Sylvia Earle on the "Blue Heart of the Planet"

"I wish you would use all means at your disposal -- films! expeditions! the web! more! -- to ignite public support for a global network of marine protected areas, hope spots large enough to save and restore the ocean, the blue heart of the planet." - Sylvia Earle

For those of you who do not know Sylvia Earle (do not feel bad, I did not know anything about her unti I was instructed by my Oceanography professor to watch her TED Talk), she is an aquanaut and ocean advocate. I would tell you more, but I would rather you just watch her TED Talk!

Okay, all I will tell you is that she is amazing, and she has numerous important things to say. Like how the ocean is our "life-support system," "the blue heart of our planet," and how we need to act now to protect it, before it is too late. Sylvia is a huge advocate and supporter of increasing the percentage of the ocean that is protected by marine protected areas (MPAs), and I cannot think of anything much better for someone to advocate for. Pollution, development, climate change, and non-sustainable fishing practices are all major threats to our oceans, but the installation of a properly-enforced MPA would theoretically protect a chunk of ocean from three out of the four of those dangers. How can you argue against that?

Watch the video, so you can hear from Sylvia not only what is wrong with our oceans today, but how we can make it right.
 

http://www.ted.com/talks/sylvia_earle_s_ted_prize_wish_to_protect_our_oceans.html

Explore More!

I am starting to get really excited about this blog as I discover more and more things that I can do with it! I have several different ideas for interesting additions that I can make, but the first idea that I decided to act upon was the creation of the Explore More! page! This page is essentially a collection of links to resources that I have found and that I wish to share. My hope for this page is that it will constantly be expanding as I continue to add new sources of news, information, entertainment, and amusement, all somewhat (loosely) related to marine science.

The order in which new links are added to the Explore More! page will likely correlate with my current projects and interests. Recently, I have taken an interest in sustainable seafood because I see making responsible choices about seafood as an opportunity for anyone and everyone to contribute to ocean conservation efforts. And not only is it a very accessible area of ocean conservation, but it is also a very influential one, especially in terms of the positive effects it can have on our oceans' fisheries. If there were no demand for Bluefin Tuna or Orange Roughy or Swordfish, then there would be nothing for fishermen to gain economically by going after these creatures. And with nothing to gain, there would be no reason for the continued exploitation of such fisheries. Seafood consumers hold much of the power in determining which sea creatures are sought after, so I encourage everyone to do their research and to only put their money towards seafood varieties that are that are caught or farmed in an ecologically sound manner, and are not in danger of being overexploited.

My use of the word "research" makes it sound like selecting sustainable seafood is a lot of work. But this is simply not the case, so fear not! The first three links that I have posted to my Explore More! page are FishOnline, Seafood Watch, and Fish2Fork. All three of these sites are exceedingly useful for figuring out which seafood you should buy, and at which restaurants you should buy it. So please take a look, either by clicking on the links in the above text, or by clicking on the Explore More tab that is at the top of this page.

On My Way To New Coasts

Hello everyone and welcome to my new blog! During my first year at UCLA, I have spent hours pondering and deliberating what sort of direction I want to take with my education. I started out thinking medicine, and then changed my plan to psychology. But neither of those options really felt right to me. After taking an ecology class winter quarter, and then an oceanography class during the spring, I was lucky enough to stumble upon what does feel right; and that is pursuing a degree in marine biology. Since my decision to study marine biology, I have also chosen to minor in both conservation biology and atmospheric and oceanic science.

One of the crazy, awesome things about going to a university like UCLA is the phenomenal amount of opportunities that being a part of their academic community allows you to access. And it is these opportunities that have inspired me to create this blog. During spring quarter of 2014, I will be lucky enough to spend several weeks in Tahiti to get a taste for conducting my own field research. A few months before that, at the tail end of December 2013 and into January 2014, I am striving to be a part of an expedition to Antarctica, alongside other students and faculty from UCLA and a handful of other universities. I am so thrilled to have these opportunities available to me and I hope that they are only the beginning of career in marine science that is riddled with chances to experience nature at its most beautiful and most untouched. So here is to the beginning of my new journey, on my way to experiencing new coasts.