marine conservation — Blog — The Greenest Blue

The Reefs of Maui - A Quick Dip Into Coral Reef Ecology, Part One

The crazy cool thing about snorkeling in Hawaii is that about 25 percent of the fish you can see out here are endemic to the islands. You won’t see them anywhere else! There are very few places in the world where you can find a comparable number of unique fish species. Why is that? The Hawaiian Islands (which are actually the tops of an underwater mountain range) are separated from all other underwater mountain ranges by a distance of more than 1,000 miles, far greater than the distances between any other Pacific islands and their neighbors. This massive distance between Hawaii and other island chains is what paved the way for the emergence of many new species. Isolation encourages endemism because the fish populations are much smaller and more localized, and therefore are more easily affected by genetic changes. Two examples of endemic fishes are the Milletseed Butterflyfish and the Saddle Wrasse - they are super abundant down here, and a probable reason for that abundance is that they are the most perfectly adapted to the local ocean conditions, in comparison to non-endemic fish.

Orca Restor(y)ation - Blurring the Lines Between Art & Science (Orca and Salmon Co-Recovery)

A few weeks ago, I was able to participate in a really interesting writing workshop focusing on the co-recovery of orca and salmon. This workshop was born from a collaboration between the Endangered Species Coalition and Creature Conserve – two amazing organizations that I’ll talk more about later – and was the second in a series of events on the theme of integrating science and art for conservation. When the invitation email popped up in my inbox, it was a no-brainer to accept.

At Home in the Salish Sea - My Fave Photos from the 2020 Season

I left Idaho for the San Juan Islands in July, mainly to help a friend out by dog-sitting for her while she and her partner went out sailing on the weekends. There was a large part of me that also wanted to be back in one of my favorite places in the world, surrounded by people whose values align a little bit more strongly with my own. Northern Idaho is beautiful, but I missed the ocean. The dog-sitting arrangement gave me a purpose and a reason to leave Idaho; the people, the summer, the whales, the air (as ocean air always does) gave me a reason to stay.

A Chat with Whale Watch Captain & Naturalist Sarah McCullagh - Friday Harbor, WA

I had the privilege of chatting with the wonderful Sarah McCullagh, who has been in my life since the spring of 2016 when she chatted on the phone with me to interview me for my second naturalist position, up in the Pacific Northwest. Sarah is one of the most passionate, well-spoken, and understanding advocates for the Southern Resident Killer Whales and marine ecosystem in general that I have ever met, and I’ve been so appreciative of all the time I’ve had to learn from her. She’s one of those wildly intelligent gals who knows each of the Southern Residents by sight and can launch into detailed explanations of each of their life histories instantly. I admire that passion so much.

Healing Nature, Healing Ourselves - A Chat with Wildlife Photographer & Biologist Colinda Vergeer

That brings me to introduce the beautiful Colinda. I met this firecracker of a woman from the Netherlands through a mutual friend from Maui who just knew we’d get along, since we “both absolutely adore whales!” Never one to turn down a chance to connect with a similar spirit, I jumped at the chance to meet her. Now that we’ve been friends for a while, I can confirm that Colinda has some amazing stories to tell.

So without further ado, please read on to hear how a passionate nature lover from the Netherlands grew into her role as a project leader for the National State Forest and developed a love for marine life. She’s also an incredible photographer, as you’ll see! All the photos from this post are her own.

So without further ado, please read on to hear how a passionate nature lover from the Netherlands grew into her role as a project leader for the National State Forest and developed a love for marine life.

Earth Day 2020 Storytelling Series - Lauren Goes Rogue with Sharks in South Africa

And a very Happy 50th Earth Day to you! If you’re like me, you might be missing that wild and uninhibited feeling of being in your favorite national/state/local park or other wild space that you love right now (thanks to the Rona-coaster). Maybe you’re instead focused on enjoying the view out your window, looking through posts from your old travel blog, or simply relishing the smell of spring blossoms on your evening walk around the block.

A Day in the Life of A Dolphin Swim Guide in New Zealand

I knew what field I wanted to work in (marine tourism) and did some research with contacts and friends who had traveled NZ before, eventually deciding I wanted to try and work in Kaikoura. It was touted as the marine mammal hotspot of the country, and my good friend Fi (who I actually had never met in person until moving to NZ) was working there. It seemed perfect!

Applications were sent. Bank accounts were opened. Cars were purchased. A room was rented. Interviews were had. And then, there I was, employed as a dolphin swim guide in this beautiful little seaside town. The company I worked for is Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura, the only dolphin swim company in Kaikoura and arguably one of the most well-organized operations. I might be biased, but I think Kaikoura is the place to swim with wild dolphins. See why I believe it’s ethical here!

