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“Surreal” Sharks: Learning From The Best

October 1, 2016 DReynolds

I am excited to share that the Xploration Awesome Planet episode staring iconic explorer/adventurer Philippe Cousteau and featuring the University of Miami’s Dr. Neil Hammerschlag and his Shark Research and Conservation Program team and Predatory Ecology Lab dropped nationally today on the FOX network.

The episode, shot in Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic waters off Miami, focuses on Dr. Hammerschlag’s research work with sharks, as well as showing that these majestic creatures are not the scary ‘monsters’ depicted in movies and books but are important parts of our planet’s ecosystem.

Aside from my incredible love for sharks, this episode was especially meaningful to me because I was with Philippe and Neil that day (please see the blog that I wrote earlier this year entitled We’re Going to Need a Bigger Boat about this amazing experience by clicking here) and was actually featured in the piece when Philippe interviewed me as I worked to measure one shark and perform various experiments on the boat’s transom.

As I said during the episode on television today, being with two of my science heroes and the sharks was “surreal.” As I also said, the experience “brings everything we learned in the classroom into the real world and that everything actually matters and that it’s all real.”

I have been privileged to participate in five University of Miami shark tagging adventures but to be with Dr. Hammerschlag and his team plus Philippe Cousteau from EarthEcho (and on whose International Youth Leadership Council I serve as a member) was something that I will never forget.

Thanks to my school, Palmer Trinity School, and especially the program’s sponsor, Dr. Caroline Hammerschlag, for allowing us to spend the day with the Shark Research and Conservation program to learn from everyone on board, as well as to conduct some super cool hands-on science on these magnificent creatures.

Thanks to Philippe, Neil and the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science for an amazing experience and for again showing the world that these incredible creatures are not so scary after all!

Caroline Hammerschlag, Climate Change, Delaney Reynolds, Discovery, Dr. Caroline Hammerschlag, Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, EarthEcho International, Eco Warrior, Florida, FOX, FOX Network, Global Warming, Jaws, Miami, miamiecowarrior, miamisearise, Miamisearise.com, Our Echo, Palmer Trinity, Palmer Trinity School, Philippe Cousteau, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Sea Level Rise, Sea Rise, Shark, Shark Research & Conservation Program, The Discovery Channel, The Sink or Swim Project, University of Massachusetts, University of Miami, We're gonna need a bigger boat, Xploration Awesome Planet

Our Ocean, Our Future

September 18, 2016 DReynolds

It is a beautiful Indian Summer day in Miami. The time between the end of summer and beginning of fall. No, it is not cool outside like I imagine it might be in New England, but the skies are blue and cloudless and the sun is bright. It is, I suppose, a perfect day to jump in the pool or go to the beach, but given what has been an amazing week, I feel compelled to share a few words and pictures about the Our Ocean Summit that I was privileged to attend last week in Washington D.C.

This was the third Our Ocean Summit – the first being in Washington two years ago, the second being in Chile last year – and these have become important global events focused on protecting our oceans from pollution, illegal fishing, and the impact global warming and our climate have on our planet’s oceans. The conference is designed to mobilize advocates and actors in government, private society, and elsewhere to take action to protect our marine environment. More than 20 countries attended the Our Ocean Conference and announced the creation of 40 significant new marine protected areas, totaling nearly 460,000 square miles of ocean. To be able to participate in this important work was an amazing experience, but what was most amazing is what was accomplished at this year’s conference.

Over 120 ocean conservation projects were announced during this year’s conference, including nearly two billion dollars in financial commitments to protect more than two million square kilometers in new or expanded marine environments. During the conference, for example, President Obama announced the creation of The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. This monument will protect nearly 5,000 square miles of marine ecosystem with unique geological features including underwater canyons that are deeper than the Grand Canyon and an environment that is home to some of the world’s most endangered and rare species including sperm, fin, sei whales, and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles.

Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument Location

To watch a video from the 2016 Our Ocean Conference about how climate change has effected our planet, as well as what has been accomplished during the Our Ocean conferences, click here!

Here is a gallery of pictures from my adventures at the Our Ocean Conference and Capitol Hill:

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Thank you to the U.S. State Department and Secretary Kerry for hosting this year’s event, as well as Georgetown University and the Kennedy Center where many of the events that I attended were located. Thanks to the U.S. Capitol and the many Representatives and Senators who I spoke to for their concern over our oceans, including the impact that global warming and sea level rise is having on South Florida.

