Aquarium Audio

Dr. Seager is the president and CEO of Population Connection. Dr. Seager believes there is a clear connection between human population growth and virtually every global challenge from poverty to climate change and from species extinction to the political instability of failed nation-states.

Top predatory sharks play a crucial role in the oceans ecosystems. Their predatory behaviors on sick, injured, and lesser predatory animals keep ocean food webs thriving. When you remove top predatory animals, the results can be devastating.

Marine protected areas are found throughout the oceans of the world. They may carry different names – parks, refuges, reserves, sanctuaries – but all serve to preserve and protect the ocean’s biodiversity and ecosystems. The Aquarium of the Pacific and its sister institutions are assisting in the search for possible new marine protected areas along the southern California coast.

Russ Parsons is the food editor and columnist of the Los Angeles Times. He has been writing about food for 25 years, including almost 20 years at The Times. He is the author of the cookbooks ‘‘How to Read a French Fry’’ and “How to Pick a Peach.” Parsons has won every major American food journalism award, including those from the International Association of Culinary Professionals the Association of Food Journalists, the James Beard Foundation, and the University of Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards.

This film, directed and produced by Aquarium of the Pacific staff, presents an opportunity to experience Southern California’s underwater beauty and to learn why MPAs are needed.

Tidal power provides a renewable energy source that is clean and reliable. Generators harvest the energy of moving water as tides flood and ebb. Tidal power generation requires suitable environmental conditions to be efficient and effective.

Dr. Carl Safina brought ocean conservation into the environmental mainstream. His hundred-plus publications and award-winning books include "Song for the Blue Ocean and Voyage of the Turtle." He’s been profiled by the New York Times, Nightline, and Bill Moyers. His awards include a Pew Fellowship, Lannan Literary Award, John Burroughs Medal, and a MacArthur Prize, among others.

Tim Brick is chairman of the board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, representing the City of Pasadena on that board since 1985. Brick played an important role in the development of MWD’s World Water Forum program, which provides grants to Southern California colleges for educational efforts addressing world water problems. Brick graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and has pursued further studies in broadcast journalism and resource economics.

Dr. Griggs has been a professor of Earth Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz since 1968. He is presently the director of the Institute of Marine Sciences and also the chair of the University of California Marine Council. He served for 15 years as a geologic advisor to Santa Cruz County and has consulted widely for local, state, and national government agencies. Griggs' research and teaching have been focused on coastal processes, hazards, and coastal engineering. Since 1991, he has led an effort to develop a major marine research and education center at the University’s Long Marine Laboratory. Dr. Gary Griggs has written or co-written over 150 articles published in professional journals as well as several books.

Daniel Botkin is a scientist who studies life from a planetary perspective. He writes about nature, and is one of the world’s leading researchers who has helped solve major environmental issues. Dr. Botkin is a research professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at the University of California Santa Barbara and president of The Center for the Study of the Environment. For 39 years, as a Ph. D. ecologist, Botkin has tried to understand life on the Earth. He has studied moose in the far north, elephants in Africa, bowhead whales in the northern ocean, and forests in North and Central America. Botkin has worked as a professional journalist and has degrees in physics, biology, and literature.

The Gulf of California is home to a diverse assemblage of wildlife. This diversity is a reflection of the Gulf's distinctive geography. Impacts to wildlife from a variety of sources threaten many of the rare and endangered species that make the Gulf their home.

Since the middle of the nineteenth century scientists have recorded an increase in the global sea level. Higher sea levels may intensify the impact of hurricanes and typhoons to coastal communities. Preserving natural shorelines could be key to lessening storm damage in a warmer world.

Global trade is dominated by ocean transport, but along with goods and commodities ships may also transport biological invaders. Managing ballast water to protect ecosystems and ports from these alien stowaways is a critical tool.

The Gulf of California is home to a diverse assemblage of wildlife. This diversity is a reflection of the Gulf's distinctive geography. Impacts to wildlife from a variety of sources threaten many of the rare and endangered species that make the Gulf their home.

Clipperton Island is the easternmost coral atoll in the Pacific Ocean. This remote island enjoys a colorful history. Its isolation is not enough to protect its pristine reefs and unique wildlife from human impacts.