Wednesday, November 8, 2023 Meeting: We’re absolutely thrilled to host Renee Capozzola via Zoom for our final meeting of the year. As a conservation-oriented underwater photographer, she specializes in wide angle and split-level images.

Her work is an intriguing combination of artistic talent honed through oil painting during her youth, a professional background in biology, and growing up by the ocean as a Southern Californian native.

Since Renee started scuba diving in 2004, she has developed a true appreciation for marine organisms through her diverse travels and believes that striking images help increase awareness of our fragile marine ecosystems, encouraging others to protect our oceans.

To that end, her images have been awarded over 50 prestigious international accolades, including “Underwater Photographer of the Year 2021” in the Underwater Photographer of the Year competition and the “Female Fifty Fathoms Award” from Blancpain through the 2021 “Ocean Photographer of the Year”.

Her work has also appeared globally in leading dive publications, including National Geographic in print, and she serves as an Ocean Geographic Photographer-In-Residence, a fellow of The Explorers Club, and an ambassador for SEACAM.

Renee has been featured by multiple news outlets such as CNN, USA Today, BBC, People, The Today Show, and France 2. She’s also showcased in Ocean Geographic October 2023 with Antarctica photos and a story on Tahiti. In recent years, she has been invited to judge several photo competitions and speak at many in-person and online events.

When she’s not in the water with her camera, Renee strives to educate others about the challenges facing our oceans and the importance of conserving marine ecosystems.

Please join Renee on November 8^th for a very special presentation that will knock your fins off.

Read her complete bio and list of prestigious awards: http://www.beneaththesurfaceimaging.com/biography—awards.html

See her truly incredible images: www.beneaththesurfaceimaging.com

October 11, 2023 Meeting: Join us as five talented MSC members will present videos, photographs and stories of Antarctica, Indonesia, Mexico, and more. Here’s the roster:

Virginia Bria will focus on the “Antarctica Climate Expedition” with Ocean Geographic and Sylvia Earle aboard the “Sylvia Earle” ship. She documented the region’s plight with 100 Ocean global ambassadors fighting climate change.

 

• Lisa Perla will showcase her stunning images of biodiversity within Raja Ampat from her 10-day, 4 dives per day February 2023 trip on the “Aurora”. She enjoyed great visibility and some new moon currents.
• Jeffrey Zankel will present his images of two trips to Cozumel this year, one in January and the other in late August.
• Ken Carter will share his 2023 year in diving photographs, with a different point-of-view, including MSC’s January trip to Scuba Club Cozumel, August’s Dive and Dine… plus a photo of 3 mermaids on a whale shark.
• And Ric Miller will surprise and delight us all with his “Follow The Light” video using natural light from a weekend trip to San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico, six hours south of Tucson.

Please join us for this MSC group presentation on Wednesday, October 11th at 7:00pm PT. Watch their presentation on Vimeo.

September 13, 2023 Meeting: David Helvarg & Natasha Benjamin, Blue Frontier Campaign ¬¬– “California Kelp Crisis – Working to Save The Sequoias of The Sea”. Two multi-talented individuals and activists who have a genuine love for the ocean will present this month.Meet David Helvarg, Executive Director
An award-winning journalist and author of “The Golden Shore – California’s Love Affair with the Sea”, David

