Wake-Up (Thursday) Wins! (Round V)

One thing is for certain: I have never seen weeks fly by as fast as when I’m marking them by this weekly Wednesday post. Sometimes, they fly by so fast I miss Wednesday and have to post this a day late! *face palm* Thankfully, this weekly “thing” has become a very inspiring habit: collect stories of people protecting the ocean and bask in the wins.

Maybe I spent too much time basking yesterday…but in any event, wherever you are, I hope you have a warm beverage in hand and are ready to celebrate our salty seas with me! Let’s dive in.

Ocean Sciences Meeting – Where Scientists Go To Party

If you’ve ever quoted any article, news source, or media related to ocean sciences, that included the words “the study concluded…” or “the study found…” chances are good that that research was presented at the Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM).

OSM is where marine scientists from every pocket of the globe convene. Physical oceanographers, plankton biologists, ocean physicists, researchers: you name it, they are at OSM. Here, they share new findings, ask compelling questions, and generate all kinds of discussions. It. Is. A Sight. I was fortunate enough to attend OSM in 2014 and the experience was unbelievably cool (is that a nerdy thing to admit?)! I met some of my research science heroes there – the experience was similar to what I imagine meeting Bono in real life would be like – and learned a ton. But the coolest thing about it was to see the diversity of research topics: much like our oceans, they were vast and never-ending.

Why is OSM in my Wednesday Wins this week? Well for one: it’s happening right now! Right now, ground-breaking research is being revealed. For two: at this very minute, scientists are furthering our understanding of the oceans. (We all know that in order to continue protecting the ocean to the best of our ability, we need to understand it!) For three: the theme for this year’s conference is For a Resilient Planet. Everyone attending OSM should get a medal. Science rocks!

Protecting the Ocean with…seaweed?

What happens when you bring together a Maine coast seaweed farm (yes, they really do exist), an ocean sciences research lab, and a NYC-based chain of fast-casual restaurants? Magic. Pure effing magic. Mix in a celebrity chef (*cough* David Chang *cough*) and you’ve now created whatever is beyond magic. Fairy dust? I dunno.

Why this is cool: it brings together all the things! Research, climate change solutions, and food! Reminder: human-induced climate change is a result of all the CO2 we keep spewing out of our vehicles like it ain’t no thang. Too much CO2 in our oceans leads to acidification. Acidification causes the pH of seawater to plummet (hence “acid-ification”), leading to all sorts of problems. One big one: it makes it really damn difficult for shellfish to keep a roof over their heads. (The more acidic the water, the harder it is for shellfish to make shells. Ouch.) Hence, why scientists are working hard to fix it.

OK cool Ryan…but where does David Chang come in?

Collaboration: The Name of the Game

The researchers at this lab are working with a nearby kelp farm to study the impact that kelp has on raising pH levels (good news for shellfish) in coastal marine environments. I’ll let my pal Brittney, research associate at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences (where this awesome research is happening) explain:

“Kelp aquaculture has the capacity to locally remediate coastal acidification and provide an improved growing space for shellfish, as well as grow and diversity economies.”

Brittney Honisch, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences

It turns out that kelp (seaweed) could be a useful tool in protecting the ocean as climate change takes its toll. What takes this story to the next level, is the fact that Atlantic Seafarms‘ modus operandi is to grow and market fresh seaweed for consumption. That means they are already in the business of sustainably growing and harvesting a nutritious product…and now it turns out, that product is a climate change fighter. Mind = blown.

Recently, the farm partnered with Sweetgreens (and David Chang) to craft a dish featuring its delectable kelp. Can you say exposure?? The fact that a Maine-based seaweed company has been able to market their product to a NYC-based food establishment, promoting sustainable kelp farming to city-dwellers all the while giving them nutrient-dense food is scrumdiddlyumptious!

I’ve lost count of the amount of wins here, are you keeping track? Science win. Food win. Climate change win. Scale. Check, check, check…check!

‘The Story of Plastic’ Hits the Big Time

There are now a whole host of ocean- and plastic-related documentaries littering (sorry not sorry!) the Internet and streaming services everywhere. Some are great, some are not-so-great, they all tell tales of humans protecting the ocean, and every time a new one comes out I wonder: “Will this do it?” As in, will this film be the film that shifts every single person in every single audience towards a life of less consumption?

Typically, the answer to that question is no, but a recent film has me wondering if we might finally get a “yes.” The Story of Plastic takes us way behind the curtain of the industry, telling a familiar tale in a new way. And just this week, the filmmakers let loose the good news: that the Discovery Channel is picking up the film for Earth Day 2020 – wow, wow, wow.

The Discovery Channel sees a viewership something on the order of 1.1 million annually…Think of all the eyeball potential for viewing this film! Looks like I’m subscribing to another streaming service…

Act Now: Break Free From Plastic Pollution

My, oh my, how the tables have turned. Our voices are getting louder and being heard, by people that matter. In this case, the federal government of the United States.

The fight to stop plastic pollution has historically been (or felt like) an uphill battle. There is industry to contend with, and government inaction. But on February 11, two US Senators and two House of Representatives, along with the group Break Free From Plastic, Surfrider Foundation, and I’m sure many others, made history when they introduced a bill that aims to not only reduce plastic pollution but also increase corporate recycling.

It’s called the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020, and it is awesome!! The Plastic Pollution Coalition has a great summary of the goals this Bill is shooting for, which you can read about here (and I hope you will). Technically, this is actually two pieces of legislation (H.R.5845 and S.3263) and both have made it to the Senate floor. Now it’s time for us to help build that momentum. Here comes the wave of change!

Nerdy science conferences, seaweed, politics, and movies…I just can’t kelp myself: isn’t this a great way to paddle into your Wednesday Thursday? Hope the rest of your day goes swimmingly! See you next week for another edition of Wake-Up Wednesday Wins and as always, if you hear of any ocean-related, good-news story…let me know. 🙂