Rising Tide: The Ocean Podcast

In the latest episode of Rising Tide: The Ocean Podcast, David & Vicki bring you some of the news that other media may not have. Earlier in June there was a United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France attended by thousands of people including many heads of state. While a lot got done there, there was little coverage of it in the United States.

That’s why Rising Tide Ocean Podcast recently talked with Mike Sutton, Executive Director of the Goldman Environmental Prize and Lindsay Gordon, head of Global Programs at Parley for the Oceans, both...

In this episode of the Rising Tide Ocean Podcast, hosts David Helvarg and Vicki Nichols Goldstein welcome Tom Ford, CEO of the Bay Foundation and Director of the Santa Monica Bay National Estuary Program. They discuss Ford's journey from his first ocean encounter in high school to his extensive work in kelp forest restoration. Ford shares insights into the Bay Foundation's efforts, including restoring 75 acres of kelp forest off Palos Verdes, California, reintroducing endangered white abalones, and collaborating with commercial sea urchin harvesters. The conversation covers the challenges and successes of these restoration projects, the impact of environmental changes...

In the latest episode of Rising Tide, the Ocean Podcast David Helvarg and Natasha Benjamin talk with Kim McIntyre, the Executive Director of the Aquarium Conservation Partnership, a coalition of 35 aquariums working together to increase their collective impact. Along with helping revive the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards that took place at the National Aquarium in May, the 9-year-old coalition is involved in educating its members’ 40 million annual visitors around issues of sustainable seafood, climate change, plastic pollution and more.

Kim talks about the changing role of aquariums as conservation hubs for the sea, marine an...

Our latest episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast ranges from Palau in the central Pacific to Washington D.C. After a short Blue News update with Congressman Jared Huffman in his DC office we go to the shark enhanced – not infested - waters of Palau where Blue Frontier's David Helvarg interviews Tiani Dun an underwater photographer who also organizes dive charters, part of the multi-billion-dollar global scuba diving industry.

Co-Owner of Dive and More, a company that focuses its dive trips around underwater photography and more recently, marine conservation, Tiani’s also a marin...

On Friday April 25 the Rising Tide Ocean Podcast recorded our show with a live audience during SF Climate Week – one of the largest climate gatherings in the world.  From the downtown studios of KALW – “The Voice of the Bay Area,” David and Natasha discussed global and Bay Area aspects of the Ocean and the Climate Crisis with guests Rod Fujita, a marine consultant and recently retired director of ocean research and development for the Environmental Defense Fund and Sejal Choksi-Chugh an attorney and Executive Director of the San Francisco Baykeeper.  We had a lively and informative discussion about impacts and soluti...

In the latest and award-winning Rising Tide: the Ocean Podcast, David Helvarg, and Vicki Nichols-Goldstein speak with Jeremy Rifkin, who wants us to rethink our home in the universe. He is a best-selling author of 23 books translated into 35 languages and a major climate advisor to the European Union and China. He has returned to basics with his newest book, "Planet Aqua," about how water is the animating force of life, something the team at Blue Frontier has long known and believed. Jeremy Rifkin gives his perspective on how to convert our approach to water from a 'resource' to a...

In the latest episode of the award-winning Rising Tide: the Ocean Podcast David and Vicki talk with retired NOAA Captain Craig McLean about the Trump administration’s attacks on the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. 20 percent of its workforce including weather forecasters and ocean and climate scientists have already been laid off and more than 10 percent of the budget cut and things could get worse.

Having spent his career as a ship’s master in the uniformed NOAA Corps and as a lawyer and administrator including Acting Chief Scientist during the first Trump administration when...

In our new episode of Rising Tide - the Ocean Podcast David Helvarg & Vicki Nichols Goldstein talk with friends Natasha Benjamin of Blue Frontier and Ana Blanco of the International Ocean Film Festival about their new role as co-directors of ‘Sequoias of the Sea.’ SOS as it’s also known is a 54-minute documentary film about the global crisis facing Kelp Forests. It tells that story through the lens of the people of Fort Bragg California, a former timber town on the state’s north coast. Natasha & Ana talk about the challenges of making the film and the challenges the peop...