Preppin' My Sea Legs for a Voyage to New Zealand from Tonga

The Tongans have it figured out when it comes to pace of life. This whole island time mentality is pure magic. I first experienced it in Hawaii, but since coming to the South Pacific, I’m watching life unfold on a whole new level of CHILL.

Pace. Pace is everything. Specifically, a slow pace. This is coming from a notorious over-thinker and activity-addict, so my acceptance of this is saying a lot. I’ve long been addicted to productivity and the ability to have tangible accomplishments to show that can vouch for my work ethic, but this mindset of constant doing really gets kicked to the curb once one decides to go full-immersion into the dreamy, technicolor, supercharged, yet peaceful world of island life.

The Importance of Imagery in Conservation Activism

Media serves a lot of different purposes in today’s society, and can invoke a huge range of emotions. For those of us with a passion for imagery, audio, and other types of creative outlets, there is an immense responsibility to ensure we’re spreading the right messages to our audience. In the marine conservation world, my cohorts and I have taken on the rather large task of illuminating the problems and threats faced by our ocean and its inhabitants.

With No "Quick Fixes" in Conservation, How Do Environmentalists Find Balance Between Happiness and Meaning?

I’ve been feeling the need lately to share the confusion that’s been going on in my head, so this post is a bit more of a journal entry, with plenty of relevance to eco-living and the challenges we “green dreamers” face. I hope that by elaborating on my own thoughts, I might reach someone else who needs to hear that there is another human being experiencing the same emotions. The world is encountering a new level of challenging times right now, and I personally recognize and feel this more and more as I get older, experience the world further through travel, and engage in more and more inspiring conversations with people from across the globe. We are all handling the challenges (whether they involve social injustice, climate change, pollution, food shortages, and other sticky issues) differently, because we are all unique individuals with our own brains and different wiring systems. I tend to feel most strongly and passionately about the “eco” side of things; that’s just where my heart lies. I still get angry and flustered and hurt when hearing about other issues - but one girl would go crazy if she poured all of herself into too many concerns.

6 Reasons to Pick Maui Snorkel Charters for Your Maui Snorkeling Excursion

I’m sure there are plenty of holiday-makers down in Hawai’i right now soaking up copious amounts of Vitamin D, sipping lilikoi-foam-topped Mai Tais, and perfecting the beautiful art of doing nothing. Is there a better time to immerse yourself in total relaxation than Christmas and New Year’s? Shouldn’t the holidays be about stepping away from the craziness of every day life and just enjoying the beauty of existing? Maui happens to be one of the best places to practice this art form - you’ll get the backdrop of waving palm trees and crystal clear blue water while you’re recharging those batteries of yours.

BUT, if you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself itching to get into the water after a few minutes on the island. And rightfully so! The water around the Hawaiian islands are warm year round and home to many stunning coral reefs and fascinating marine organisms. Coral reefs are About 25% of the fish, invertebrate, and plant species you’ll find here are endemic, meaning you won’t spot them anywhere else in the world. There are several popular snorkeling spots around Maui that have quite an impressive reputation for good reason - there’s also the allure of the chance of spotting a manta ray, a sea turtle, an octopus, eels, spinner dolphins, or even humpback whales!

Exploring New Depths with Apneista's Level One Freediving Course - Bali

What does the term freediving bring to mind for you? Diving without scuba tanks? Spearfishing? Long breath holds? Insanity? For me, it was mainly just a talent I admired of other people when I saw them diving down to look at an octopus or a moray eel in Molokini Crater for extended periods of time.

Perk Up, Ocean Lover: You're Making it Better Than It Would've Been Otherwise

A Post To Perk You UP About Fighting for Conservation

I’m sure many of you, like me, have been experiencing the ebb and flow of enthusiasm/motivation and helplessness/anxiety over the conservation of our natural environment. The articles/news/research findings are bombarding us - always - and they should, because we need to be aware of the issues and the science. The emotions we attach to the media, however, are brought about by our own projections. I associate so much doom and gloom with everything I hear about climate change and ecosystem destruction, I can’t help it. But what if I stepped away from that and chose to see things differently? What if this perceived negativity could be transformed into a positive source of motivation?

Week 7: 8 Weeks to a Greener Life & a Bluer Sea - Using Social Media for Positive Change

A Positive Opportunity for Education & Activism with Instagram

How many "pretty" pictures of food or drinks or cute cafes pop up on your social media feeds throughout the day? It might just be my love of experimental cooking, foodie-based travel, colorful ingredients, and beautifully-designed dining spaces, but my feed is brimming with snaps of smoothie bowls and tofu dishes and perfectly crafted coffees with hearts and bears in the latte art. I love seeking inspiration from photos of food, and I imagine there's a part of my brain that relishes looking at them as well. Like some sort of dopamine hit.

