The Coolest Place You’ve Never Heard Of
Do you know why the fishing is so good in places like Destin, Florida or Orange Beach, Alabama? A major reason for this is a huge underwater canyon called DeSoto Canyon that lies just 60 miles offshore. It cuts through t...
The Coolest Place You’ve Never Heard Of
What’s tall, covered with solar panels and antennas and standing in the middle of Tampa Bay? Boaters might (or might not) be asking each other that very question this spring as they pass by the ocean acidification monito...
It’s a Radio Tower! It’s a Spaceship! It’s a… What is it?
When exploring the magnificent open waters of the ocean, there are so many creatures and various species to find, some of which are still undiscovered. But some of those we have discovered include eels and sea snakes, tw...
The Difference Between Eels and Sea Snakes
Recently, when flying over the Beaufort Sea in the Arctic, NASA scientists stumbled on a bit of a mystery: three holes in the sea ice surrounded by irregular circular shapes. As part of its Operation IceBridge mission, N...
An Arctic Mystery: What are These Circles in the Arctic Ice?
I’m back in Alaska after a journey to London for a meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations that regulates...
Reducing Vessel Pollution
Have you been spending time in the deep sea this week? We have! Thanks to the amazing livestream from NOAA’s Okeanos Explorer, we’ve been exploring corals, shipwrecks and much more on the Gulf of Mexico seafloor. They’ve...
Underwater Wonders of Our Ocean
Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Spring Cleanup hosted by the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association (PCSGA) on the South Puget Sound. As I pulled up (in torrential downpour) to the Arcadia Boat Ramp in...
Shucking and Plucking
There’s a lot of awe-inspiring stuff that happens in our natural world, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned about science over the years it’s this: never say never. That’s why I was optimistic when I read the headlines...
Mutant Enzymes are Cool, But Not Likely to Solve Our Ocean Plastics Problem
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length. Former Secretary of State John Kerry sat down with me to talk about our ocean. During his tenure at the State Department, Kerry led the Arctic Council, helped to...
On Earth Day: A Conversation with Former Secretary of State John Kerry
When Scott Pruitt was confirmed as Administrator of the EPA more than a year ago, his nomination raised red flags from all corners of the ocean conservation community. At his confirmation hearing, those concerns were val...