Bribing Congress with penguin cupcakes & the end of my fellowship

Made the nations Capitol my office earlier last month! I attended the congressional briefing about the poles (Arctic and Antarctic) led by Senator Whitehouse, Kathryn Sullivan, Senator Nelson, Dr. Brendan Kelly, and a few other inspirational individuals.

IMG_6734 (2)Senator Whitehouse gave an incredible speech about the importance of scientists to strike down the pseudo science that has attempted to brain wash society since the tobacco industry began using “science” for their benefit. “Science had an evil twin, parallel science–phony baloney science. We as a society need to call them out. As scientists, there is a force working against you, be11427402_10154129195660752_6423257790873533609_o aware of it. No matter your trophic level, oceans are changing before our eyes worldwide. Oceans bear true witness to climate change impacts.”
Until we are able to remove these “scientist” from power, we will not be able to battle climate change. We will not be able to help the indigenous communities that rely on the fish and land. the children suffering massive health impacts from climate change, or the climate refuges. What we will have is massive wars over resources and the underdeveloped and poor world will suffer the hardest. We have a responsibility to act now and fix the damage the developed world has done.

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Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2015

Capitol Hill Ocean Week (June 9-11)the nations largest, most focused, and highest level of oceans discussions. #CHOW2015 on Twitter

With the start of the 114th Congress, Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) marked a unique opportunity to shape the U.S. marine policy agenda, engage leadership, cultivate new ocean champions, and drive lively conversation about America’s most critical ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes issues. For more than a decade, CHOW has convened Congressional Members and staff, Administration officials, state and local government representatives, business executives, military officials, academic experts, and conservation leaders to explore a wide range of cutting-edge and challenging policy issues relating to our ocean. Continue reading

Flying across the country with my Pickle


I moved into my beautiful studio in D.C. three days before I started work at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Organization (NOAA). The lush greenery of Washington, D.C. has pleasantly surprised me. Walking around this city feels like a mixture of my favorite metropolises- the greenery of Amsterdam, the liveliness of Istanbul, and the historical beauty of Paris. My apartment is located in an incredibly central area that is the perfect combination of city life and nature, including trails leading to Rock Creek National Park. The weekend we flew to D.C. happened to fall on Memorial Day Weekend. It was so much fun to experience the parades and festivities throughout the National Mall all the while honoring our veterans. Continue reading