Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online
Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet (retired) made an exciting announcement recently on the American Alchemy podcast. Gallaudet has significant credentials: he served as the Navy’s oceanographer and later headed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He said that he is working with a team of “very esteemed archaeologists and geologists” and they believe that they … Read More “Have we found the city of Atlantis?” »
Did you see the Snallygaster? It was there, clear as day, rooting through the trash at Foxy’s Harbor Grille, its tentacles probing for scraps of fish and week-old oysters. More than a few people heard its horrifying caw as it took the the sky. Thus begins the Curse of the Snallygaster. The Snallygaster is an … Read More “Jabberwocks and Snallygasters: teaching environmental education with monsters, mayhem, and dice.” »
Thirteen years ago, Kersey, Russell, and I set out on a quixotic quest to create a low-cost, open-source CTD for marine scientist and ocean knowledge seekers. The premise was simple: if the Ocean Belongs to Everyone, then the tools to study the ocean should be available to anyone. The OpenCTD was born. A CTD measures … Read More “The next OpenCTD is here!” »
For a planet that is 71% ocean, humanity spends a surprisingly small amount of time (and money) trying to understand it. Ocean science sits in a strange place in the research ecosystem. It underpins climate science, fisheries management, biodiversity conservation, and coastal economies. It’s essential for understanding everything from hurricanes to heatwaves to global carbon … Read More “Why ocean science is still one of the worst-funded scientific fields worldwide” »
My social media this week was full of space. When Artemis I splashed down, the world watched in awe. When the James Webb Space Telescope unrolled its golden mirrors, it felt like a win for humanity. NASA has mastered the art of making space science matter to the public. Meanwhile, ocean science (the study of … Read More “Ocean scientists need to learn a lesson from NASA” »
In a previous post an uncomfortable reality was highlighted: that the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) has, so far, delivered more branding than transformation. Despite much initial hyping, it has really failed to deliver on its promises so far. That may sound harsh. But halfway through the decade, its biggest outputs … Read More “How to fix the UN Decade of Ocean Science” »
There’s a particular kind of optimism baked into the Star Trek franchise that feels almost alien in 2026. It’s not the warp drives, transporters or other advanced technology. But rather it’s the idea that a uniformed service could exist primarily for exploration, science, diplomacy, and the collective good. “Starfleet” (the organization in the Star Trek … Read More “We Need a “Starfleet” for the Oceans” »
The Blake Plateau, off the coast of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, is one of the most remarkable ecosystems in the United States. It is home to the world’s largest cold water coral reef, a coral complex larger than the state of Vermont, which may be the single largest contiguous ecosystem in the continental US. … Read More “How close did the world’s first deep-sea mining come to the dredging the world’s largest cold-water coral reef?” »
A fun new project from me and Andrew Lewin. I have a contract to write a book this year on the many ways that humans use and misuse the deep sea. To help keep me on track and act as my accountability buddy, I’m checking in with Andrew to share some of the fun little … Read More “Tales from the Limitless Abyss: House Cats and Hydrothermal Vents” »
2025. Holy Mola was that a long year. I made a concerted effort to appear on more podcasts last year across more topics than I usually do. Excepting the weekly ocean science podcast I’m a part of, I hit a little more than 1 podcast a month throughout the year. If you need an expert … Read More “Smart Buoys, Deep-sea Mining, Marine Careers, and Dungeons & Dragons: 2025 in Ocean Science Podcasts” »