I want to especially thank Philippe and Ashlan Cousteau, as well as Stacy, Allie, and Mia from EarthEcho for their invitation and hosting myself and the rest of the EarthEcho Youth Leadership Council. It was an amazing first live gathering of the Council and incredible evidence of what we can accomplish together.

Lastly, I want to thank my school, Palmer Trinity, for allowing me to attend this conference and especially thank Mr. Chapman, Dr. Regalado, and Mrs. Paschick for their support. I would also be remiss to not thank my mom for travelling with me and being the best travel companion a girl could ever have.

If you are a student or someone young at heart, let me end by saying that all of us have a voice and that you can make an impact in anything that you are passionate about. So whether it is the ocean, the environment, or some other topic, do not ever be afraid to speak up, speak out, and become involved because together we can make the world better for future generations.

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A September to Remember

September 12, 2016 DReynolds

As the warmest summer on record nears an end, this month is shaping up to be a “September to Remember” for The Sink or Swim Project. I want to update everyone on a few of the amazing events that we will be participating in as we continue to publicly discuss the risks that South Florida faces from global warming and especially sea level rise, as well as possible solutions such as the need to dramatically increase the use of solar power and other sustainable energy solutions as we transition away from the use of fossil fuel before it’s too late. With these important topics in mind I hope you will join us at one or more of these events or, at the very least, join the discussion;

1. Climate Change Discussion & Round Table with John Podesta, Chairman Hillary for America / 2:30 PM, Monday, September 12^th / Key Biscayne, Florida

John Podesta, Chief of Staff for Former Secretary of State and current Democratic candidate for the Presidency of the United States, Hillary Clinton, will lead a Round Table discussion on Climate Change on the 12^th at 2:30 PM at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) Auditorium and I am so very humbled to have been invited to participate in this important discussion along with some of our region’s leading scientists, lawmakers and clean energy entrepreneurs.

Thanks to Susan Glickman from the Southern Alliance on Clean Energy for inviting me to attend and to the University of Miami RSMAS campus for hosting this important discussion. To learn more about the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, please visit: http://www.cleanenergy.org/. To Learn more about the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science please click visit:http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/. To learn more about Mr. Podesta, please visit:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Podesta.

2. Secretary John Kerry & The United States Department of State / Our Oceans Conference / Thursday & Friday, September 15^th and 16^th / Washington D.C.

I am thankful to be a member of Philippe Cousteau’s inaugural EarthEcho Youth Leadership Council and in that capacity will be attending the 2016 Our Ocean One Future Leadership Summit at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. on the 15^th and 16^th. During our time together I will visit the Ocean Conservancy to discuss ocean policy, attend the Our Ocean One Future Summit, visit Capitol Hill, and hear Secretary of State John Kerry conduct a Town Hall.

Secretary Kerry will be hosting the 2016 Our Oceans Conference and in doing so plans to call today’s youth to action to protect our worlds’ waters and its inhabitants. The Conference shall focus on threats to our oceans in four areas including; Marine Protected Areas, Climate Change, Sustainable Fisheries and Marine Pollution. Speaking of Secretary Kerry, to watch a video he has made related to the event and the importance of our oceans, click here.

The learn more about The Our Oceans, One Future Leadership Summit visit http://ourocean2016.org/#event.

3. Smithsonian Water Ways Lecture / 6 PM, Friday, September 16^th/ Miami Springs, Florida

The Florida Humanities Council has selected the historic Curtis Mansion here in Miami Springs as one of six locations to host the 2016-2017 Smithsonian Exhibit ‘Water/Ways’ (http://curtissmansion.com/MoMS/) and on Friday September 16^th at 6:00 PM The Sink or Swim Project will be presenting a lecture on global warming and sea level rise entitled Sink or Swim For Kids (Of All Ages). Following our talk we will also be answering questions on a range of global warming topics from the audience.

You can learn more about the event by clicking here or visiting (http://curtissmansion.com/delaney-reynolds-sink-or-swim-for-kids-of-all-ages/) and I hope you will join us, as well as tell your friends and family to come out for what should be a fun night.

Please consider following The Sink or Swim Project on social media (Twitter, Instagram or Facebook), as well as sharing our work with a friend or two. The work ahead of us to protect our planet is both sizable and significant but, together, we can make a difference. For your support of our work, and reading, thanks so much!

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