Learn Me Some Stuff

"I wish you would use all means at your disposal - films! expeditions! the web! more! -- to ignite public support for a network of marine protected areas, hope spots large enough to save and restore the ocean, the blue heart of the planet." - Sylvia Earle, TED 2009


Since I committed to spending half the year swimming in the Indian Ocean, I have reignited my love for all things ocean related by reading, watching, and listening to anything on the topic. I'm currently reading  The Human, The Orchid and The Octopus: Exploring and Conserving Our Natural World by Jacques Cousteau (you know, the famous ocean explorer who invented the AquaLung so that people like me can breath underwater).  


I've also spent the better part of many days listening to various TED talks on the ocean. I love TED talks, they are on a wide variety of topics and are informative, entertaining, quite often ground breaking and sometimes even heart breaking. If you've never heard of TED, I urge you, no I DEMAND that you immediately go to their website, explore and watch a few videos on topics that interest you. Come back and finish reading this post when you are done.......




.......pretty cool stuff, huh?   I bet you watched this one didn't you. Figures. Now, back to the ocean! 


Below are a few of my favorite TED talks that contain valuable information about the state of the oceans, marine life and what we need to do to preserve the precious oceans for future generations. These aren't just about "save the turtles!" though I fully stand behind that. These are about preserving the earth's most valuable resources and how we need to stop treating them like giant garbage dumps that are void of life. If we keep acting the way we are now, the oceans will be void of life before we know it.


Watch, listen and learn! 


Sylvia Earle - an urge to protect our oceans



Brian Skerry - the oceans' glories (and horrors) 


Mike DeGruy - how his love for the ocean began


David Gallo - underwater astonishments 



Captain Charles Moore urges you to think twice before you buy and toss another plastic water or soda bottle. "All the king's horses and all the king's men will never gather up all the plastic and put the ocean back together again."  



More Information on the Ocean Garbage Patches:
Indian Ocean Garbage Patch
North Atlantic Garbage Patch
Great Pacific Garbage Patch

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Bonus! For watching all those videos, you now get to check out some incredible ocean photography that makes me want to grab my mask and snorkel and jump in! 



http://brianskerry.com/
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/08/bahamas-caves/skiles-photography

Happiness in 2012

No eloquent ramblings about how I hope to find true happines on a beach this year - just one simple, straight forward quote I stumbled across today:

"There is NO reason  in 2012 to do the shit you hate. NONE. You can lose just as much money being happy as hell." - Gary Vaynerchuk

Well put!