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!

We chat about how the Nature Governance Agency works with businesses to create a seat for Nature on the Board and the inspiration that comes from having community. Join NGA in Wales this August to imagine new ways of representing Nature: https://www.naturegovernance.org/nature-being-immersion #nature #wales #natureontheboard #natureasadvisor #consciousgovernance #business #ecofriendlybusiness #partnerwithnature

Louisa went to grad school after being an underwater photographer in Indonesia. She shares her MA thesis paper, unpacking the good and the concerning bits of the new High Seas Treaty through a PostHuman Feminist lens--which is much simpler than it sounds. Everything is connected and #weallneedmorefeminism

We discuss the balancing act of community needs and how to effectively use scientific information to make environmental decisions. CASE https://caseconsultantsinternational.com/home Liz is Joining IntelliReefs, and did you know she summits mountains?! https://www.intellireefs.com/post/liz-tarquin-on-top-of-the-world

Vera shares how the campaign to save sharks started, who is involved, and we gush over our love for sharks and fun facts. The time to act is now! Join us by checking out their website: CalltoActionforSharks.com

Earth Law Center Home Page https://www.earthlawcenter.org/ Why Earth Law Will be Good For Puget Sound in Washington State, USA https://www.earthlawcenter.org/blog-entries/2018/1/why-earth-law-will-be-good-for-puget-sound-in-washington-state-usa Rights for the Southern Resident Killer Whales https://www.earthlawcenter.org/blog-entries/2018/8/rights-for-the-southern-resident-orca Tool Kit to join the Earth Law Center’s campaign! https://www.earthlawcenter.org/salish-sea-initiative Presentation: Rights of Nature, the Southern Resident Orcas, and the Salish Sea earthlawcenter.org/salish-sea-legal-presentation Watch the Earth Law legal team in action (Are you a lawyer? Approved by Washington State Bar Association for self-reporting of 1 CLE credit.) Wild Rivers with Tilly https://wildriverswithtillie.org/ After the Largest Dam Removal in US History, the River is Thriving https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VipVo8zPH0U Center for Whale Research https://www.whaleresearch.com/orcassalmon

Climate change has huge impacts on our ocean, and this event addresses climate in a unique, fun way for all ages. I will have an ocean art activist on the show over the festival weekend! Stay tuned. Art & Climate Festival is near Paris Sat & Sun, 30 Sept - 1 Oct Learn more about the festival here: https://carrillonspourlatransition.fr/actualites/ And these are links to the other resources and games we discussed: https://mapetiteplanete.org https://climatefresk.org/

Vicki tells us about her work at the Inland Ocean Coalition and how YOU can be an ocean steward even if you can’t see the ocean. Check out Inland Ocean Coalition’s website: https://inlandoceancoalition.org/ Attend the Mermaid Ball! https://inlandoceancoalition.org/mermaid-ball/

Graham and I discuss the threats to sharks in Australia, the importance of raising awareness (about any cause!), and how to do that effectively, and how to take care of yourself when doing ocean/environmental work. Do you love sharks? Join our awareness campaign by posting your shark art to Instagram! Include your favorite fact about sharks, tag us, and use hashtags #ckcpodcast and #sharesharklove

Liam and I discuss his research into legal strategies to protect the Arctic, and how things are changing for life on land and sea as the ice melts. Contact me to share your ocean story and/or support this podcast by making a donation at ReefLifeFoundation.org

I had the pleasure of chatting with Pat, a founder of 12Tides. Their kelp chips benefit the ocean and show us one avenue to creating holistic businesses. Learn about their beginnings, mission, and tasty flavors! Want to get involved? Check them out at https://12tides.com/

Jillian Guernsey and I do a deep dive into food labelling--what is actually better for the planet? What about farm run-off into the ocean? Get all your questions answered before running into the kitchen this holiday season. Jillian's Law Review Article: The ‘Natural’ Disaster: How Americans’ Obsession with ‘Natural’ Foods Encourages Misinformation, Stifles Innovation, and Harms the Planet, https://repository.uclawsf.edu/hastings_environmental_law_journal/vol29/iss1/5/ USDA Organic 101: Allowed and Prohibited Substances https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2020/10/27/organic-101-allowed-and-prohibited-substances “Say No to GMO. It’s GE.” A Review of a screening event of the documentary “Food Evolution.” https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/eahgrad/2017/10/05/say-no-gmo-called-ge/