Episodes

Antarctica may feel distant, frozen, and disconnected from everyday life, but what happens there can shape sea level rise, ocean circulation, climate systems, and the future health of marine ecosystems around the world. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean , part of the Surfacing Secrets: Explore the Ocean, Know the Planet series with Ocean Networks Canada , we go behind the scenes of an international mission to install real-time ocean monitoring systems in one of the hardest places on Ea...

Antarctic glaciers are melting, but the real story is not just about ice disappearing. It is about what happens next, and how fast those changes can impact sea levels, coastlines, and ecosystems around the world. Glacier collapse is not a slow, steady process. In some cases, it can happen rapidly, triggered by warming oceans, weakening ice shelves, and shifting climate patterns. Scientists are now racing to understand how unstable these systems really are and what it means for the future. In thi...

Emperor Penguins are facing a problem most people don’t fully understand, and it’s happening faster than expected. In this episode, we break down what’s really happening in Antarctica as sea ice disappears beneath emperor penguin colonies. These penguins rely on stable ice to breed, raise chicks, and survive, but warming oceans and changing climate patterns are making that ice less reliable every year. Climate change is not just melting ice, it is disrupting an entire life cycle. You’ll learn ho...

Leopard seals are often seen as one of the most dangerous predators in Antarctica, but what if that story is incomplete? Leopard seals play a critical role in the Antarctic food web, influencing populations of penguins, fish, and even other marine mammals. Their behavior, hunting patterns, and distribution are shaped by sea ice, climate change, and shifting ecosystems. Yet despite their importance, we still know surprisingly little about how their populations are changing. In this episode, we ex...

What if Antarctica isn’t changing as slowly as we think? And what if one of the biggest drivers of that change… is an animal most people only see as a top predator? In this episode, we look at what orcas are really doing in Antarctica, and why it might surprise you. These aren’t just whales passing through a frozen landscape. They are specialized hunters with learned behaviors, working in coordinated groups, and possibly reshaping the ecosystem in ways scientists are still trying to understand. ...

Tuna fisheries are often seen as one of the biggest challenges in ocean conservation. But that story is starting to change, and most people have not caught up to it yet. In this episode, you’ll hear how tuna fisheries in many parts of the world are actually improving. Better science, stronger monitoring, and more coordinated international management are helping rebuild stocks and reduce pressure on key species. To understand what’s really happening, I spoke with Susan Jackson , President of the ...

Most people assume fisheries are either working or failing, but very few people know how the system actually works. In this episode, I break down the hidden process behind fishing limits, stock assessments, political negotiations, and the science that shapes what ends up on your plate. You will learn why fisheries management can go wrong, what happens when countries ignore the science, and how better systems like harvest rules and stronger accountability can help fisheries recover. This episode ...

Tuna sustainability might be the biggest ocean success story you’ve never heard about. Nearly 100 percent of global tuna catch is no longer experiencing overfishing, but that didn’t happen by accident. There is a hidden system behind the scenes that most people never see, and it is quietly changing how fisheries work around the world. Harvest rules for fisheries are replacing political negotiations with science-based decisions. Instead of arguing every year about how much fish to catch, managers...

Tuna fishing is a global industry, but how do we actually know if we’re catching too much? Every time you eat tuna, you’re relying on a system most people have never heard of: stock assessments. These scientific models estimate how many fish are in the ocean, how fast they reproduce, and how much can be caught without causing long-term damage. Stock assessments are not about counting every fish, they’re about making the best possible decisions with imperfect data. Scientists use catch records, f...

What if one of the most popular seafoods in the world isn’t the disaster story you’ve been told? Tuna has been at the center of overfishing conversations for decades. But something changed, and most people have no idea. In this episode, we unpack the hidden system behind tuna fishing, how it nearly failed, and what turned it around. This isn’t about saying everything is fine. It’s about understanding what actually worked, why it worked, and what it means for the future of ocean conservation. Bec...

Ocean careers often look straightforward from the outside, but the reality is far more complicated. In this episode, Andrew flips the script and shares what actually happened behind the scenes as he landed his latest role, including the uncertainty, tradeoffs, and decisions most people never see. Career paths in ocean conservation are rarely linear. From networking to timing to unexpected opportunities, this episode breaks down how jobs really happen in this field and why chasing the “perfect jo...

A lot of people dream about working in ocean conservation, but far fewer talk about what it takes to actually stay in the field. In this episode, Andrew breaks down why so many careers in ocean conservation burn out, from low pay and short-term contracts to emotional exhaustion and unstable funding. You’ll hear the truth about the three major career paths in the field, why passion alone is not enough, and how building transferable skills, multiple income streams, and your own platform can help y...

