Plenty has been written and said about what’s happening right now on the Florida Reef Tract, and so I’ve been slow to say any more, to add to the sadness. The Florida Reef Tract is the third largest in the world, about 380 miles long, stretching from north of Miami beyond Key …
Here’s a little collab between TelaMarine and me for World Ocean Day! https://www.juliberwald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/45dd5361-16d4-4d3c-afea-1d4c54bf8188.mp4
The coral behind me in this photo is at least 20 feet tall and easily has a circumference of 80 feet. No joke. Although the fogging of my right goggle certainly is something to laugh at. I’m terrible at selfies on land, so it’s beyond me why I tried to take one …
When I got the email from my publisher that LIFE ON THE ROCKS was a finalist for the LA Times Book Award, my heart dropped. I gasped out loud. My daughter, Isy was still waking up and she cracked her door open, “What happened?” she asked groggily. I jumped up and hugged …
It was an honor to meet Asst. Secretary Monica Medina, and offer her a copy of LIFE ON THE ROCKS. At the Society for Environmental Journalism’s Annual Meeting in 2022, I was asked to moderate a session on ocean plastic, a topic I’ve followed for about a quarter century. The issue came …
I would be lying if I didn’t say that I’ve had my share of sweaty palms about the reviews for LIFE ON THE ROCKS. This is a book about coral science, but also a deeply personal book. As I wrote this book, the world was hit by the Covid crisis, a new …
“You operated on that eel?” I asked, my eyes opening wide. Nathan Marcucci, the manager of the aquarium at the San Antonio Zoo, nodded and pulled out his phone showing me a video of how, along with the Zoo’s veterinarian, he’d built a constant flow system to move water over the anesthetized …
They’re here!! They’re here!! What an incredible feeling to hold the physical book of Life on the Rocks in my hands. There’s something almost unreal about paging through the text that’s so beautifully laid out after having it glowing out at me from a screen for so long. This book holds a …
I’ve been quiet on this blog for quite a while, but I’ve been busy writing about coral. Life on the Rocks: Building a Future for Coral Reefs is turned in and in production. I’m so excited for it to come out next spring. I’ve seen the cover – and it’s amazing. I …
With all the fears of invisible pathogens out there right now, I had the pleasure of joining a group of teenage girls working to combat microbial stereotypes this weekend. Calling themselves Bio Buddies, they demonstrated how to use bacterial cellulose to create “clothes” for paper cutout characters. What’s bacterial cellulose? It’s the …