Beneath the surface, Aotearoa New Zealand’s oceans are under growing pressure. We’re taking too much good stuff out, putting too much bad stuff in, and the system is warming faster than it can adapt - with dire consequences that are often overlooked and ignored.

In this episode, we sit down with Shaun Lee for an honest conversation about the state of our marine environment. Despite being an ocean nation, less than 1% of our EEZ (exclusive economic zone) is fully or highly protected, placing us among the worst-performing countries globally.

We are missing the UN benchmark that aims for 30% protection by 2030 BY FAR, and this is reflected in the declines we’re seeing in ocean health.

While the picture is confronting and politically driven, there is genuine reason for hope. We also explore how marine ecosystems can recover when pre ...