• • • has produced more than 40 broadcast documentaries for PBS, The Discovery Channel, and others. His print work continues to appear in The New York Times, National Geographic, Sierra, and more. Today, he and Blue Frontier continue to lead media training workshops for ocean scientists and advocates.
  • Meet Natasha Benjamin, Associate Director
    A marine scientist and filmmaker based in Northern California, Natasha is a diver, surfer, and a producer of Peabody Award-winning Brick City TV. She works with Marine Applied Research & Exploration (MARE) and Blue Frontier, and is presently co-producing a new documentary, “Sequoias of The Sea”.
  • An Ocean Conservation and Policy Group
    Founded in 2003 with support by Dr. Sylvia Earle, Philippe Cousteau and others, Blue Frontier is a national leader in providing resources and opportunities to bring the voice of caring citizens into decision-making processes to positively impact our seas.
  • Kelp forests cover 25% of global coastlines, provide food and shelter for thousands of species, and sequester carbon from the atmosphere. Over the past decade, a third of these kelp forests have been lost across our Blue Planet. But along the 350-mile coastline from San Francisco to the Oregon border, a striking 95% of kelp forests have been decimated. While many other important ocean ecosystems such as coral reefs are getting attention, kelp is the lost forest of the ocean, disappearing before our very eyes.
  • With a perfect storm of climate change impacts causing oceans to warm, sea stars to disappear, and urchin populations to explode, we’re witnessing an ecological disaster in one of the world’s most highly managed and protected coasts. In fact, our coastline that once harbored productive kelp forests now has only bare rocks and hungry urchins.
  • For more information, visit https:/bluefront.org. We look forward to having you join David and Natasha on Wednesday, 9/13 for their presentation at MSC.
    • Wednesday, August 9: Linda Ianniello, “Black Water Diving”. Linda has been scuba diving and taking underwater images for over 30 years. She favors macro photography, where half the challenge is finding the small, unusual subjects.She is fortunate to live in southeast Florida, where there is easy access to diving off the coast. When a local dive operator started doing “blackwater” dives, she became interested. She was quickly hooked and has done over 400 blackwater dives locally, in just over eight years. She has also traveled to Indonesia and the Philippines to do these dives.So What Exactly Is a Blackwater Dive?
      It’s a night dive, done in the open ocean, where the water is hundreds of feet deep. There is no reef or bottom to provide a visible reference. There is a broad diversity of small subjects to be seen on these dives, such as fish and mollusk larvae; a variety of shrimps and crabs, both larvae and adults; gelatinous zooplankton traveling with the current (jellyfish, salps and siphonophores); and sea snails (pteropods, heteropods and gymnosomes) that spend their entire life cycle in the water column.Linda will be talking about the mechanics of a black water dive and the variety of creatures found on these dives; also a few photography tips and a bit about the “citizen science” value of these dives.All the images she will show will be from her dives off the coast of Southeast Florida near her home.For a full compilation of the creatures she has found and photographed, check out her website’s galleries of black water trips and other excursions, from Florida the Philippines, Grand Cayman, and Indonesia: https://lindaiphotography.com/galleries/We look forward to having you join Linda on Wednesday, August 9th for her presentation at MSC. Watch her presentation on Vimeo.
    • Wednesday, July 12: “Why I Don’t Think Sea Lions Like Rebreathers”. If you want to dive without scaring away sea life who bolt when they see bubbles, don’t miss Sean’s upcoming presentation.A Divemaster Since 1989.
      He’s worked in the industry since he became a divemaster in Florida in 1989. Today, Sean’s a commercial diver out of the Port of Oakland and has been teaching classes in the Bay Area for over 20 years! He still has tons of fun teaching diving of all levels and he especially loves introducing new divers to the sport and connecting with those who are just beginning their pro and technical diving journeys.That Was Just The Beginning.
      Many divers see becoming an instructor as the pinnacle of their dive career, but for Sean, it was only the beginning. He sees continued education as essential for staying passionate about the sport. He found that there was always more to learn about the ocean and the gear we use to explore it, as well as an endless array of paths to stay engaged and build on training—from citizen science courses to technical diving.Rebreathers Were Instantly Compelling.
      Rebreathers were compelling to Sean right away. He found that he was interested in the equipment and the technology behind it and enjoyed expanding depth limits with the virtually unlimited gas supply that rebreathers offered.He started rebreather diving in 1998 on the Draeger Dolphin, one of the first that was commercially marketed; soon after that, he became an instructor. Now, he’s been teaching rebreather diving for nearly 25 years and is qualified on four different rebreather models. Recently, he earned an instructor rating on the Mares Horizon SCR.When not diving for work, you can catch him diving for fun at a local dive site or in the caves of the Yucatan Peninsula. Join Sean on July 12 for his MSC presentation. Watch his presentation on Vimeo.Grab your dry suits, hoodies, thickest gloves, and long johns. On Wednesday, June 14th, three intrepid female explorers will take us on a deep dive of their Arctic Expedition to Norway as they interacted with orcas and humpbacks.Sea Woman #1: Dr. Virginia Bria, a diver for 40 years, has studied art therapy and photography at Pratt Institute, NY. She taught art and is currently a trusted Marin County investment advisor for 28 years.When she arrived in California, Virginia quickly fell in love with the Sonoma County coastline and took her cameras underwater. She’s been a NAUI instructor, NAUI Rescue Workshop Leader, and a divemaster. For several years, she also explored, camped, and dived along the Baja peninsula from Loreto to La Paz. She has logged over 5,000 dives worldwide.She recently participated in the Antarctica Climate Change Expedition with Michael Aw, Ocean Geographic, and Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue. In 2022, she joined the Sea Women Expedition in Norway’s high Arctic as a photographer and videographer with 34 women from 14 countries, spending 3 back-to-back trips in the fjords of Norway aboard the MV Explorer. Read more: https://www.bellasirenaimages.com/Sea Woman #2: Carol Cotton Blickenstorfer is a photographer, videographer, scuba diver/instructor, reviewer, artist, and adventurer from Knoxville, Tennessee. She and her husband run a computer and underwater news/product review business. After 3,000+ dives, she’s enchanted with the sea and creatures, earning multiple NAUI, PADI, NACD, NSS-CDS, and TDI certifications, then documenting sea life on underwater trips worldwide.
      

