We are only a few days from wrapping up 2025 and while we are making plans for the new year, it is always worth taking a look back at a very busy and productive year.

January started with a new administration in the U.S. – stewardship for the planet came under attack. We however continued on with our mission.

In January we announced our 2025 Ocean Steward Scholarships for both open water and advanced open water training.

In March we headed to the Boston Sea Rovers Show in Danvers, MA.

By May it was time to get back in the water with a quick trip to Key Largo for a few days of diving as a tune up for our Dive Pirates trip to Cayman Brac in June.

In July, SEA-CT partnered with Scuba Shack and attended the Newington Extravaganza to get our message out to the local community.

October saw us heading to the Far East for a three week trip to Indonesia and the Philippines.

A week after getting back from the coral triangle, I headed to Orlando for the DEMA Show 2025.

We wrapped up the year by sponsoring a Marine Ecosystem and Coral Awareness course in partnership with Scuba Shack and announced our year end Board of Directors Challenge – we will match all donations made in December dollar-for-dollar. Still time to donate.

Now it is time to wrap up Scuba Educational Alliance Ocean Podcast. It has been fun and rewarding but now it is time to move on from podcasting.

Thanks to all who have listened to the show.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year.

Goodbye.

The US Department of Interior recently issued an order that significantly looks to expand oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico, and off the coast of Alaska and California.

This expansion covers 1.27 billion acres of ocean.

Additionally, the Interior Department plans to sell more leases in 80 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico on December 10, 2025. A lawsuit has been filed to stop this sale stating that it violates the National Environmental Protection Act.

We need to protect the ocean, and expanding offshore oil and gas production is not going to do that.

This year the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) Show took place in Orlando, FL at the Orange County Convention Center – November 11 – 14, 2025.

The show continues to demonstrate that the dive industry is vibrant, alive and energized. Attendance at the show is back to pre-pandemic levels with a record number of qualified buyers in attendance. Business is getting done at the DEMA Show.

Listen for my recap on all of the activities.

We just returned from a three-week trip of scuba diving in Lembeh (Indonesia) and the Philippines. This is an incredible adventure with world-class diving in the heart of the coral triangle.

Check out the travel, resorts and diving in this part of the world.

Plastic pollution is yet another critical peril impacting the oceans around the world. To solve this problem it is going to take a concentrated effort to implement solutions that stop the production of more plastic, improve recycling and disposal efforts and implement solutions that allow for reuse of items to replace the single-use plastic items that are so prolific.

Recently, Senator Jeff Merkley from Oregon introduced a bill – REUSE Act of 2025. REUSE stands for Research for Environmental Use and Sustainable Economies. The bill authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency to prepare a report on reuse and refill systems. Given the current disfunction with the legislative process, there is little hope that this bill will move forward.

We need legislation like the Farewell to Foam Act 2025, or the REUSE Act of 2025 and implementation of the National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution to be set in motion. It might be worth asking those who are asking for your vote where they stand or do they think climate change, and the plastic pollution problem are con jobs.

Recently, President Trump addressed the United Nations where he told the world that climate change is a greatest con job. He also said that this was being predicted by stupid people. I disagree.

There is detailed scientific data that paints the picture that the planet’s climate is changing. Recently the American Meteorological Society released their State of the Climate 2024 and provides the evidence that the world is heating up. The report tells us that the oceans are getting warmer and records continue to fall when it comes to the heat.

When NASA was actively engaged in climate study (they recently pulled back), they reported on how climate change was impacting the ocean. Here is their assessment.

1. The ocean is warming
2. Sea levels are rising
3. The ocean is getting a little greener
4. Ocean warming is altering hurricanes
5. Ocean acidification and heating are altering marine ecosystems
6. Sea ice is thinning and shrinking
7. Ocean circulations may be changing

NO! Climate change is NOT a con job. It is happening and happening fast. We need to face the facts and implement the needed changes.

The Plastic Pollution Coalition reported some disappointing results from the UN’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Committees recent meeting in Geneva – August 5 to 15, 2025. The meetings were riddled with distraction and delay tactics from the fossil fuel industry and plastic friendly countries. How big are the lobbying efforts. Greenpeace’s report – Plastic, Profit and Power – How petrochemical companies are derailing the global plastic treaty outlines just how this is happening.

Dow, ExxonMobil, BASF, Chevron, Phillips, Shell, SABIC and INEOS are all sending lobbyist to the meetings. There were 220 lobbyist. That is the single largest delegation at the conference. These lobbyist playbook is one of delay, distract, discredit and dominate.

Greenpeace’s recommendations:

1. Ban fossil fuel and petrochemical lobbyist from plastic treaty negotiations and future conference on plastic
2. Embed a strong conflict of interest policy in the treaty
3. Ensure meaningful public and scientific participation

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Sea State looks at

• REEF Discover the Sea Photo Contest – www.REEF.org/photocontest
• DAN’s Alert Diver Q3 2025 Edition
• Historical Diving Society’s Journal of Diving History Q3 Edition
• Women Divers Hall of Fame Scholarship and Grant Applications now open
• Meet Mobila Yarea
• Drones, Right Whales and Orcas

In this episode I take a look at a blue paper published by the Ocean Panel on the impacts to the worldwide workforce if we take action and create a sustainable ocean economy versus not doing anything to help preserve the ocean.

Currently, the worldwide workforce tied to the ocean economy is about 133 million. If we pursue sustainable practices that number could rise by 51 million more workers by 2050. If we do nothing they estimate that the number will drop by 40 million.

A sustainable ocean economy requires governments, the private sector, financial institutions, educational institutions and civil society organizations to work in concert to achieve the needed results.

The main factors that need to be addresses are

• Climate change
• Adoption of sustainable practices
• Emerging and innovative industry sectors
• Investment and access to finance
• Changing demand for ocean-based goods and services
• Changing demand for energy

Sea State looks at

• Sea Star die off mystery solved
• An orange nurse shark
• Argentinians are watching the sea floor
• NASA changes direction on monitoring climate change
• MarineLab to take over Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo
• Yes – Beach clean ups do work