This fall NASA launched the Europa Clipper spaceship on a mission to the Jupiter moon of Europa to see if life might exist in its subsurface ocean. In this episode of ‘Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast’ David & Vicki interview Dr. Kathy Crane who was key to the discovery and mapping of hydrothermal vents in the deep Pacific 45 years ago when new ‘chemosynthetic’ life including giant clams and tubeworms were discovered.  These are the kinds of deep ocean life that might exist on Europa and elsewhere in the universe.  We talk with Kathy about being a woman geologist in these famed days...

In our latest episode of ‘Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast’ David and Vicki check in on Nat Herz founder and reporter at The Northern Journal. After covering our 49th state (including one third of America’s coastline) for the Alaska Daily News and Alaska Public Media Nick set out on his own in 2022, creating an Anchorage-based investigative newsletter covering issues from public lands and water, energy, mining, fisheries, politics, dog sled racing, everything the Alaskan public has a right to know. Now a must read in Alaska with stories picked up by every media outlet in the state the Northern...

In this episode of 'Rising Tide, the Ocean podcast,' hosts David Helvarg and Vicki Nichols Goldstein interview Melanie McField, the founder and director of Healthy Reefs for Healthy People. Melanie shares her journey from a childhood interest in marine biology to her work in Belize with the Peace Corps and beyond. She discusses the creation of the world's first science-based coral reef report card, which evaluates the health of the Mesoamerican Reef, the second-largest coral reef system globally. Melanie details the indicators used in the report card, including coral cover, macro-algae levels, herbivorous fish populations, and commercial fish stocks...

Protecting Alaska’s Wild Salmon: Challenges, Conservation, and Climate Change

Last fall we spoke with a University of Alaska scientist about the state of salmon. Today we speak with Tim Bristol, the Director of ‘Salmon State’, a Juneau based environmental initiative to protect and sustain Alaska’s wild salmon that include some of the largest runs in the world.  But all’s not well in their river and ocean home.

Working with Alaska Native people, commercial fishermen, river guides, and conservationists Salmon State aims to protect and restore these iconic fish...

Protecting Our Shores: Richard Charter on the Historic Fight Against Offshore Drilling and Biden’s Legacy of Ocean Conservation

In this episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast David Helvarg & Vicki N. Goldstein talk with longtime anti-offshore drilling activist Richard Charter about one of President Biden’s last acts in office, his January 6th ban on future offshore oil and gas drilling permits along the entire Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the U.S. in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the northern Bering Sea off Alaska.

Richard, whose been a lea...

In this end of year episode of the Rising Tide Ocean Podcast, David Helvarg presents a compilation of some of our leading ocean voices of 2024. The episode features commercial fisherman turned journalist Nick Rahaim discussing sperm whales in Alaska, artist Ray Troll sharing HIS fish-inspired art, Dr. Sarah Frias-Torres on her marine biology journey, author Shelby Van Pelt on her octopus book’s influence, Nancy Rabalais on the Gulf of Mexico's dead zone, Rear Admiral Andy Sugimoto on Coast Guard missions, Sherri Goodman on clean energy’s military advantages, Craig Foster on tracking underwater life, and Wendy Benchley on the...

Join hosts David Helvarg and Vicki Nichols Goldstein as they dive into the decades-long grassroots effort to transform 413 acres of the San Francisco Bay headland in Richmond, California, into the new Point Molate Park. Featured guest André Soto, a musician and activist, recounts the struggle against plans for a massive casino and high-end housing development. Discover the rich history of the land, from its origins as Ohlone land to its time as a naval fuel depot, and learn about the importance of community activism, environmental preservation, and political engagement in making this vision a reality. This episode of Rising T...

Destiny Bristol Kushin and Zinaida Melovidov currently reside in the Unangan community of St. Paul Island, Alaska. Destiny is a 20 year old college student working towards her associates degree in environmental sciences. Zinaida is an elder who has lived on the island almost all her life. Her and her granddaughter Destiny are here to talk about the environmental changes they have seen in their lifetimes.