In her spare time, Carol is very active in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), an inclusive community pursuing research and re-creation of historic skills, arts and culture, where she specializes in research and re-creation of historic Baltic costumes and jewelry. Read more: https://www.instagram.com/carolblickenstorfer/

Sea Woman #3: Whitley Mike is an avid graphic designer and art director who lives near Minneapolis, Minnesota. She holds a B.A. in Communications and Media Arts, a Post-B.A. Graphic Design Certificate, and a Master of Arts in Sustainable Design, where she focused on how human behavior impacts endangered species.

Her thesis is on the survival of the Southern Resident Orca of the Pacific Northwest, and how sustainable solutions can help protect orca and their future.

Whitley’s unique education combines her passion for graphic design and the well-being of the cetaceans.

As a Sea Women Expeditions team member since 2019, she has assisted with visual storytelling through branded design, social media communications, and co-hosting virtual expeditions.

Her aspirations for the 2022 Sea Women Expedition to Norway’s frigid fjords were to better understand Type 1 Eastern North Atlantic orca behavior and their habitat.
Read more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitleymike/
Watch their presentation on Vimeo.

Our Wednesday, May 10, 2023 in-person/Zoom hybrid meeting will feature Eva Paulus (via Zoom from Austria) presenting “Deep Sea Fish & Research”.

During her graduate studies, she participated in expeditions to the Azores and Iceland to study deep-sea hydrothermal vents along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Plunging deeper into her studies and the ocean, she spent 74 days on the German research vessel Sonne in 2021, learning about the amazing animals living in the mesopelagic zone between 200 and 1000m depth.

Join us on May 10^th for her live presentation as Eva shares some of the images captured by nature photographer and biologist, Solvin Zankl, who was able to join two of her most recent expeditions.

Our Wednesday, April 12, 2023 in-person/Zoom hybrid meeting will feature Dirk Rosen presenting “Working With Robot Submarines All Over The World”.

Earth’s oceans are still vastly underexplored. The deepest place, Mariana Trench in the western Pacific, is more than 36,000 feet deep, while nearby Monterey Canyon is 13,000 feet below the surface. So join us for Dirk’s presentation about how he’s been using deepsea robots to explore these depths.

Dirk founded Marine Applied Research and Exploration (MARE), a non-profit organization dedicated to filling the knowledge gap of the deepsea, below SCUBA depths, tracking deep sea communities and protecting hotspots of biodiversity and abundance.

