Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online
“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.” »
The Important Shark and Ray Areas project is coming to North America! Colleagues, if you think your data suggests that you’ve identified an Important Shark and Ray Area in your study site, here’s how to submit your data and participate. So what exactly is an Important Shark and Ray Area? In short, an Important Shark … Read More “Here’s how to help identify Important Shark and Ray Areas in North America!” »
Well, it finally happened. Over the last two week, my usually well-curated feeds of videos from the deep sea have been overrun with AI slop masquerading as authentic images of strange and delightful creatures of the abyss. AI slop is permeating everything, but it’s particularly noxious when dealing with images from the deep. We generally … Read More “That’s not a blobfish: Deep Sea Social Media is Flooded by AI Slop” »
In the last month, two major players in the development of the deep-sea mining industry have put their plans on pause, calling for more research and less urgency in the race to the bottom. In November, the Cook Islands opted to extend their current exploration programs for an another five years, giving contractors and scientists … Read More “Norway and Cook Islands put their deep-sea mining plans on pause.” »