** Links & Resources **

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In this episode of the Rising Tide Ocean podcast, Vicki Nichols Goldstein discusses the return of the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards with co-founder Wendy Benchley and Rising Tide co-host and co-founder David Helvarg. After a 7-year hiatus, the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards are set to return on May 8, 2025, at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, backed by the nationwide Aquarium Conservation Partnership (ACP). 

Their conversation covers the origins of the awards, their impact on the ocean conservation community, and the excitement surrounding their return. Wendy and David share memorable moments from past awards and highlights t...

In our latest episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast David heads to Alaska to interview Dune Lankard, a member of the Eagle Clan of the Eyak tribal nation based in Cordova Alaska, on Prince Williams Sound. Dune talks about his life as a commercial fisherman and his response to the 1989 Exxon-Valdez oil spill, the largest U.S. environmental disaster till that time.

He talks about his founding of the Native Conservancy and its work with 32 tribes across Alaska, including protecting over a million acres of land. They also talk about his kelp farming t...

In this episode of the Rising Tide Ocean podcast, hosts David Helvarg and Vicki Nichols Goldstein speak with Sherry Goodman, former Pentagon Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Environmental Security, about her new book 'Threat Multiplier Climate Military Leadership in the Fight for Global Security.' Goodman elaborates on the intersection of climate change and national security, emphasizing the concept of climate as a 'threat multiplier' that exacerbates global instability. The conversation covers the evolution of military strategies to incorporate environmental stewardship, the impacts of climate change on military operations, and the importance of resilience and preparedness. Goodman also discusses...

In this episode of Rising Tide David and Natasha Benjamin delve into the fascinating resilience of Pacific salmon, creatures that have thrived in dynamic landscapes shaped by natural forces like volcanoes, earthquakes, and landslides with the University of Alaska’s Dr. Peter Westley. As the environment changes at unprecedented rates, including the rise of hatchery-supported fisheries, we discuss how these shifts impact salmon populations in places like Alaska and California. From dam removals and urbanization to climate change, salmon continue to adapt. Join us as we explore the complex web of factors shaping the future of these remarkable fish.

On the latest episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast, David Helvarg and Vicki Nichols Goldstein talk with Mark Spalding, President of the Ocean Foundation and an expert on international law and policy about the Ocean and the Elections. They discuss how starkly different the two 2024 presidential candidates are when it comes to marine conservation and climate issues. Also why, after the hottest summer in human history, there’s been so little talk about climate and the environment.     

Vicki and David also look at the record of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump and pull some rec...

On this episode of Rising Tide David Helvarg and Vicki Nichols Goldstein speak with Craig Foster, the Academy Award winning filmmaker of ‘My Octopus Teacher’ co-founder of the ‘Sea Change Project’ and the author of a new memoir – ‘Amphibious Soul.’

Craig discusses his daily underwater explorations of the ‘Great African Seaforest’ near his home and the importance of tracking skills in discovering life both within the kelp forest and on the shore. His encounters include not only octopuses and sharks, but seaweed eating ostriches and burrowing beach crabs. He also finds deep connections to our human past and...

On this episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast, David and Natasha Benjamin speak with Nick Rahaim, a former commercial fisherman, journalist, researcher, and now public spokesman for NOAA (though speaking on his own behalf).

We'll talk about his adventures from the shocks of squid fishing to confrontations between fishermen and whales in Alaska (including a shooting incident), to whale intelligence, whale depredation, and what it was like in Southwest Alaska when migrating salmon met "the blob". Join us for a fascinating episode!

Dive in to learn more.

On this episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast, David & Vicki speak with Florida-based oceanographer and marine ecologist Dr. Sara Frias-Torres about her life and work, the tragic “death by a thousand cuts” of the Florida Keys coral reef tract, and the more hopeful recovery of the “Lord of the Rocks” the Goliath Grouper. Despite poaching and pollution, this massive, curious fish is making an impressive comeback from near extinction. 

It’s essential for the ecosystem and inspiring for divers. Yet, it could be lost again if the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission doesn’t listen to sci...