Based in Tiburon, CA, MARE:

• • Enables intelligent ocean management by bringing science to action to restore the ocean’s invaluable, yet threatened resources to support sustainable fisheries for future generations.
  • Deploys a fleet of robotic vehicles to explore and document changes to ocean health over time, well beyond the reach of SCUBA divers.
  • Has performed an ongoing census of the West Coast from Mexico to the Canadian border, as well as dedicated surveys of the Gulf of Mexico, Hawai’i and Costa Rica.

About Dirk Rosen.
Dirk has 35+ years of deepsea equipment design, build and operations experience with ROVs, manned submersibles and tow sleds. He’s led or co-led 42 ocean expeditions assessing Marine Protected Areas, characterizing National Marine Sanctuaries, performing fish stock assessments, evaluating impacts of wave power, recovering lost equipment at sea, and removing derelict fishing gear.

Previously, he was president of Deep Ocean Engineering, test pilot for all three Deep Rover 1,000 meter-rated manned submersibles, and a co-designer of hundreds of ROVs. Later, at Hawkes Ocean Technologies, he managed the build of Challenger, an 11,000-meter-rated manned submersible designed to explore the Marianas Trench. Prior to that, he worked with NASA for 5 years, helping implement robotic standards now used on the International Space Station.

Please join us on Wednesday, April 12 from 7:00 – 8:45pm for Dirk’s live presentation and via Zoom. Watch Dirk’s presentation on Vimeo.

Our Wednesday, March 8, 2023 in-person/Zoom hybrid meeting will feature Todd Steiner presenting “Diving Cocos Island Costa Rica for Conservation Science”, with updates on ‘Why Have All The Turtles Left?’ and the “Cocos-Galapagos Swimway Campaign”.

About TIRN
For 30 years, Turtle Island Restoration Network has been a leading advocate and research NGO for the world’s oceans and marine wildlife. They have offices in California, Texas, and Hawaii.

TIRN’s work is based on science, fueled by people who care, and effective at catalyzing long-lasting positive change that protects the likes of green sea turtles, whale sharks, and coho salmon. By working with people and communities, they preserve and restore critical habitats from the redwood-forested creekbanks of California to the biodiverse waters of Cocos Island. Read more at Seaturtles.org.

About Todd Steiner
The genesis of TIRN began in 1987, when Todd, a young biologist and wildlife activist, first traveled to Nicaragua to learn more about a cutting-edge sea turtle conservation program that sought to engage local coastal communities in long-term preservation efforts to save sea turtles.

Today, as a wildlife ecologist, and as founder and executive director of TIRN, Todd has led sea turtle and shark tagging research expeditions for over 10 years.

His programs now span the globe from the coastal waters of the Galapagos Islands to the sandy beaches of Galveston, Texas. They include projects to protect sharks, marine mammals, and seabirds from a myriad of threats from industrial overfishing, destruction of coastal and riverine habitat, and the threat of climate change from fossil fuel projects.

Please join us on Wednesday, March 8 from 7:00 – 8:45pm for Todd’s live presentation and via Zoom. Watch Todd’s presentation on Vimeo.

Our Wednesday, February 8, 2023 in-person/Zoom hybrid meeting will feature Dr. Chris Lowe, a Professor of Marine Biology and Director of The Shark Lab, California State University Long Beach: “Recovery of White Sharks Off California and What That Means to Coastal Communities.”

He says, “The white shark population of the eastern Pacific has likely been reduced for over a 100 years, due to overfishing and loss of key adult prey. Fisheries protections for white sharks, recovery of endangered marine mammals, and better management has resulted in population recovery off California, with increased white shark sightings off beaches and around offshore islands. While population recovery has resulted in increased public safety concerns, there has been little evidence of an increase in shark bites relatively to human activity.”

