Where The Ocean Meets:

How The Ocean Is Keeping You Alive with Dr Tom Pickerell

Imagine you had one organ in your body that produces 50% of the air you breathe. It helps regulate your body temperature to a point where you can survive. It absorbs gases that would make living impossible for you. It delivers nutrients that keep you alive. All these things done by one single organ. How much would you want to know about that organ? How much money would you want to be spent on researching that organ? And how would you adjust your behavior to keep that organ alive? Probably you'd give it all the attention you can. Now, this organ doesn't exist, but the ocean basically provides these services to you every single day. It absorbs 25% of CO2, it produces 50% of oxygen, and it absorbs 90% of heat. It feeds us with protein (if you eat seafood), and it serves as shipping lines for the majority of the goods we consume. And yet, we don't know a whole lot about it. That's why I sat down with Dr. Tom Pickerell, a marine biologist and the Head of the Global Ocean Program at the World Resources Institute. With him, I work through Ocean Literacy 101 and discuss whether a sustainable blue economy is possible. About Tom Pickerell: Tom is a marine biologist working with the World Resources Institute's Ocean Program, supporting the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy—18 serving heads of state committed to protecting and sustainably managing 100% of their national waters. He's also a member of the Marine Stewardship Council's Stakeholder Advisory Committee and was inspired by Jacques Cousteau's vision of farming the ocean responsibly. KEY TOPICS: Why ocean literacy is the missing piece in environmental education The economic case for ocean protection (and it's massive) How overfishing, pollution, and climate change interconnect What Marine Protected Areas actually do (and don't do) The Monterey Bay sea otter story—a perfect example of trophic cascades Why multilateralism for the ocean is both succeeding and failing right now The one type of seafood everyone can eat guilt-free How 18 countries representing 37.5% of national waters are committed to 100% sustainable management

How To Actually Get Better At Surfing, Joe Koener?

What if surfing isn't just a sport, but a lifelong dance with nature that can transform how you approach everything else? In this episode, we sit down with renowned surf coach Joe Koener to break down what it really takes to become a proficient surfer. And why most people are doing it wrong. Unlike sports with a built-in "stop button," surfing forces you to stay engaged with an unpredictable ocean, building adaptability, resilience, and growth in ways few other disciplines can. In this conversation, we dive into: Why surf instruction lags behind disciplines like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and music — and how to fix itThe 3 pillars of Joe's coaching method: conceptual understanding, skill development, and capacity building The secret to maneuvering and accelerating on a wave: mastering "rail-to-rail" surfingWhy year-round preparation beats relying on surf trips aloneThe fitness baseline every surfer needs to avoid burning out in the lineupHow to choose a surf camp that actually makes you better (hint: it's not about the waves)Why discipline — breath work, stretching, strength training — unlocks real progression, even for free-spirited surfers Whether you're a beginner paddling out for the first time, an intermediate stuck on a plateau, or simply someone chasing mastery in any craft, Joe's insights on commitment, failure, and treating your passion as a long-term practice will hit deep. 🎙️ Pursue what you love with 100% commitment. The ocean is waiting. 👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more conversations from Where the Ocean Meets with Joel Tasche. 💬 What's your biggest surfing struggle? Drop it in the comments below.

Is Microplastics Removal From Waterways Possible? | Where The Ocean Meets: Nathaniel Banks

A Princeton-educated architect walks into a water treatment plant and violently shakes microplastics into a bathtub. What sounds like a joke written by an intoxicated AI is reality for Nathaniel Banks. In this episode, we explore how thinking through problems from start to finish can help with the daunting task of solving the microplastic problem. Nathaniel is CEO & Co-Founder of PolyGone. Nature inspired their filter technology, which can remove microplastics from different kinds of waterways. We discuss how they came up with the idea, how they got it to work, and where the technology needs to go to have a significant impact. Get a glimpse into a mind that microplastics obviously haven't had any impact on yet. Key Topics: The scale and health impacts of microplastic pollution How aquatic plants inspired a revolutionary filtration technology The journey from architecture to environmental innovation Real-world deployment and results from water treatment facilities The regulatory challenges and private sector opportunities What happens to collected microplastics and recycling innovations

Why scientists fail to get their stories heard - Marine Biologist turned Communicator explains

Dr. Russel Arnott manages to more than a million views on his videos. And that's not a product of guess work but by preparation. And it's not like he studied in marketing departments for ages. He is a marine biologist. But he found a way how to tell the stories better. What all that has to do with his detest of academic conferences, which frameworks he applies and how you can learn to tell better stories. He explains all of that in this episode. This is free consultation on story telling for the oceans!

Biologist explains: How corals make babies & sargassum solutions

Andrew Barrows takes us underwater in Hawai'i to learn how coral have baby. He explains there is a sense that picks it up before you can see it. And somehow coral seem to be spiritual: the species he researched only does it during a specific lunar phase. #spiritanimal In other dirtier topics, we discuss sargassum. The stinky seagrass that is typically very important to eco-systems. But lately it's become a problem - and Andrew might have the solution to it. Listen to find out!