On Sunday, July 21, Ocean Activist and Sea Shepherd Society founder Paul Watson was arrested in Greenland, a territory of Denmark, on an Interpol warrant issued by Japan. Japan claims he damaged one of their commercial whaling ships while protesting and helping to end Japanese whaling off Antarctica. France, where Watson now lives, has asked Denmark not to extradite him. 

We're replaying our October 2022 interview with Watson so you can better understand his perspective on fighting for whales, against pirate fishing, and for the health of the Ocean. In this episode, we talked to Captain P...

On this episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast we speak with world-famous Ketchikan Alaska-based artist and illustrator Ray Troll about his art – from Tee-shirts to wall murals - highlighting ocean life present and prehistoric (he summers in the ancient seas of Kansas). Combining the sensibilities of Gary Larson and Winslow Homer he can take your breath away with laughter and beauty. We discuss his 40-year retrospective art book – ‘Spawn Till You Die – The fin art of Ray Troll,” his upcoming documentary profile, his popular ‘Paleo Nerds Podcast’ and more. So, dive in.

Links and additional...

In this rebroadcast of episode 13 of the Rising Tide Ocean Podcast, we pay tribute to the late Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, a distinguished marine biologist, passionate water lover, and dedicated turtle advocate. In this poignant conversation, Dr. Nichols opened his heart and shared the deeply personal story of losing his home in the devastating California Lightning Complex fires. We felt his profound loss through his words and admired his unwavering resilience.

Dr. Nichols also enlightened us with his profound knowledge about the 'Blue Mind'—the captivating science of how being in and around water tr...

On this episode of the Rising Tide Ocean Podcast, we dive deep with Curt Newport, an underwater salvage expert and author of the new book, 'Ready to Dive – Five Decades of Adventures in the Abyss.' Curt shares his incredible experiences using ROV robot submarines and advanced technologies around offshore oil platforms, fiber optic cable laying operations, military crash sites, and more.

Curt recounts some of the most challenging recovery missions, including the 1986 Challenger Disaster, where he helped recover the booster rocket that identified the crash's cause, the TWA 800 airliner crash, and Air India Fl...

Join us for an inspiring episode of the Rising Tide podcast as David Helvarg & Natasha Benjamin sit down with Bob Shavelson, a seasoned conservationist with over 35 years of experience in the environmental field. Growing up along the shores of Atlantic City, NJ, Bob's journey has taken him from the east coast to the rugged beauty of Homer, Alaska, where he has led significant efforts in environmental protection and advocacy.

In this 110th episode, Bob shares his rich history in conservation, from his early work with MassPIRG on toxic use reduction to his fight against...

On this episode of the Rising Tide Ocean Podcast! Today, we sat down with Kiera Foti, the brand manager for Atlantic Sea Farms, the leading aquaculture kelp grower in the U.S. Based in Maine, this innovative company supplies edible kelp to stores like Whole Foods and numerous restaurants. They also produce branded products and sell kelp for cosmetics, fertilizers, and more. Discover how Atlantic Sea Farms collaborates with local lobstermen to cultivate kelp during their off-season and learn why Kiera refers to these carbon-absorbing algae as a "climate hero crop." Tune in to explore the fascinating world of...

On this, our latest episode we talk with Kate Toniolo, U.S. Fish & Wildlife’s project leader for Delaware’s coastal refuges including the 10,000 acre Prime Hook, an area devastated by 2012’s Hurricane Sandy. Since then, she’s overseen restoration efforts that have seen the comeback of its sandy beaches, fresh and saltwater marshes and wildlife including threatened shorebirds, horseshoe crabs and their surrounding communities. We’ll talk about this and her past work in Hawaii, the remote Pacific Islands and elsewhere. So join us! 

To celebrate Earth Day (which is 71% ocean) we’re speaking with Margaret Spring, Chief conservation and science officer for the world -famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, in California. Before coming to the aquarium Margaret was an environmental attorney and a leader at NOAA. Today she oversees the aquarium’s science policy work including on plastic pollution and its extensive Seafood Watch sustainable seafood program. So, let’s take a deep dive into what Margaret is up to.   

'Rising Tide, the Ocean Podcast', is a refreshing, irreverent dive into the lives, work, and explorations of some of today's...

