Explaining the Barbuda Ocean Initiative on Live TV

Originally published on the (now archived) National Geographic blog.
July 18, 2013

I’ve been writing here about the Barbuda Blue Halo Initiative, which the Waitt Institute is coordinating. In essence, it’s about asking a community what they want their future ocean to look like and figuring out how to get there. It’s an exciting model for island-wide, comprehensive ocean zoning and sustainable management of fisheries. It’s science-based, collaborative, and stakeholder-driven.

I've described the Initiative, shared stories about the ecological assessment, SCUBA training, interviews with fishermen, launch celebrations, and premiered our introductory video, BUT there is something about a live interview that forces you to crystalize concepts and throw out the jargon (while trying not to squint too much at the sun in your eyes, or flinch too much at the bites of the sand flies). So here’s my live TV interview on Antigua & Barbuda’s morning show.

Thank you to "Good Morning Antigua & Barbuda” and ABS TV for providing this opportunity to share information about the Barbuda Blue Halo Initiative with the people of Antigua & Barbuda. Thank you to Tasheka Lavann for asking great questions. The setting on the shore of the Codrington Lagoon — critical nursery habitat for the economically important lobster, snapper, and grunt fisheries — could not have been more appropriate.