Stetson alumnus shares ocean conservation efforts in latest biodiversity lecture
By Taylor Allyn, 3L
Stetson Law
On Oct. 6, 2020, the Stetson Law community welcomed alumnus Jon Paul Brooker as part of the Edward and Bonnie Foreman Biodiversity Lecture Series. His talk, “Currents and Crossroads: A Vision for Florida’s Oceans and Coasts” expounded on his lifelong passion and work in protecting Florida’s oceans.
Brooker is the Director of Florida Conservation at the Ocean Conservancy in St. Petersburg and works every day to protect the unique and wild Florida he grew up knowing. The ocean is more than a beautiful place to relax and play. It also functions as our life support system, providing oxygen, jobs, and food for 3 billion people, which is why it is imperative to protect “our biggest public playground,” he said.
Ocean Conservancy was founded in 1972 as an organization of scientists and lawyers working to effect meaningful environmental policy change to help protect oceans. The organization has coordinated the International Coastal Cleanup for decades and is focused on several other concerns, including Arctic conservation in the face of rapid industrialization, ocean acidification and its impacts on aquaculture, Gulf restoration after the 2010 BP oil spill, fish conservation and regeneration of fish stocks, and striving to keep the oceans trash free.
Additionally, the organization has a renewed focus on protecting Florida and tackling its unique environmental problems concerning oil and gas, algal blooms, ocean acidification, and water cleanliness. Brooker said climate change and ocean temperature increases have already begun to damage our environment both above and under the water. We can expect more frequent and severe storms—in 2020, there were more than four named storms at one time in the Atlantic Ocean, for example. Warming water temperatures and ocean acidification can also cause coral bleaching, loss of habitats for marine life, and stony coral tissue disease.
Because Florida is a swing state, Brooker said he spends much of his time convincing conservative politicians to include conservation in their policy goals. He described the current need for ocean conservation as an “all hands on deck moment” and emphasized the goal of making healthy oceans and coasts in Florida the equivalent of supporting farmers in Iowa – a political no-brainer for candidates, no matter their party affiliation.
Among Ocean Conservancy’s other priorities are climate change and intersectional environmentalism, targeting injustice impacting marginalized communities, and addressing climate gentrification. The group also fosters partnerships with local governments for issues with water quality, marine wildlife, education, ocean trash, and carbon pollution. They push statewide water quality reforms to close regulatory gaps and conduct education and outreach through ocean classroom curriculums. Brooker underscored the importance of ensuring Florida children are properly educated about their home, so that they may usher in a new generation of environmental advocates.
His advice to law students wanting to get involved with conservation: follow your passions. Conservation may not be the work that makes you rich, but the ultimate reward is the knowledge that you are advancing the protection of a beautiful and unique environment.
Post date: Oct. 13, 2020
Media contact: Kate Bradshaw
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