Join us in this How to Save an Ocean episode with Pelika Andrade, the founder and Executive Director of Nā Maka Onaona, a Hawaiʻi-based non-profit, and an extension agent for the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program. She has a long history working with Hawaiʻi communities as a community member, hoaʻāina (friend of the land), and researcher. For the past 15 years, Pelika has been developing alternate approaches to monitoring Hawaiʻi’s watersheds and supporting the implementation of m...

Dan Kinzer founded Pacific Blue Studios, a network of high-impact, community-driven, place-based, and youth-powered studios. The network's shared aim is to leverage biomimicry, indigenous perspective, and cutting-edge technologies as vehicles to grow, connect, and amplify a (k)new intergenerational learning ecosystem––to help realize a resilient, regenerative and inclusive future in Hawai'i around the Pacific and across our Blue Planet. Naiʻa and Dan talk about how programs and people ...

Bonnie Kahapea is an educator, mentor, voyager, and community advocate. While at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, Bonnieʻs passion for voyaging was ignited. She witnessed the Hōkūleʻa preparing for a voyage to Tahiti – and the pull of the ocean was undeniable. While pursuing her master's degree in transformative learning and change, Bonnie remained connected to her roots and "stayed close to the canoe." She never lost sight of her passion for voyaging. Today, Bonnie serves as an instr...

Kelsey Leonard is the first Native American woman to earn a science degree from the University of Oxford, which she earned in 2012. She earned an MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management from St. Cross College, one of the thirty-eight c olleges of the University of Oxford. Her master's thesis, “Water Quality For Native Nations: Achieving A Trust Responsibility”, discusses water quality regulation and how water resources on tribal land are not protected. Kelsey Leonard is an enrolled member...

As founder of Salted Logic, an indigenous, women-owned multi-media collective, Naiʻa leverages twenty-five years of experience in the public and private sectors to help clients reach their goals. She uses innovative media, high-impact communication products, culturally-driven design, coaching, and resilient partnerships to achieve project objectives parallel to building resilient communities and durable intergenerational learning systems. Naiʻa splits her time as Director of Big Ocean,...

Dan is a well-respected leading global expert on ocean conservation. He is currently Emeritus Marine Vice Chair of IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). He is a member of WCPA Chair’s Advisory Group, and Chairs the Hope Spot Council and is an Emeritus Board Member of Mission Blue. He is also a founding Non-Executive Board Member of the Office for Environmental Protection, established in the wake of Brexit Under the Environment Act. This new body was established in 2022 to hold UK...

James Ellsmoor is the founder and CEO of Island Innovation, a global network that connects island communities through digital communication and programming. Events like the Virtual Island Summit allow rural communities, organizations, and island stakeholders to connect in ways they wouldnʻt otherwise. In this conversation, Naiʻa and James talk about the unique connection between island people and the ocean, how to create virtual community, and innovation in practice.

Alan Friedlander has been studying the world’s oceans for 35 years. He’s spent 10,000 hours below the surface – in Tonga, Hawaii, the Arctic. Almost anywhere with a body of water. His experiences in the Pacific led him to the University of Hawai’i where he recieved his Ph.D. and eventually went on to not only teach, but become Director of Fisheries Ecology Research Laboratory. Alan currently serves as the National Geographic’s Pristine Seas Chief Scientist. As a Royal Geographical Society and Explorers Club Fellow, he’s authored over 200 scientific publications on everything from coral reef community ecology to marine resource use and management. In this conversation, Nai’a and Alan discuss indigenous knowledge systems, community ocean management, and the importance of intergenerational memory.

Mark Spalding is a man of many talents ­– ­former lawyer, car enthusiast, current President of the Ocean Foundation, the list goes on. Under Mark’s leadership, the Ocean Foundation has seen astronomic growth – from a $200,000/year budget in 2003 – to a remarkable $8 million/year through strategic planning and project building. Above all, the Foundation seeks to deepen and reinforce the relationship between human beings and the ocean that surrounds them. Mark currently serves on the Sargasso Sea Commission, is an active member of the Ocean Studies Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (USA), and is the Rockefeller Climate Solutions Fund advisor and the Credit Suisse Rockefeller Ocean Engagement Fund. In this conversation, Nai’a and Mark chart their unconventional path to conservation, discuss funding at scale, diversity and equity in science, and bond over the Pacific Ocean.

Artist. Veteran. Scientist. Educator. Explorer. Author. We are all multidimensional beings, sure. But it’s fair to say that Marcus Eriksen has a few more dimensions than most. As co-founder of 5 Geyers, he’s led over 20 expeditions exploring and researching the world’s oceans. Research published by 5 Geyers, eventually led to the creation of the Microbead-Free Waters Act, signed by President Obama and passed in 2015. As the co-founder of LEAP LAB, he lectures on biophilia, and the role of art, science, and self-reliance to achieve urban resilience. In this conversation, Nai’a and Marcus discuss reconnecting with hope; scientific and artistic exploration; the impact of getting published; and the logistics of proposing at sea.