Ocean Doctor | Ocean Doctor | Ocean Conservation in Action

George Jetson, Meet Mother Nature – The Latest in Green Tech from CES 2012, Las Vegas

January 23, 2012 By Ocean Doctor

January 23, 2012: The Ocean Doctor finds himself in an unusual location for a marine biologist: The desert. We visit the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the largest trade show in the world, to bring you highlights of the latest in green technology, including smartphone apps that talk to your appliances and save energy; wind turbines for the home; next-generation LED lighting that beats the pants off of compact fluorescent bulbs; an amazing way to keep your gadgets from dying prematurely and ending up in landfills; and a Jetsons-like electric unicycle that can effortlessly take you to and from work.

The Ocean Doctor airs weekly on WebTalkRadio.net. Want to listen on your iPod, iPhone or mp3 player? Download the mp3 file or subscribe on iTunes and don’t miss a single episode. Or listen to us on your iPhone, Android phone, WebOS phone, BlackBerry or tablet, including the iPad, with the free Stitcher SmartRadio app. See the complete list of episodes. Follow The Ocean Doctor on Twitter — Become a Fan on Facebook! Submit a question and I’ll try to answer it on the air. Even better, record your question or comment on our special message line and I might play it on the air. Call: (805) 619-9194. You can also leave questions and comments for this episode below. Like the show? Learn how to become a sponsor. [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: CES, Consumer Electronics Show, green tech, green technology, Las Vegas

VIDEO: Ocean Checkup – Ocean Doctor on Dr. Kiki’s Science Hour

December 28, 2011 By Ocean Doctor

Dr. Kirsten “Kiki” Sanford is joined by The Ocean Doctor, David E. Guggenheim on Dr. Kiki’s Science Hour for a checkup on the oceans’ health.

This show originally aired on the TWiT Netcast Network on December 23, 2011. Visit the show page at TWiT.tv.

Filed Under: Cuba, Cuba Research & Conservation, Featured, Sustainable Aquaculture, Washington, DC Tagged With: 60 Minutes, aquaculture, Cuba, Dr. Kiki Sanford, Dr. Kiki's Science Hour, Leo Laporte, sharks, TWiT

VIDEO: 60 Minutes – Anderson Cooper and David E. Guggenheim Explore Cuba’s Coral Reefs

December 19, 2011 By Ocean Doctor

(CBS News) 60 Minutes cameras take you on an underwater adventure off the Cuban coast to one of the world’s most pristine and vibrant coral reefs, known as the Gardens of the Queen. Anderson Cooper scuba dives with marine biologist David Guggenheim, dodging giant groupers and sharks, to explore this increasingly rare oasis. Scientists estimate that 25 percent of the world’s reefs have died off and much of what’s left is at risk.

Watch on YouTube

Filed Under: Cuba, Cuba Research & Conservation, Featured Tagged With: 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper, Cuba, David E. Guggenheim, Grouper, Jardines de la Reina, sharks

Cuba Marine Research & Conservation Program at The Ocean Foundation

December 18, 2011 By Ocean Doctor

Because of the decades-old U.S. economic embargo of Cuba, scientific collaboration between U.S. and Cuban scientists has been exceedingly difficult. Even though research is a permitted activity and U.S. scientists are allowed to travel to Cuba, the harsh logistical and political realities have prevented all but a few U.S. institutions from successful collaborative projects in Cuba.

The Cuba Marine Research and Conservation Program has been based at The Ocean Foundation (TOF) since 2008 and is built on more than 12 years of work in Cuba by TOF Senior Fellow, Dr. David E. Guggenheim, who directs the program, and TOF Research Associate, Fernando Bretos. The program is a regional effort to study and conserve the shared marine resources of the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean.

Filed Under: Cuba, Cuba Research & Conservation, Featured Tagged With: 60 Minutes, Cuba, David E. Guggenheim, Fernando Bretos, Jardines de la Reina, Proyecto Costa Noroccidental, The Ocean Foundation, University of Havana

DEEP in Enemy Territory: A New Book by Dr. David E. Guggenheim (Fall 2012)

December 18, 2011 By Ocean Doctor

Coming in 2012: Deep in Enemy Territory: An American Marine Scientist’s Mission to Promote Conservation and Friendship in Cuba by David E. Guggenheim.

