The ocean is as mysterious as outer space... and even more amazing, because it's teeming with life (sorry, Venus!). Unfortunately, human activities are wreaking havoc on ocean life, from coral reefs and kelp forests to charismatic whales and obscure microbes. So, what do we do about it? In this podcast, biogeochemists at the University of California Santa Barbara talk with entrepreneurs, researchers, activists, public officials, and others who are working on solutions to the conservation and climate issues facing oceans and coasts.
In our final episode of the season, we talk with Mia Lopez who is the founding Director of the Su’nan Protection, Art & Cultural Education (The SPACE) in Santa Barbara. Mia has held many important leadership and representative positions within the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation and also currently serves as a liaison between the Tribe and various local, state, and federal agencies. Here, we get a unique opportunity, through Mia’s storytelling and personal connection to place, to understand the history of Santa Barbara and the Central Coast of California.
Learn more about the Su’nan Protection, Art & Cultural Education (The SPACE) in Santa Barbara at https://www.sunan-the-space.org/.
13 Jul 2025
Ep. 4 Dr. Veronica Vriesman X California, Shells and Importance of Place
In this episode we talk to Dr. Veronica Padilla Vriesman who is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science at Scripps and Pitzer Colleges in California. She shares how a lifelong curiosity about the natural world—especially in California—inspired the ShArE Lab (Shells as Archives of the Environment). Through studying mollusks, Dr. Padilla Vriesman uncovers what shells can reveal about climate and ocean change, with a focus on California and the West Coast of North America.
To learn more about the ShArE Lab you can go to the Lab website https://veronicapadillavriesman.com/ or follow on Instagram @sharelabatclaremont.
13 Jul 2025
Ep. 2 Dr. Kim Selkoe X Community Based Fisheries
In this episode we talk to Dr. Kim Selkoe, who is the Co-Founder and CEO at Get Hooked Seafood, a community supported fishery based in Santa Barbara. Join us in learning about the history of fisheries in California, sustainability and community supported fisheries.
To learn more about Get Hooked or join the community click here: https://gethookedseafood.com/.
13 Jul 2025
Ep. 6 Dr. Melissa Ward X Blue Carbon
In this episode, we talk to Dr. Melissa Ward who is the Chief Scientist of Windward Sciences which is a company that develops and guides ocean-based solutions to environmental change. Specifically, we talk to Dr. Ward about her path to finding her passion for science and blue carbon, as well as the challenges and opportunities of having your own company.
Find out more about Dr. Wards company and her work in the blue carbon space at windwardsciences.com and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissaward-sci/.
13 Jul 2025
Ep. 3 Chris Ragland X Empowering the Next Generation of Ocean Stewards
In this episode we talk to Chris Ragland who is the Founder and Executive Director of the Sea League, a non-profit organization based in Santa Barbara that offers ocean-based after school programs and summer camps for the next generation of ocean stewards. Here, we have an inspiring conversation about his connection to the ocean and his path to finding the Sea League.
You can learn more about the Sea League here thesealeague.org and you can give them a follow @thesealeague on Instagram.
13 Jul 2025
Ep. 7 Karina Johnston X Coastal Resilience
In this episode, we have an inspiring conversation with Karina Johnston, Executive Director of Heal the Ocean, a nonprofit based in Santa Barbara. She shares insights from her PhD research, working with Tidal Influence and her over 20 years of experience managing nature-based solutions that support coastal resilience across California’s diverse seascapes.
Find out more about Karina's work in the ocean resilience space at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/karina-johnston-b5a778231/
https://www.healtheocean.org/
http://www.tidalinfluence.com/our-team.html.
13 Jul 2025
Ep. 5 Dr. Alexandra Phillips X Ocean Policy and Communication
In this episode we talk to Dr. Alexandra Atlee Phillips who is an Assistant Teaching Professor in Environmental Communication at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UC Santa Barbara. Dr. Phillips talks about the role of science communication and politics in ocean climate solutions, her experience as an American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow for the U.S. Senator Alex Padilla in Washington DC, and her hope for climate solutions.
To find out more about Dr. Phillips' lab and the science communication resources she's created at www.alexandraatleephillips.com or follow her on X @alexploring.
13 Jul 2025
Ep. 1 Eliza Harrison X Seaweed Aquaculture
In this episode we talk to Eliza Harrison (MBA Candidate, Fuqua School of Business) about her path to Ocean Rainforest, an international seaweed agricultural company with operations based in Santa Barbara California. At Ocean Rainforest she was the Director of California Operations for 7 years and while there she managed the first offshore permit exclusively for seaweed cultivation in the United States. Join us in learning about what’s involved in starting an offshore seaweed farm and how actively pursuing opportunities aligned with your passions can lead to the job of your dreams.
Learn more about Ocean Rainforest here: https://www.oceanrainforest.com/.
4 Dec 2020
Ocean Solutions Ep. 10 (Ancient Anoxia)
Dr. Raquel Bryant invites us into the world of foraminifera, tiny shells that record how oxygen in the ocean has changed over Earth history and how it is likely to change in the future.
30 Nov 2020
Ocean Solutions Ep. 9 (Urchin Barrens)
Anthony Shiao and James Ray, both with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, talk with us about urchin barrens and how we might rebuild healthy kelp forests off of our coast.
24 Nov 2020
Ocean Solutions Ep. 8 (Whales + Ship Strikes)
We learn about one of the major threats to whales – ship strikes – and how regulators are trying to reduce them from marine mammal policy expert Laura Ingulsrud.
14 Nov 2020
Ocean Solutions Ep. 7 (Seaweed Tech)
The humble seaweed is a powerhouse resource for food, animal feed, agriculture, plastics, coastal remediation, and so much more. Rae Fuhrman, founder and CEO of Stingray Sensing, tells us about the future of seaweed farming.
6 Nov 2020
Ocean Solutions Ep. 6 (Sea Level Rise)
Sea level is rising – so what can coastal communities do? Heather Dennis, Advanced Planner with the County of Marin in Northern CA, talks us through the options and the actions that are already underway.
30 Oct 2020
Ocean Solutions Ep. 5 (Extreme Weather)
What's going on with all of these fires and hurricanes? What does the future hold, and how do we know? We get answers from Dr. Danielle Touma, climate scientist.
26 Oct 2020
Ocean Solutions Ep. 4 (Deep-Sea Mining)
We talk with Arlo Hemphill, Senior Oceans Campaigner with Greenpeace USA, about the perils of deep-sea mining and how conservation NGOs are working to stop it before it starts.
16 Oct 2020
Ocean Solutions Ep. 3 (Fishing Cooperatives)
We talk with Juan Carlos Villaseñor-Derbez about an innovative non-profit organization called COBI that helps fishing cooperatives in Mexico create and manage their own ecological reserves.
9 Oct 2020
Ocean Solutions Ep. 2 (Wave Sensors)
We get introduced to the latest in miniaturized ocean sensors and underwater drones with Dr. Isabel Houghton, data scientist with Sofar Ocean Technologies based in San Francisco, California.
2 Oct 2020
Ocean Solutions Ep. 1 (Slavery on Fishing Vessels)
We learn about human rights abuses on deep-sea fishing vessels and possible solutions with Gavin McDonald, a Project Researcher in the Environmental Market Solutions Lab at the Bren School of Environmental Policy and Management, UCSB.
28 Sept 2020
OceanSolutions Teaser
Ocean Solutions is a podcast for everyone passionate about the intersection of climate, conservation, and human rights.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
4.6 / 5
9 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 28 / 100
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