Coral, Kelp & Community – Details, episodes & analysis

Some people think it’s silly to call it planet Earth, when really, it’s planet Ocean. And the ocean is finally getting the attention it deserves, not only as a beautiful magical place to admire, but as our partner in fighting climate change, in creating food security and equity, and in restoring humanity by restoring our relationship with the sea. Welcome to Coral Kelp and Community, a podcast brought to you by the Reef Life Foundation, where—you guessed it—coral and kelp are restored through nature-based solutions and this podcast aims to share the voice of the ocean community. In doing so, we hope to foster the UN Ocean Decade goal of increasing ocean literacy I’m your host, Tara Pierce, and I’m excited to nerd out with you on ocean science, policy, activism, and more. Each episode has a new guest sharing their expertise and knowledge. Join us for our launch on International Whale Shark Day as we begin sharing ocean stories to inspire ocean stewards.

Check out our Share Shark Love campaign on IG to enter your artwork to win prizes! Rachel’s paper “Nature’s Right to Conserve Sharks” is here: https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097056  The super cool bull shark ultrasound paper: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1193563  Earth Law Center earthlaw.org

Alex and I discuss the possibility of a Bitcoin City being built in El Salvador and the impacts on the mega-biodiversity hotspot, including the critical habitat provided by mangroves, and the local communities. There's so much to know about this topic, I couldn't even include all the links in the show notes, but here's a few: El Salvador's Bitcoin Experiment Fails or Good PR Stunt? https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/2455061-bitcoin-experiment-van-el-salvador-mislukt-of-goede-pr-stunt El Salvador moves forward with the Bitcoin City project attracting foreign crypto businesses https://coinpaper.com/1668/el-salvador-moves-forward-with-the-bitcoin-city-project-attracting-foreign-crypto-businesses Crypto is killing the planet https://theecologist.org/2022/oct/26/crypto-killing-planet

The inspiring story of two young, ambitious people who started a nonprofit to help save the ocean. And it's been a remarkable success! Blutopia is based in France, but even if you don’t speak French, your web browser may translate their website. Check it out to see Blutopia’s upcoming events, recipe booklet, podcast, documentary screenings and other ways to be involved. https://blutopia.org/

Nina shares her journey into artivism, combining her lifelong love of the ocean with her art practice to make the world a better place. Learn more about her, invite her to speak in your classroom, and buy her award-winning children's books that both educate and empower kids in the face of environmental issues at her website: https://www.janinarossiter.com/

Surfers for Climate is a nonprofit in Australia fighting to protect the ocean and address climate change adequately and equitably. This diverse group has enjoyed numerous successes that can inspire us all to take action, if not with them then at our local beach! Josh Kirkman, CEO of Surfers for Climate is my guest. Learn more about Surfers for Climate at their website: https://surfersforclimate.org.au/

Happy World Whale Day! Tara Brock, Pacific Council for OCEANA joins us to chat about Whale Entanglements and the various legal efforts to create a Whale Safe Ocean. View OCEANA's report on Whale Entanglements here: https://usa.oceana.org/reports/whale-safe-oceans-preventing-entanglements-us-west-coast/

Pooja Sharma, an environmental lawyer with the Keystone Species Alliance, chats with me about her journey from civil rights to environmental law, how all our struggles are connected, the importance of keystone species, and an exciting fellowship opportunity with KSA! Learn more about Keystone Species and their fellowship here: https://keystonespeciesalliance.org/keystone-species-fellowship/

Alexandra Pimor provides a historical and philosophical background to Nature Conscious Governance, including the first time Europe engaged in conscious governance. The purpose is to live in harmony with our planet, each other, and ourselves. While this idea may sound abstract, examples from our own lives make these concepts more tangible and provide a therapeutic perspective on our own work, relationships, and our place on Earth. learn more about Nature Conscious Governance and the Dandelion Fellowship at earthlawcenter.org

We talk about how Ariella found her career in the Pacific Community, leaving her home in Italy where she studied law. Moving to the other side of the world, Ariella found a wonderful team at SPC and a workplace with policies that aligned with her values: creating law that reflects the context of the people, their culture, their values, and their ecosystem. Did you know Fiji has over 300 islands? Have you heard of community-based fishery management? Listen to learn more!