About Dr. Chris Lowe
Dr. Lowe has been studying sharks, rays and bony fishes for over 30 years, focusing on their behavior, physiology and ecology. For the last 15 years, he and his students have been studying juvenile white sharks off the coast of southern California. Using a wide array of technology, they have found that white sharks use southern California beaches seasonally as nursery habitat for their young. This brings juvenile white sharks in close proximity to beach goers. Dr. Lowe and his students use technologies and educators to help lifeguards and the public understand the mysterious lives of sharks and just how much of a threat they may actually pose.

Please join us on Wednesday, February 8 from 7:00 – 8:45pm for Dr. Lowe’s informative presentation. Watch Dr. Lowe’s presentation on Vimeo.

Our Wednesday, January 11, 2023 in-person/Zoom hybrid meeting will feature Jon Edens, who has owned and operated the Marin Diving Center for nine years. This full-service scuba and snorkel shop is located in San Rafael off Highway 101 and North San Pedro Road. He’s worked in the diving industry for over 35 years.

Jon’s January presentation will focus on:
• Being a safe diver
• Mental, physical and equipment preparation
• Practicing your diving skills
• Fun diving
• The latest trends and newest equipment
• Plus local and tropical destinations

Marin Diving Center is a PADI Five-Star Dive Center with exceptional service and staff. Open 7 days a week, they specialize in:
• Dive Education: Beginner through professional levels in a heated pool, classroom, and open water
• Sales: High-quality scuba diving, free diving, and snorkeling products from major manufacturers at competitive prices
• Equipment Repairs: Almost all done in-store
• Local & International Travel: Mendocino & Sonoma coasts, Big Sur & Monterey, Channel Islands, Lake Tahoe, and worldwide

Please join us on Wednesday, January 11 from 7:00 – 8:45pm for Jon’s informative presentation.

Our Wednesday, November 9, 2022 in-person/Zoom hybrid meeting will feature Anne Louise De Souza presenting “Building My Scuba Dream: The Story Behind The Lens”.

She is a Brazilian oceanographer, scuba instructor, and passionate underwater photographer who is now the marketing manager at a local underwater lighting manufacturer, Light & Motion, where she got to deepen her knowledge about photography and lighting.

She says, “Being immersed in the diving community made a lifelong dream of capturing the wonders of an exquisite, submerged world a reality. Diving in all of its forms is not only my greatest passion, but an important tool to spark a connection between ocean and society.”

Please join us on Wednesday, November 9 from 7:00 – 8:45pm for Anne’s incredible images. Watch her presentation on Vimeo.

Our Wednesday, October 12, 2022 in-person/Zoom hybrid meeting will feature Kathi George, Project Manager for Global Response on Rescuing Whales, The Marine Mammal Center. She oversees all work in California as well as field research and conservation impact. Since joining in 2019, Kathi has expanded advocacy efforts to address two of the greatest threats to whales worldwide, entanglement and vessel strikes.

She collaborates closely with many different stakeholders in her work. These include:
• Serving in the Conservation seat for the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council
• Previously as a member of the 2021 Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Advisory Council Joint Ship Strike Working Group.
• Additionally, Kathi ’s a member of the San Francisco Harbor Safety Committee and a member of the California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group.

As a Level 3 Co-Investigator with NOAA’s Marine Mammal Health & Stranding Response Program, Kathi is permitted to respond. She has participated in six whale disentanglements, numerous entangled whale responses, and over 50 sea lion disentanglements.

Previously, she co-founded California Whale Rescue—a nonprofit dedicated to entangled whale response and prevention. Kathi spends as much time as she can underwater and on boats, plus enjoying California’s coasts and mountains with her husband and son.

Please join us for her “Human Impact on Whales” presentation on Wednesday, October 12, 7:15-8:45pm. Watch Kathi’s presentation on Vimeo.

Our Wednesday, September 14, 2022 in-person/Zoom hybrid meeting will feature the best images, videos, and stories by a talented group of members, most of whom are MSC Board Members:
• Virginia Bria will recount her March trip to the Maldives where she made us all very jealous by staying at the Six Senses Laamu Resort. We’ve heard her gush about the pristine coral and friendly whale sharks.
• Lisa Perla will showcase images and share dive stories about exotic Anilao, Philippines.
• Barb Wambach will portray her underwater photography expertise with a trip to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
• Julie Finley will relive her adventures during her 30th trip to Palau, Micronesia, her dive home away from home.
• Gil Zeimer will discuss his writing success in the scuba industry with “How to Get Published”.

