Oceanography

COP30’s biggest fault lines, explained.
In this final installment of our COP30 arc, we zoom out from Belém to map the conference’s defining tensions: ambitious speeches versus stalled outcomes, science-led urgency versus market-led “solutions,” and the growing leadership of the Global South. We unpack why carbon markets remain so contested, what “net zero” really allows, and how China’s energy transition is reshaping the politics of global climate action. Then we go deep on the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF)—a headline proposal to pay nations to keep forests standing—through a clear-eyed climate justice critique from Carola Mejía of LATINDADD. We close with what COP30 did (and didn’t) deliver—and what to watch next.

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10 New Insights in Climate Science
Nation article
No mention of fossil fuels
1600 + fossil fuel lobbyists at COP 30
Indigenous Flotilla
Climate Home News Indigenous access to COP30
Climate Tracker Report

Episode Guest: Carola Mejía
Latindadd
TFFF: A False Solution
Asamblea Against the TFFF
Devex: TFFF Origin Story

Hosted, produced, and edited by Clark Marchese
Cover art by Jomiro Eming
Theme music by Nela Ruiz
Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmedia and find more resources on our website
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The ocean took center stage at COP30. This episode of Oceanography explores how ocean science, policy, and lived experience shaped the climate conversations at COP30 in Belém, Brazil. From marine carbon dioxide removal and blue carbon ecosystem restoration to funding gaps and governance challenges, the episode traces how the ocean is increasingly framed as both a climate solution and a site of urgent risk. It also examines what COP30 delivered for the ocean, where progress was made, where ambition fell short, and why adaptation, finance, and follow-through remain unresolved. Grounded in reporting from the Ocean Pavilion and informed by broader analysis, this episode reflects on what it really means for oceans to rise on the global climate agenda.

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Hosted, produced, and edited by Clark Marchese
10 New Insights in Climate Science for 2025 by Future Earth
Cover art by Jomiro Eming
Theme music by Nela Ruiz
Find some more Pine Forest Media podcasts below:

Listen to South Pole on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Listen to Plastic Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Listen to Something in the Water on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Voices from Belém
COP30 brought global climate negotiations to Belém, a city where the Amazon meets the sea. This episode offers a grounded introduction to the conference by centering the people who live there. Activist Catarina Nefertari and artist and event producer Danilo Pontes share what the event meant for their communities, the environmental challenges facing Pará, and how local experiences shape the wider climate conversation. This is the first part of a three-episode COP30 series, providing essential context on the host city before turning to ocean science and international negotiation dynamics in the episodes ahead.

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Episode Guests: Catarina Nefertari and Danilo Pontes
Learn more about Amazônia de Pé, Our Kid’s Climate, and Laboratório da Cidade.
Find Danilo’s artistic portfolio here
Episode Transcript and more information on the Pine Forest Media website
Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmedia
Hosted, produced, and edited by Clark Marchese
Cover art by Jomiro Eming
Theme music by Nela Ruiz
Find some more Pine Forest Media podcasts below:

Listen to South Pole on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Listen to Plastic Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Listen to Something in the Water on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dive into the ocean’s rainforests and how to save them. This episode explores the science and hope behind seaforestation—the restoration of underwater kelp forests that sustain marine life, capture carbon, and protect our coasts. Joined by Scott Bohachyk of OceanWise and James LaFlamme of the Tseshaht First Nation, Clark uncovers how innovative science and Indigenous stewardship are teaming up to revive ecosystems once lost to warming seas and urchin barrens. From growing “baby kelp” to rebalancing ocean food webs, this episode reveals how kelp could be a key climate ally. Discover what’s being done, what’s at stake, and why restoring these underwater rainforests might just help heal the planet.
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Special thanks to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for sponsoring this episode.

Episode Guests: Scott Bohachyk and James LaFlamme
Find more about OceanWise and the SeaForestation Project
Visit the website of the Tseshaht First Nation
The cause of wasting disease, discovered by the Hakai Research Institue
Episode Transcript and more information on the Pine Forest Media website
Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmedia
Hosted, produced, and edited by Clark Marchese
Cover art by Jomiro Eming
Theme music by Nela Ruiz
Find some more Pine Forest Media podcasts below:
Listen to South Pole on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Listen to Plastic Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Listen to Something in the Water on Apple Podcasts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Film sparks action: from screens to shorelines.
In this episode of Oceanography, host Clark Marchese talks with Julie Anderson, CEO and co-founder of Plastic Oceans International, about the Trees & Seas Film Festival and its “participatory film activism” model. We explore how curated films connect to on-the-ground efforts in global Blue Communities, turning awareness into cleanups, tree plantings, and policy conversations. Julie traces her path from witnessing a nurdle spill to building the SEE Positive Change film library, and we dig into timely themes—microplastics, ecotourism pressures, and how environmental stress can drive migration. Hear favorites like The Illusion of Abundance and House by the Sea, and learn how storytelling done locally and shared globally reframes who has the power to make change.

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Episode Guest. Julie Anderson
Find more about Plastic Oceans International and the Blue Communities here
Learn more about the Trees & Seas Film Festival here
Access the SEE Positive Change film library here
More on The Illusion of Abundance here
Episode Transcript and more information on the Pine Forest Media website
Follow Pine Forest Media on Instagram @pineforestmedia
Hosted, produced, and edited by Clark Marchese
Cover art by Jomiro Eming
Theme music by Nela Ruiz
Find some more Pine Forest Media podcasts below:

Listen to South Pole on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Listen to Plastic Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Listen to Something in the Water on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.