Synopsis: Marine scientist and conservationist Dr. David E. Guggenheim (the “Ocean Doctor”) tells the story of his decade-long effort to bring collaboration in science and conservation between Cuba and the U.S. to a new level. He tells the story against a backdrop of Cold War-era politics, maddening bureaucracy, and the daily challenges of Cuban life while introducing us to Cuba’s unimaginably beautiful underwater ecosystems and the Cuban scientists dedicated to protecting them. His story is timely, illustrating how marine biologists have succeeded where diplomats have failed in bringing the two countries closer together. Deep in Enemy Territory brings a personal, in-depth view of an enchanted yet troubled island that few Americans have seen for half a century.

A portion of profits will support The Ocean Foundation’s Cuba Marine Research and Conservation Program.

www.DeepInEnemyTerritory.com

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Cuba, Cuba Research & Conservation, Featured Tagged With: 60 Minutes, Cuba, David E. Guggenheim

Parrot Fish: The constant gardeners of the world’s reefs

December 9, 2011 By Ocean Doctor

Australian scientists have urged greater consideration for the brilliantly-hued parrot fishes that tend and renew the world’s imperilled coral reefs.

“Parrotfishes are the constant gardeners of the reef. They play a crucial role in keeping it healthy, suppressing weed, removing sediment and helping the corals to regrow after a setback,” explains Professor David Bellwood of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University.

In a major new study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, Prof. Bellwood, Dr Andrew Hoey and Prof. Terry Hughes have investigated parrot fish populations on 18 coral island reefs extending from Mauritius in the west Indian Ocean to Tahiti in the central Pacific.

“Parrot fish fulfill a number of key roles on the reef. They remove sick and dead corals and clean areas for new corals to settle, they remove weedy growth, and they cart away literally tonnes of sand and sediment that would otherwise smother the corals,” Prof Bellwood explains.

Read the rest of this article at ARC Coral Reef Studies…

Note: Newswire stories are provided as a courtesy of OceanDoctor.org. Content of these articles is provided by external sources.

Filed Under: Ocean Newswire Tagged With: algae, Australia., coral reefs, parrot fish

The Ocean Foundation Annual Report 2011

December 1, 2011 By Ocean Doctor

The Ocean Foundation now hosts more than 50 ocean-related projects, including all of the work we do, including our Cuba Marine Research and Conservation Program, The Ocean Doctor’s “50 Years – 50 States – 50 Speeches” Expedition, and The Ocean Doctor Radio Show. You can browse or download The Ocean Foundation’s Annual Report 2011 below.

The Ocean Foundation has continued its work to support, strengthen, and promote those organizations dedicated to reversing the trend of destruction of ocean environments around the world. We work with donors who care about our coasts and oceans to add value to marine conservation initiatives by providing conservation grants, hosting projects and funds, and collaborating with important campaigns and opinion leaders. As the community foundation for the oceans, we are fostering best-in-class projects and promoting solutions for healthy oceans and the people who depend upon them. We have been able to adapt to a changing economic climate while maintaining our integrity as honest brokers for marine conservation philanthropy

Dr. David E. Guggenheim — the “Ocean Doctor” — serves as Senior Fellow of The Ocean Foundation and Director of its Cuba Marine Research and Conservation Program.

Big Day in European Shark Conservation

November 21, 2011 By Ocean Doctor

Big news in shark conservation from our sister organization, Shark Advocates International: EU Officials Sign UN Migratory Shark Initiative, Propose Stronger Finning Ban

Bergen, Norway. November 21, 2011. The European Union (EU) today became a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Sharks, just as the European Commission announced a proposal to strengthen the EU ban on shark “finning” (slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea). An EU representative signed the Shark MoU at a ceremony at the 10th Conference of the CMS Parties which opened today in Bergen while the announcement on the finning proposal came from Commission headquarters in Brussels. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Ocean Newswire Tagged With: Finning, Shark Advocates International, shark conservation, shark finning, sharks, Sonja Fordham, The Ocean Foundation

Why Dolphins Must be Freed — A Plea from Ric O’Barry (“The Cove”)

November 14, 2011 By Ocean Doctor

November 14, 2011: He was the former trainer of the most famous dolphin of them all, Flipper. There were actually five “Flippers” in all, and when the most well-known of them all, Kathy, died in Ric O’Barry’s arms, he made the profound transition from training dolphins in captivity to combating the captivity industry. His work was featured in the Academy Award-winning film, The Cove (2009), which used covert techniques to expose the brutal dolphin hunt that persists in Taiji, Japan. Ric shares his powerful message with us. Also: What would you do if your nation was going to disappear off the face of the Earth? We get a dramatic answer from ten warrior dancers of the tiny Pacific coral atoll nation of Tokelau.