How are coral reefs, chemistry, and composting all connected? Tune in to find out! In this episode I chat with a new scientist friend who studies ocean acidification and coral reefs in the Florida Keys. From labs filled with experiments, to reefs of baby coral polyps, to a scuba dive trip, Amanda and I nerd out about one of the most diverse ecosystems on our planet.

This month we’re jumping into a massive freshwater ecosystem: the Everglades. And yes, “jumping in” is a literal statement. My friend Bree and I talk about the unique environment that is southern Florida, alligators, “the Grand Dame of the Everglades,” and more, all while tromping through mud and shin-deep water.

Ever wonder what happened to that entangled whale you heard about in the news, or that harbor seal you saw on a beach in pretty rough shape? Well in this episode we’re getting an inside look at a marine wildlife hospital. Casey Mclean is the executive director of Sealife Response + Rehabilitation + Research, a nonprofit dedicated to, yup you guessed it, the response, rehabilitation and research of marine wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. Her work with wildlife and veterinary medicine has taken her all over the country, saving injured animals, and this past spring she opened up a hospital in Washington to care for even more of them. We talk about harbor seal pups, sperm whales, oil spills, and the challenges of being a land mammal caring for ocean mammals.