Please join us for this MSC group presentation on Wednesday, September 14th at 7:00pm PT for these informative club member presentations.

Wednesday, August 10, 2022: Cindy Hansen, Orca Network, “Orcas of The West Coast”: In-Person and Zoom Meeting. Our August presentation will feature Cindy Hansen, Education and Advocacy Coordinator for Orca Network since 2016.

From Namu to Free Willy to Blackfish, orcas have fascinated us for generations. The West Coast is home to a few different ecotypes of orcas, or killer whales, with unique diets, behaviors, acoustic calls, and cultures. While some are thriving, others are in danger of extinction. Learn about the fascinating biology, social structure and culture of orcas and how you can become involved in ongoing conservation efforts.

Cindy received a degree in Zoology from the University of Washington and has worked as a naturalist and educator for over 20 years. She has also migrated with the gray whales to San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja Mexico for many years, where she works as a naturalist/guide for Baja Discovery.

Please join us for her presentation on Wednesday, August 10th, “Orcas of The West Coast” at 7:00pm PT. Read more: www.orcanetwork.org. Watch Cindy’s The Orca Network presentation on Vimeo.

Wednesday, July 13, 2022: Denise Jaffke and Sheli Smith, “Taking Heritage Stewardship Underwater”: In-Person and Zoom Meeting. Our July presentation will feature two members of the Sonoma Coast Historical and Undersea Nautical Research Society.

SCHUNRS.org is an all-volunteer organization using public education, historical research, and maritime archaeology to document physical traces of our maritime heritage before they are lost forever. Its mission is to discover, protect, and promote greater knowledge and public stewardship of local maritime cultural heritage along the Sonoma-Mendocino Coast, on land, and under the waves.

Denise Jaffke currently works as Principal Investigator and Archaeologist for Far Western Anthropological Research Group, Inc. and a volunteer scientific diver with the California State Parks Dive Team. Along with serving as SCHUNRS Secretary, she also leads the Documentation Team to ensure that all identified resources are recorded to professional standards. Denise assists with public outreach efforts — online, locally, and statewide.

Sheli Smith has been working with California’s maritime heritage for decades, excavating shipwrecks, teaching and promoting stewardship. In addition to serving as SCHUNRS VP, Sheli also serves on the California State Parks Dive Safety Advisory Board. Sheli assists SCHUNRS research and outreach efforts.

Join us for their presentation of “Taking Heritage Stewardship Underwater” on Wednesday, July 13^th at 7:00pm PT.
Watch their presentation on Vimeo.

Wednesday, June 8, 2022:
Jett Britnell, Vancouver, B.C., “A Life in The Depths – Sharks, Shipwrecks & Other Assorted Undersea Adventures”: In-Person and Zoom Meeting. Our June in-person/Zoom meeting will feature Jett Britnell, a professional underwater, wildlife and expedition photographer, internationally published writer, explorer, scuba diver, and speaker.

Much of his work is focused upon undersea exploration, globally protecting endangered species, preserving natural habitats, supporting marine & wildlife conservation efforts and environmental education. Jett is a member of the Ocean Artists Society, a unique alliance of the world’s top marine life artists, painters, sculptors, photographers, filmmakers, and writers. He is also ranked among the world’s top underwater photographers who donate images to support The Ocean Agency’s conservation initiatives.

In addition, Jett is a consultant to Elephanatics, an elephant advocacy organization residing in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In May 2020 he was invited by EXPLOCEAN to be an ambassador for the “League of Underwater Explorers.” The League’s primary mandate is to create opportunities for all people to discover our world by promoting underwater exploration.

On January 1, 2022, Jett began serving as Chapter Chair in The Explorers Club’s Canadian Chapter. Find out more: https://www.jettbritnell.com
Watch Jett’s Vimeo Presentation from June 8, 2022: “A Life In The Depths – Sharks, Shipwrecks & Other Assorted Adventures.”.

