Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online
I hope that you will join me at Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice this June 2-3 in Washington, DC. Please register today. Due to popular demand, Upwell is moving to a larger venue this year and we are adding a second day. We are holding this year’s event at the Martin Luther King Jr. … Read More “Join Me at Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice — Our Fourth Year!” »
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” »
“Is there any technology the left is excited about?” This question was asked on social media this week by a supporter of AI who was frustrated by criticisms of that technology. It’s led to some interesting discussions on Bluesky, and I wanted to answer it from my perspective as an ocean conservation scientist and policy … Read More “Here are some ocean conservation technologies that I’m excited about” »
Last week, I joined Andrew Lewin on How to Protect the Ocean to talk about my recent congressional briefing, the experience of testifying in front of congress, and the potential consequences of deep-sea mining. A few key points of my testimony, and my response to Congresswoman Dexter, were clipped by Forbes. I think they’re worth … Read More “Talking about deep-sea mining, permitting, and my recent congressional briefing on How to Protect the Ocean.” »
The Trump administration argues that opening America’s seafloor to deep sea mining is essential for strengthening our economy and securing our energy future. But from a Pacific Islander perspective, this rush to extract metals from the ocean – especially near the Mariana Trench and American Samoa – ignores hard-earned lessons and risks repeating past mistakes. … Read More “Walking Backwards Into the Future: Applying Indigenous Knowledge to Deep Sea Mining” »
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” »
This week, I was invited to testify in front of Congress on the environmental and social impacts of deep-sea mining for the House Natural Resources Committee hearing Deep Dive: Examining the Regulatory and Statutory Barriers to Deep Sea Mining. In my opening statement, I touched on three critical points: the lack of urgency to access … Read More “The Urgency Does Not Exist: My statement on Deep-sea Mining to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources” »
On January 22, 2026 the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing titled “Deep Dive: Examining the Regulatory and Statutory Barriers to Deep Sea Mining.” The hearing revealed significant bipartisan resistance to deep-sea mining in the US Pacific territories, including a unified position from Republican members Radewagen of American … Read More “Bipartisan Concern Expressed Over Deep Sea Mining at Congressional Hearing” »
Some, as they say, personal news: I’m getting married! I’d love to use this happy occassion to spread good news around. To that end, if you’re so inclined to make a donation “in honor of David and Eileen getting married,” here is a list of some great charities I love, and some instructions on how … Read More “I’m getting married! Want to honor us? Here are some great charities you can donate to.” »