In the latest Rising Tide we talk with our old friend Ana Blanco of the International Ocean Film Festival - coming to San Francisco April 12-14 - and Sarah Norenberg, the director of ‘Orca – Black & White Gold,’ one of the exciting documentaries playing there about how Russian activists saved 100 whales slated to be sold to Chinese aquarium parks, and instead got them released back into the wild.  A true life ‘Free Willy’ film plus some good talk about ocean documentaries.  

'Rising Tide, the Ocean Podcast', is a refreshing, irreverent dive into the lives, work, and explorati...

In the latest episode of Rising Tide, along with Blue News, David and Vicki talk with Dr. Nancy Rabalais from Louisiana State University.  Nancy’s been called ‘the mother of dead zones’ in that her decades of research has helped define the Gulf of Mexico’s seasonal oxygen-depleted waters generated by polluted agricultural runoff from the Mississippi. These dead zones can grow to the size of New Jersey.  She’s also studied the long-term impacts of the BP oil spill.  Plus, we’ll hear about her encounter with an offshore alligator.

'Rising Tide, the Ocean Podcast...

Director of ocean and fisheries economics at the University of British Columbia, our guest this week, Dr. Rashid Sumaila, has used economic modeling applied to global fisheries to come up with some dramatic and world changing conclusions.  He talks with us about everything from how government subsidies threaten coastal seas to how living fish have ten time the climate value than they do dead and eaten or how marine protected areas act like a life insurance policy.  So, perk up your ears for a fascinating conversation.

'Rising Tide, the Ocean Podcast', is a refreshing, ir...

In this episode of Rising Tide Vicki and I speak with Shelby Van Pelt, author of the best-selling novel, ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’ that tells the story of a growing, healing friendship between a widowed aquarium cleaner and a Giant Pacific Octopus with an attitude.  Shelby talks about how Marcellus the bored, curmudgeonly cephalopod came into being, how her upbringing in the Pacific Northwest influenced her writing, her development as a novelist and sharing her fascination with octopuses and the ocean with her audience.

Rising Tide, the Ocean Podcast, is a compelling platform that delves into...

In this episode of Rising Tide I speak with Coast Guard Rear Admiral Andy Sugimoto.  He commands the 11th District that stretches from the California Oregon border to the waters off Peru, also Arizona, Nevada, Utah and a bit of Wyoming.   A 39-year veteran of the service I wrote about in my book, ‘Rescue Warriors’, he’s done 12 years at sea, worked as a judge advocate general and coordinated U.S. intelligence with the CIA and others.  We’ll talk about the many missions that take place in his area of responsibility including, of course, Search And Rescue.  Also, the answer i...

In our new episode we speak with Kathi George, Director of Cetacean Conservation for California’s Marine Mammal Center. As a founder of California Whale Rescue, Kathi has been involved in half a dozen at sea ‘disentanglements’ of gray, humpback and orca whales trapped by fishing gear as well as 50 sea lion rescues from fishing line and plastic debris. She tells us about how it’s done, the dangers (people have been injured and killed), precautions and rewards of whale wrangling, and what we can all do to protect whales.

Rising Tide, the Ocean Podcast, i...

In a special edition of Rising Tide, David Helvarg, Vicki Nichols-Goldstein and Natasha Benjamin play excerpts of some of our past guests since RT first went live in 2020.  Since then, we’ve attracted thousands of listeners like you and tens of thousands more on community radio stations across the nation. Listen to clips from 14 of our past guests including Ian Urbina, Sylvia Earle, Danni Washington, Ralph Nader and many others.  Then go to our archives and listen to their full shows, help spread the word and remember! The only ocean resource not fully exploited is good story telling!

In our latest episode we speak with world-renowned underwater photojournalist Brian Skerry.  Brian talks about his early work in the bone-chilling waters of New England (where he continues documenting our changing seas), his early pictures for National Geographic starting with a pirate shipwreck.  Also, some of his famous images including of a grey seal, a Right Whale greeting his assistant and a dead shark in a net.  And, he recalls some close calls he’s had under ice and at sea. So, dive in with us and the amazing Brian Skerry.

Rising Tide, the Ocean...