Rising Tide: The Ocean Podcast
Podcast & Audio Production
Overseeing the Rising Tide: The Ocean Podcast's production, promotion, and strategic growth. Fluid Studios manages podcast development, from concept to publication, ensuring high-quality content that resonates with audiences. We develop social media and content marketing strategies to maximize engagement and reach. By collaborating with the Blue Frontier team, we maintain the podcast's vision, enhance its impact, and leverage analytics to optimize performance, drive continuous improvement, and contribute to the organization's dynamic leadership and innovative solutions.
A refreshing, irreverent dive into the lives, work, and explorations of today’s leading and diverse ocean voices.
Each half-hour episode co-hosted by David Helvarg of Blue Frontier and Vicki Nichols Goldstein of the Inland Ocean Coalition sails through lively discussions with our guests about marine life, culture, and critical issues affecting our rapidly changing seas. Informative, enlightening, and often humorous it is an invaluable resource for anyone passionate about understanding, enjoying, and protecting our salty blue world.
A Voice for the Ocean's Mammals
The latest episode of Rising Tide: The Ocean Podcast features a conversation with Kirsten Donald, a marine mammal biologist, educator, and ocean advocate with the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, California. This renowned rescue center responds to whales and dolphins in distress while rehabilitating and releasing hundreds of sick and injured seals and sea lions each year.
Before joining the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, Kirsten spent 18 years at the Dolphin Research Center in the Florida Keys, where she also co-founded and directed the College of Marine Mammal Professions.
Learn about the current state of marine mammals, the impacts of climate change, and challenges facing gray whales. Kirsten shares memorable release stories—including a group of sea lion pups who checked in on each other before re-entering the ocean—and discusses why now is the time to strengthen, not weaken, marine mammal protection.
Tides of Change: Unpacking Ocean Policy with George Leonard
Unpacking Trump’s Ocean Rollbacks
n the latest Rising Tide: The Ocean Podcast David and Vicki talk with former Ocean Conservancy Chief Scientist and policy expert George Leonard about the Trump administration’s approach to our public seas. In taking a closer look at the BBB (‘Big Beautiful’ or ‘Big Brother’) mega-bill that Congress just passed, George breaks down many of the vital services from ocean observation and weather labs to protection of salmon, parks in the sea and public education, fishing regulation, beach pollution warning systems, deep-sea exploration and coastal management that will be gutted or terminated under this law.
Listening to area experts like George you realize not only will this legislation blow a hole in the deficit and untax the rich, it will expand offshore oil drilling and put more mercury in tuna. It may even mark the end of right whales along with many of our own rights. So, tune in to hear what George has to say about Trump 2.0 policies and his major new law that treats the Ocean as little more than a gas station and a garbage dump. Also, hear what he thinks you can still do about it.
Navigating Change: Blue Zones, Green Zones, and Ocean Futures
In this episode of Rising Tide: The Ocean Podcast, hosts David Helvarg and Vicki Nichols Goldstein from the Inland Ocean Coalition talk with Mike Sutton, Executive Director of the Goldman Environmental Prize, and Lindsay Gordon, Head of Global Programs at Parley for the Oceans. The discussion centers on the United Nations Ocean Conference held in East France from June 9th to 13th, highlighting the lack of media coverage in the US. Sutton and Gordon share their experiences, noting significant advancements in transparency and civil society engagement over the years. Sutton discusses his role in enhancing the value of the conference for Goldman Prize winners, while Gordon emphasizes the importance of managing international waters collaboratively. Key topics include the High Seas Treaty, the establishment of marine protected areas, and the importance of international funding and enforcement. They also touch on issues like sustainable fishing, plastic pollution, and the urgent need for global action on climate change. The conversation stresses the importance of accountability and progress to truly protect the oceans.
Behind the Glass – Kim McIntyre and the Aquarium Conservation Partnership
In the latest episode of Rising Tide, the Ocean Podcast David Helvarg and Natasha Benjamin talk with Kim McIntyre, the Executive Director of the Aquarium Conservation Partnership, a coalition of 35 aquariums working together to increase their collective impact. Along with helping revive the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards that took place at the National Aquarium in May, the 9-year-old coalition is involved in educating its members’ 40 million annual visitors around issues of sustainable seafood, climate change, plastic pollution and more.
Kim talks about the changing role of aquariums as conservation hubs for the sea, marine animal rehab and release centers and how many children are transformed by their first visit to an aquarium.
Plus, we’ll have our ‘Blue News You Can Use’: This week on the threat of Deep-Sea Mining that the Trump administration has just embraced. So, dive into our aquarium special.
From Bay to Blue Planet: Live at SF Climate Week with Ocean Defenders
On Friday April 25 the Rising Tide Ocean Podcast recorded our show with a live audience during SF Climate Week – one of the largest climate gatherings in the world. From the downtown studios of KALW – “The Voice of the Bay Area,” David and Natasha discussed global and Bay Area aspects of the Ocean and the Climate Crisis with guests Rod Fujita, a marine consultant and recently retired director of ocean research and development for the Environmental Defense Fund and Sejal Choksi-Chugh an attorney and Executive Director of the San Francisco Baykeeper. We had a lively and informative discussion about impacts and solutions for our global seas and West Coast estuary. Our live audience enjoyed it and we hope you will too.
The Blue Revolution: Jeremy Rifkin on Our Water Planet
What if water isn’t just a resource—but the key to rethinking life on Earth?
In the latest and award-winning Rising Tide: the Ocean Podcast, David Helvarg, and Vicki Nicholas Goldstein speak with Jeremy Rifkin, who wants us to rethink our home in the universe. He is a best-selling author of 23 books translated into 35 languages and a major climate advisor to the European Union and China. He has returned to basics with his newest book, "Planet Aqua," about how water is the animating force of life, something the team at Blue Frontier has long known and believed. Jeremy Rifkin gives his perspective on how to convert our approach to water from a 'resource' to a 'life source' that can guide us into a future better adapted to our amazing hydrosphere. Dive into "Planet Aqua"
Support the Rising Tide and donate to Blue Frontier: Your gift of any size will help bring communities together to protect our coasts and ocean.
Blue Frontier: Building the solution-based citizen movement needed to protect our ocean, coasts and communities, both human and wild.
Inland Ocean Coalition: Building land-to-sea stewardship - the inland voice for ocean protection
You can also listen to Rising Tide: The Ocean Podcast on a variety of platforms including Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, Android, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Blubrry, Podchaser, Gaana, the Podcast Index, and Deezer. Additionally, the podcast is broadcast on several radio stations: KGUA Radio (Public Media for the Mendonoma Coast), KWMR (Point Reyes West Marin Community Radio), KGNU & KGNU-FM (Denver & Boulder Community Radio Stations), KKRN (Round Mountain California Listener Supported Radio), & G-TOWN RADIO (Germantown Community Radio, Philadelphia).
Check out the Our Blue Frontier on Substack for transcripts, emerging ocean & climate issues highlights, and the lighter side of the Environmental Apocalypse.