sea mining in the U.S. is entering a new chapter after a recent executive order signed by former President Donald Trump authorized exploration and extraction not only in U.S. Exclusive Economic Zones but potentially in international waters. This...
May 4, 2025
Coral Bleaching Across 82 Countries: Why This Global Event Is the Deadliest Yet
Coral bleaching is not just a temporary event—it’s a climate emergency that can unfold over years. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, host Andrew Lewin dives deep into the devastating history of global coral bleaching events, revealing...
May 1, 2025
Octopus Ocean Book: Exploring the Genius Minds Beneath the Waves with Mark Leiren-Young
Octopus intelligence is nothing short of extraordinary—and in this episode, we dive deep with award-winning author Mark Leiren-Young to explore the surprising minds, behaviors, and conservation challenges of one of the ocean’s most elusive...
April 29, 2025
US Government Rolls Back Environmental Protections for Energy Drilling
Energy policy shifts in the U.S. are sparking concern as the government rolls back environmental regulations to fast-track oil and gas drilling. In this episode, we examine how these rollbacks could jeopardize ecosystems, especially marine...
April 28, 2025
Defunding Science Due To DEI: What It Means for Canada
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) have become integral components of Canadian science funding. In this episode, we explore Pierre Poilievre's plan to strip funding from research programs that incorporate so-called "woke" policies like EDI. We...