You got the degree. You built some skills. Maybe you even started networking. So why does getting that first real job in ocean conservation still feel nearly impossible? In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, I break down the real reason so many early career ocean professionals get stuck. I talk about the experience trap, how to rethink what counts as experience, why small projects matter more than people realize, and how strategic volunteering can either help your career or waste your tim...

A lot of people think the path into ocean conservation is simple: get the degree, get the experience, then get the opportunity. But that is not how it works for many people anymore. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean , I talk about why waiting for permission, waiting to feel ready, or waiting for someone to teach you everything first can quietly kill momentum before your career even begins. I break down the myth that credentials alone will open doors, the real skills employers and colla...

If you’ve been applying for ocean conservation jobs and hearing nothing back, this episode is for you. Too many people think opportunities come from polished resumes and endless job applications. In reality, many careers in ocean science and conservation are built through trust, familiarity, and real relationships. In this episode, Andrew breaks down the hidden job market in ocean conservation, why cold applications often fail, what networking actually means, where to build connections in this f...

Ocean conservation is changing, and science alone is no longer enough. In this episode, Andrew Lewin speaks with Peter Simek, CEO of EarthX, about how business, investment, and storytelling are shaping the future of environmental solutions. They discuss why collaboration across industries is critical, how market-driven innovation is accelerating impact, and what it takes to turn ideas into scalable solutions. If you want to understand how ocean protection actually happens in the real world, this...

Ocean storytelling is not just communication, it is a conservation tool. Why do people ignore climate data, overfishing statistics, and coral reef loss, even when the science is clear? In this episode, we break down the psychology behind why facts alone fail to drive action, and how storytelling can bridge the gap between knowledge and behavior. You will learn how emotional connection, relatability, and narrative framing influence real-world ocean conservation outcomes. Science communication is ...

Ocean conservation solutions often fail, not because the science is wrong, but because the right people aren’t working together. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean , we break down why collaboration between scientists, businesses, and policymakers is essential to solving today’s biggest ocean challenges. Ocean collaboration is already transforming conservation, and the results are powerful. Using real-world examples like Global Fishing Watch, you’ll learn how satellite data, artificial i...

Ocean conservation is no longer driven by science alone, startups are stepping in to turn ideas into real-world solutions at scale. In this episode, we explore how companies like Coral Vita and Running Tide are accelerating reef restoration and experimenting with ocean-based carbon removal, bringing speed, funding, and innovation into a space that has traditionally moved slowly. Ocean startups are reshaping how solutions are built, tested, and scaled. You will learn how these companies combine s...

Ocean conservation is failing to scale, and it’s not because of a lack of science. In this episode, we break down why decades of ocean research have not stopped overfishing, pollution, and habitat loss, and what is really holding solutions back. Ocean solutions need more than discovery, they need adoption. You’ll learn how business models, financial incentives, and scalable systems are the missing link between scientific breakthroughs and real-world impact. We explore why many conservation effor...

Squid fisheries are booming worldwide, but most consumers have no idea what they are actually eating. In this episode, marine biologist and Oceana policy advisor Marine Cusa breaks down how seafood labeling gaps are hiding critical information about squid species, origins, and fishing practices. Using DNA testing, her team uncovered that many squid products come from distant, high-risk fisheries, often without any transparency for consumers. We explore how traceability failures, unregulated fish...

Seafood mislabeling is more common than most people realize, and squid might be one of the biggest examples. When you order calamari, you are rarely told which species you are actually eating. With more than 300 squid species in the ocean, and most products labeled simply as “squid,” consumers are left with almost no information about the origin, sustainability, or even the species on their plate. Squid fisheries are growing rapidly across the globe, but they are also some of the hardest to trac...

Seafood is one of the most globalized food systems in the world, but that complexity comes at a cost: traceability. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean , we break down why it is so difficult to track seafood from the moment it is caught to the moment it reaches your plate. With supply chains spanning multiple countries, processing steps that remove identifying features, and practices like transshipment happening far from oversight, even well-intentioned systems struggle to keep up. We ex...

What if the fish on your plate isn’t the fish you think it is? Scientists around the world have been testing seafood from grocery stores, markets, and restaurants using DNA. The results are often surprising. Studies have found that anywhere from 10 percent to more than 30 percent of seafood products are mislabeled. In some cases, cheaper fish are sold as expensive species. In other cases, endangered fish or illegally caught seafood can enter the market under completely different names. Seafood m...