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.

Restoring the Underwater Forest: Tom Ford's Kelp Crusade
In this episode of the Rising Tide Ocean Podcast, hosts David Helvarg and Vicki Nichols Goldstein welcome Tom Ford, CEO of the Bay Foundation and Director of the Santa Monica Bay National Estuary Program. They discuss Ford's journey from his first ocean encounter in high school to his extensive work in kelp forest restoration. Ford shares insights into the Bay Foundation's efforts, including restoring 75 acres of kelp forest off Palos Verdes, California, reintroducing endangered white abalones, and collaborating with commercial sea urchin harvesters. The conversation covers the challenges and successes of these restoration projects, the impact of environmental changes, and the importance of continued funding and community engagement. Ford also talks about his memorable kelp dives and the significance of creating sustainable marine ecosystems.

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.

Blue News and Great Diving with Rep. Huffman & Tiani Dun
On the latest episode of Rising Tide: The Ocean Podcast ranges David Helvarg travels ffrom Palau in the central Pacific to Washington D.C. After a short Blue News update with Congressman Jared Huffman in his DC office he travels to the shark enhanced — not infested — waters of Palau where he interviews Tiani Dun an underwater photographer who also organizes dive charters, part of the multi-billion-dollar global scuba diving industry.
Co-Owner of Dive and More, a company that focuses its dive trips around underwater photography and more recently, marine conservation, Tiani’s also a marine biologist, surfer and drone pilot from Byron Bay Australia. Lots to cover in this episode from political resistance to Trump administration attacks on our public seas to diving with big critters in one of the world’s last best coral reef habitats and Marine Protected Areas. So, dive in!

Sequoias of the Sea Hits the Big Screen
The latest episode of Rising Tide – The Ocean Podcast features a conversation with Natasha Benjamin of Blue Frontier and Ana Blanco of the International Ocean Film Festival, who recently took on the role of co-directors for Sequoias of the Sea. This 54-minute documentary explores the global crisis facing kelp forests, told through the experiences of the people of Fort Bragg, California—a former timber town on the state’s north coast.
The episode delves into the challenges of making the film, as well as the struggles Fort Bragg residents face in rebuilding a blue economy after the decline of their once-thriving kelp forests. Lost jobs, shifting cultural landscapes, and the disappearance of traditional ocean sports have left the community searching for new ways forward.
The discussion also highlights the film’s upcoming premiere at the International Ocean Film Festival in San Francisco on April 13, offering listeners insight into how they can see the film and learn more about the critical role of marine forests in ocean health.

Salmon State Revisited with Tim Bristol
Last fall David & Vicki spoke with a University of Alaska scientist about the state of salmon. Today they speak with Tim Bristol, the Director of ‘Salmon State’, a Juneau based environmental initiative to protect and sustain Alaska’s wild salmon that include some of the largest runs in the world. But all’s not well in their river and ocean home.
Working with Alaska Native people, commercial fishermen, river guides, and conservationists Salmon State aims to protect and restore these iconic fish. Tim talks about some of the challenges they face from mining, logging, offshore factory trawlers and of course climate change. He also discuss the mixed signals Alaska’s getting on how the new Trump administration may deal with salmon. So, join us for a fascinating and informative episode.

Richard Charter on Biden’s Historic Offshore Drilling Ban
In this episode of Rising Tide the Ocean Podcast David Helvarg & Vicki N. Goldstein talk with longtime anti-offshore drilling activist Richard Charter about one of President Biden’s last acts in office, his January 6th ban on future offshore oil and gas drilling permits along the entire Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the U.S. in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the northern Bering Sea off Alaska.
Richard, whose been a leader of citizen campaigns to protect offshore waters for 48 years discusses the legal strength of Biden’s declaration, the difficulties incoming president Donald Trump will have in trying to reverse these protections and why he thinks this is one of the greatest environmental victories since the establishment of our national parks.
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.