Wednesday, May 11, 2022: Dr. Milton Love, “Better Than a Swift Kick Where The Sun Doesn’t Shine – Interesting Fishes of The Pacific Coast” : In-Person and Zoom Meeting. Our May presenter is a research biologist at the Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Dr. Milton Love has conducted research on the marine fishes of California for over 50 years and has written over 120 publications on the fishes of the Pacific Coast. He is the author of Certainly More Than You Want to Know About the Fishes of the Pacific Coast, The Rockfishes of the Northeast Pacific, and more.

For the past 25 years, and using a manned research submersible, Dr. Love has carried out surveys of the fish populations living around natural reefs and oil / gas platforms throughout the southern California Bight. Proving you can fool some of the people all of the time, in 2007, the American Fisheries Society awarded Dr. Love the Carl R. Sullivan Award for Conservation Resources.

“Better Than a Swift Kick Where The Sun Doesn’t Shine – Interesting Fishes of The Pacific Coast” is the longer title of his May presentation. He says, “Most of us lead drab and colorless lives as drones and cogs in faceless organizations. With his tales of Pacific Coast fishes, Milton (only his wife calls him Dr. Love) will enter your world like a bright and fanciful rainbow, or a swatch of William Morris wallpaper, or perhaps one of those Baratza espresso makers that look like something out of a caffeine-induced fantasy.”

Find out more: http://lovelab.msi.ucsb.edu/. Please join us for his presentation on Wednesday, May 11th at 7:00pm PT. Watch Dr. Love’s Presentation on Vimeo.

Wednesday, April 13, 2022: Mark J. Palmer, “Whither Whales – History & Current Status of Whaling”: In-Person and Zoom Meeting. Our April presenter is Associate Director of Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project, Mark Palmer.

Mark was a consultant for the Academy Award-winning documentary “The Cove” and appears in the Animal Planet series “Blood Dolphin$”. He focuses on protecting whales and dolphins, with emphasis on strategic planning, legislative advocacy, legal research, grassroots organizing, and media relations.

Mark is also Director of Earth Island Institute’s Wildlife Alive Subproject, dedicated to protecting wildlife and wild places throughout California and the West. Palmer graduated with a BA in Zoology from the University of California at Berkeley, where he founded and led the Endangered Species Committee of California. He then spent two years of graduate work at SFSU in the Department of Biology.

Prior to coming to Earth Institute, Mark served as Regional Vice President for the Sierra Club for Northern California and Nevada; Chairman of the Sierra Club’s National Wildlife Committee; and Chairman of the Sierra Club’s Arctic Campaign Steering Committee, which successfully blocked oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge during both the Reagan and George H.W. Bush Administrations. He has also been Executive Director of the Whale Center (1986-1990) and the Mountain Lion Foundation (1990-1995).

Palmer joined the staff of Earth Island in 1995, spearheading efforts in Congress and federal court to protect and maintain the integrity of the Dolphin Safe label on tuna. He has worked since 2004 with Ric O’Barry on the Save Japan Dolphins Campaign, which has seen worldwide attention to the problem of dolphin slaughters in Japan.

His articles have appeared in several national publications, including Sierra Magazine, Pacific Discovery (aka Wild California), USA Today, and Earth Island Journal. He has edited and contributed to several books, including Friends of the Earth Whale Manual, Cougar: The American Lion, and Behind the Dolphin Smile.

Palmer has more than 40 years of experience lobbying in the California State Capitol in Sacramento and in the U.S. Congress in Washington DC on wildlife and wilderness issues, as well as international experience with the Japanese-American Environmental Conference, the International Whaling Commission, and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission. Finally, he is editor of the daily newsletter ECO distributed at International Whaling Commission meetings.

Find out more: https://savedolphins.eii.org/ Please join us for his presentation on Wednesday, April 13th at 7:00pm PT. Watch Mark’s Presentation on Vimeo.

