Blog

It was difficult to decide where to begin with this blog. With countless articles, data, and statistics about how both legal and illegal fishing are depleting our ocean of fish stocks, it’s easy to get buried beneath the dismal facts.

As we wrap up 2016, many people are going to be reflecting on the events of the past year. The 24-hour news cycle has reported on everything from Brexit to the US election to the death of Prince, but how much have you heard about the ocean?

Field work is romanticized in our minds as kids, teens and in our early college years, but what is it really like out there? I’ve spent weeks and months in the field in various places around the world in good and bad weather conditions, and the one common theme that shines through - teamwork.

Some of my best and worst moments have been on the water. The best include unbelievable encounters with some of the planet’s most exotic animals, brightly colored reefs, self-reflection on the bow of a boat, and extraordinary adventures. The worst are often a result of our negative impact on the ocean.

Our impact or lack thereof…

We so often here the phrase “human impact” that perhaps we’re all a little tired of it, and thus we ignore it and go about our daily lives.

The Caribbean is under attack. A ferocious invader is devouring its way across the Caribbean Sea. This savage creature is able to consume up to 30 times its own stomach volume - that would be like a human consuming almost eight gallons in one sitting!

Bait ball…the mere term conjures up notions of voracious sharks, lighting fast tuna, diving birds and an organized chaos that one comes to expect from the vast depths of the Pacific Ocean.

On a hot day in the summer of 1975 I slipped into a dark movie theater with my brother and saw the movie Jaws. When I walked out, my life would never be the same.

The COP17 (Conference of the Parties to CITES) is taking place now in Johannesburg, South Africa. CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, a treaty drawn up in 1973 to ensure that the international trade of plants and animals does not threaten their survival.

Everyone has them…the more profound experiences in your life that seem to stick with you forever. As divers, it’s often the most memorable dive sites or big animal encounters. For me, it wasn’t one particular encounter or even one site, but an entire day that seemed to be more exhilarating with each dive.

Many people overlook the importance of the ocean, especially when living in a landlocked state. They do not understand the amount of destruction we are causing because they rarely see it with their own eyes. Despite being in Colorado, we impact the ocean greatly.

Marine Biology is a multifaceted career choice. While it may seem like a fun and exciting future... it is! But it's not without its sacrifices, struggles and the same confusion, choices and decisions that any career has.

Before slipping beneath the kelp-covered surface of Anacapa’s waters, attention must be paid. From unique briefings to specialized equipment, I didn’t know scuba diving could get any more gear intensive.

How many blue whales are there? Where do they go in the winter? What happens if the plankton population they rely on for food is depleted?

Climate change is very much a young people issue. Worrying stats such as, “by 2050, fish stocks will effectively disappear” has a real affect on our lives. It has me thinking about what my dinner menu will look like when I am nearing retirement age.