Although most of the food-based accounts I follow depict eco-friendly practices, I'm finding that there's still a lot of accounts that are including plastic straws and other single-use plastics in their glamorous marketing shots. Now, I'm not trying to call anyone out and shame them. Nor am I encouraging you to bash anyone or any operation on social media. That's bad form. I'm only saying that I found a perfect opportunity to open up a discussion on single-use plastics when I came across a photo from a hip little pop-up business in Portland specializing in gourmet dessert milkshakes...

Week 4: 8 Weeks to a Greener Life & a Bluer Sea - The Importance of Delayed Gratification

When we want or need something, it's as easy as opening our browser to Amazon.com or driving to Target and feeling that rush of immediate gratification. No thought required. Just a credit card and a desire.

This scares me. You know the feeling of emptiness that comes after an impulse buy? It's like a cloud of confusion. It's not satisfying us the way we thought it would. The thing we bought didn't solve our problems. It didn't make us happier (because only you can make you happier). We often choose what is easy instead of what is better in the long run. Maybe our brains are wired that way. Survival, man! But, it's no good.

Week 3: 8 Weeks to a Greener Life & a Bluer Sea - Eat Like You Give a F*** (One Vegan Meal)

If someone were to ask me one critical thing they could do right now to help the environment, apart from dropping single-use plastics, I would suggest to them to be more aware of the food on their plates. You know, to eat like you give a f***. Like, where the heck did your food come from? Who grew it? How did they grow it? And...how does its production impact the environment?

Week 2: 8 Weeks to a Greener Life and a Bluer Sea - Speak Up About Single-Use Plastics

Week number 2 brings a bit of a different challenge, and one that became more and more relevant for me after I became hyper-aware of plastic waste and poor environmental practices in restaurants and other businesses. The challenge: speak up about a possible improvement that you think one of your favorite restaurants can make in terms of its plastic use. You know those places you go to eat, the ones you adore with delicious food that you can’t get anywhere else and that give you the warm fuzzies because it’s familiar and it’s the bestest…but that also produce horrendous amounts of waste? I experienced that in Coeur d’Alene this past week at the Fish Market. My family loves this place. AMAZING fish tacos. But EVERYTHING served with single-use plastic sauce tubs, plastic cutlery, and beers on tap are even served in plastic pint cups. WHAT. WHY. GET A DISHWASHER. Give someone a job in the community and stop producing so much waste!

Week 1: 8 Weeks to a Greener Life and a Bluer Sea - 5 Reasons to shop at your local Farmer's Market

So a little while ago I made a promise to start posting some simple, easy steps you can take to living a more eco-friendly lifestyle. I'm calling this blog series 8 Weeks to a Greener Life and a Bluer Sea, and I'm excited to kick it off with one of my favorite summertime activities: farmer's market shopping! I'm going to keep these posts brief, so you can read them over your morning coffee, absorb what you want from them, and hopefully feel inspired to get out and implement these strategies in your own life.

Green Mind: The Challenging Shift from a Cheapest-is-Best Mentality to a Do-It-for-the-Earth Mentality

To the millennials out there: we were raised in a different time with different priorities, and we don’t exactly have a blueprint to look to as we navigate these new and constant environmental challenges. It's a huge task, managing and instigating all of this change. But for those of us who care about the environment to any degree at all, which I truly do believe is most of us, we can start shifting our habits to live a greener lifestyle. We might have to start small; everyone's personal and financial situation is different. But when we continue to demand green alternatives and use our purchasing power to support what we believe in, we are going to keep seeing changes. So start where you can. Do what you can. And at the very least, keep up-to-date on environmental issues and talk about them with your family and friends.

Be Like the Buddha of Environmentalism - A Movement Towards Enlightenment in Conservation

I wrote a post not too long ago about the challenges of being an optimistic environmentalist. The struggle is real. Very, very real. I’m sure many of you have seen National Geographic’s latest magazine cover depicting a plastic bag looming up from the ocean like an iceberg with the title “Planet or Plastic?” This particular issue is just the start of the magazine’s multiyear plan to bring awareness to our planet’s plastic overload crisis. At first glance, it’s heart wrenching - another reminder of the doom and gloom and challenges ahead of us. But once I read the article and absorbed the painful facts, the scary stats, and the troubling photographs, I felt a little rush of excitement. Do we even know how many people are going to be exposed to this crisis as a result of this publication, people that may never even have thought about it seriously and now would? National Geographic has always been a magazine that has sparked controversial conversations, and this particular cover has been dubbed “one for the ages.” People are going to be talking. People are going to be freaked out. And that’s good.

Marine mammals inspired me to seek a greener lifestyle. What inspires you?

A Post To Perk You UP About Fighting for Conservation

A Positive Opportunity for Education & Activism with Instagram