Wednesday, March 9, 2022: Hannes Klostermann – “The Best of Baja; Exploring The Wild West”: In-Person and Zoom Meeting.
Hannes Klostermann, an award-winning photographer and scuba instructor says, “Baja is a special place. Separating the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean, the Baja California Peninsula is home to amazing landscapes and incredible wildlife. Due to its unique location, it hosts some of the most impressive animal migrations on the planet, as well as plenty of photogenic residents.

“In this presentation, I will introduce you to some of the area’s most exciting animals and explain how to maximize your chances of seeing and interacting with them. From cute baby sea lions to the ocean’s largest predators, there’s always something interesting to discover. You never quite know what you’ll come across when you head out in the morning!”

His Bio: Hannes has a particular passion for capturing images of sharks and other big animals, as well as actively supporting their conservation. He is currently the resident photographer at The Cortez Club in La Paz, Mexico where he offers all services related to underwater photography: workshops and private guiding, as well as photo shoots. Hannes also runs pelagic expeditions for the annual marlin migration.

He began his underwater adventures in 2003 in a dark and very cold lake in Germany and since then, his travels have taken him to many of the world’s most exiting diving destinations.

To see more, visit his underwater photography website. Please join us for his presentation on Wednesday, March 9th at 7:00pm PT. Watch Hannes’s presentation on Vimeo.

Wednesday, February 9, 2022: Nirupam Nigam, “Northwest Oddities: Wolf Eels & GPOs & Lumpsuckers, Oh My!”. In-Person and Zoom Meeting.
As a dedicated underwater photographer and fisheries scientist, Nirupam is the Editor-in-Chief of the Underwater Photography Guide and the Marketing Director at Bluewater Photo.

While growing up in Los Angeles, he fell in love with the ocean and pursued underwater photography in the local Channel Islands.

Nirupam received degrees in Aquatic and Fisheries Science and General Biology, at the University of Washington, and has collected fisheries data on vessels in the Bering Sea and North Pacific for NOAA.

Check out his work at photosfromthesea.com, his reviews at uwphotographyguide.com, as well as the world’s leading source of photo and video gear, advice, education, and dive travel at bluewaterphotostore.com. Watch Nirupam’s presentation on Vimeo.

Please join us for his presentation on Wednesday, February 9th at 7:00pm PT.

Wednesday, January 12, 2022: Mary Jane Schramm, “Love Among The Leviathans”.
In-Person and Zoom Meeting.

MJ is an unabashed blubber-lover. She has worked in marine conservation since 1982, until recently with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.

MJ specializes in media/outreach, and hands-on resource protection; this has included NOAA’s Stranding Network and Large Whale Entanglement Response Team, and the sanctuaries’ shipstrike prevention team.

Past Public Relations Director for The Marine Mammal Center and Oceanic Society Expeditions, she’s led extended whale tours in Baja and locally.

A naturalist, author and columnist, she’s served on the boards of the American Cetacean Society-SF Bay Chapter, Tamalpais Conservation Club, and now on the Marin Audubon Society’s Conservation Committee.

In 1989 at a White House ceremony, MJ accepted the President’s Volunteer Action Award. In 2016, she received a NOAA Administrator’s Award for assisting in the discovery of the lost shipwreck, USS Conestoga. Now an International Ocean Film Festival judge, she’s also working to eradicate invasive mice from the Farallone Islands.

“Love Among the Leviathans” explores how air-breathing mammals like us who live in the sea –– whales and dolphins –– play the DNA Game: courting, mating, giving live birth, nursing, and teaching their young to survive, all in challenging ocean environments.

Many species, even some in our national marine sanctuaries, have still not recovered from past centuries’ whaling. They now face modern and emerging threats including shipstrike, entanglement, ocean noise, pollution and climate disruption. Insights we gain from studying their reproductive patterns, behaviors and habitat needs can help wildlife managers, policymakers, and scientists to act effectively to ensure their survival.

Join us for this hybrid live / Zoom meeting on Wednesday, January 12.
Watch MJ’s presentation on Vimeo.