The Healthy Seas Podcast

When Nature Has a Number on the Balance Sheet

How the financial world is starting to recognize the value of ecosystems services
In this episode of the Healthy Seas Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Ralph Chami — financial economist, former Assistant Director at the International Monetary Fund, and Co-Founder of Blue Green Future — to explore one of the most powerful shifts underway: integrating the value of nature’s services into economic and financial systems.
From whales and seagrass to elephants and bison, Ralph’s work centers around measuring the economic contributions of living ecosystems and designing financial tools that recognize their role in climate regulation, biodiversity support, and human wellbeing. The goal? To accelerate funding for restoration and protection by making nature visible on the balance sheet.
A Whale, a Shift, a New Vision

The conversation begins with a deeply personal story: a moment in the Sea of Cortez that transformed Ralph’s life and career. From that encounter with a blue whale came a new path, one that brought together climate science, conservation, and high-level economics. Since then, Ralph has helped governments and organizations understand how to value nature’s services — not to commodify ecosystems, but to make the case for investing in their preservation and restoration.
In the episode, you’ll hear about:
Why whales can be worth millions over their lifetime through carbon storage
How forward contracts are being used to fund environmental restoration
What makes a nature-based project “investable”
Why markets are slow to respond — and what could unlock faster change
The role of communities in managing and benefiting from ecosystem services
The risks of leaving nature outside the financial system, and how to avoid them
When Oceans Meet Economics

For companies, investors, and governments trying to build credible climate and biodiversity strategies, this episode offers a new lens. As Ralph puts it, valuing nature’s services isn’t about replacing conservation with markets — it’s about finally recognizing the systems we depend on, and funding their protection before it’s too late.
It’s a bold reframe of where value lies, and how finance can be part of the solution.
If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe, rate and review it! This helps to boost its visibility.
Healthy Seas is a marine conservation organization whose mission is to tackle the ghost fishing phenomenon and turn this waste into an opportunity for a more circular economy. They do this through clean-ups, prevention, education, and working with partners who recycle and repurpose this material. The podcast is hosted by Crystal DiMiceli.

How sustainability reporting, biodiversity, and NGO partnerships can shape the next wave of corporate responsibility.

In this new episode of the Healthy Seas Podcast, we explore what lies beyond ESG compliance — and how companies can turn sustainability reporting into real environmental impact.
Our guests Elena Cicoria and Giuseppe Cais from Diligea, a Benefit Corporation specializing in ESG consulting, share what they’ve learned working with businesses of all sizes, from banks to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
They explain why sustainability can no longer be treated as a side project, what’s missing in most corporate strategies, and how new reporting regulations in Europe are reshaping the way companies integrate environmental and social performance into daily operations.
Together, we talk about:
The hidden opportunities behind ESG reporting
Why biodiversity — not just carbon — should be part of every business strategy
The growing role of transparency and accountability in fighting greenwashing
How oceans connect to every industry, even those far from the coast
And how NGOs like Healthy Seas can help companies move from reporting to real impact — through tangible restoration, circular economy, and education projects.
Whether you’re a sustainability manager looking to strengthen your company’s ESG strategy or a business curious about meaningful partnerships, this episode offers both clarity and inspiration.
If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe, rate and review it! This helps to boost its visibility.
Healthy Seas is a marine conservation organization whose mission is to tackle the ghost fishing phenomenon and turn this waste into an opportunity for a more circular economy. They do this through clean-ups, prevention, education, and working with partners who recycle and repurpose this material. The podcast is hosted by Crystal DiMiceli.

Two marine scientists, one shipwreck, and a mission to uncover the hidden impacts of ghost nets.
Beyond Cleanups: A New Kind of Mission

In this episode of the Healthy Seas Podcast, we take you inside a groundbreaking project that combines our cleanup work with long-term scientific research. Together with our partner DWS, Healthy Seas is investigating how ghost nets affect biodiversity on shipwrecks—and what happens when they’re removed with the help of Ghost Diving volunteers.
Our guests are Isadora Abuter and Ramona Reichert, two Healthy Seas marine scientists who joined the expedition in Greece. With host Crystal DiMiceli, they share what it was like to dive on the wreck, how they collected data underwater, and why science and storytelling must go hand in hand to protect the ocean.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode
 Why the Ionian Sea shipwreck was chosen as the study site
 First impressions of the wreck—and the surprising life found on the ghost nets themselves
 How the team measured biodiversity and microplastic pollution underwater
 The importance of illustration and communication in bringing science to life
 What comes next in phase two of this long-term project
Why It Matters
For Healthy Seas, every cleanup is more than removing waste—it’s an opportunity to learn, restore, and inspire. This project shows how science strengthens conservation, and how partnerships like the one with DWS open new possibilities for impact.
As Isadora puts it: “Even the most important research has no impact if people cannot understand it. That’s why communication is key.”
Learn more about the "Wrecks of Life: Tracking Biodiversity After the Nets" and our mission with DWS: https://www.healthyseas.org/blog/unseen-damage-how-ghost-nets-disrupt-marine-life-coral-growth-and-ocean-health/

If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe, rate and review it! This helps to boost its visibility.
Healthy Seas is a marine conservation organization whose mission is to tackle the ghost fishing phenomenon and turn this waste into an opportunity for a more circular economy. They do this through clean-ups, prevention, education, and working with partners who recycle and repurpose this material. The podcast is hosted by Crystal DiMiceli.

One Stroke at a Time: A Journey of Purpose and Resilience

In our first episode after a long pause, the Healthy Seas Podcast dives back in with a guest who embodies everything we stand for—passion, action, and deep connection to the sea. Andy Donaldson is not just the first person to complete the Ocean’s Seven in a single year—he’s a man on a mission.
In this honest and inspiring conversation, Andy reflects on his transformation from elite swimmer to accountant and back again—this time driven by a renewed sense of purpose. He opens up about burnout, mental health, and the healing power of water, sharing tools that can help not only athletes but anyone navigating tough times or long-term goals.
His message? Whether you’re swimming across oceans or facing challenges on land, the key is knowing your “why”—and taking one brave stroke at a time.
Endurance Meets Advocacy: Lessons for Athletes and Activists

This episode isn’t only for swimmers. Andy shares insights that resonate with anyone tackling long journeys—especially changemakers and environmental advocates who may be facing burnout or self-doubt.
He speaks candidly about building mental and physical resilience, preparing for setbacks, and using sport as a platform to protect what you love. From ultra-cold training swims to mindset tricks that helped him through 15-hour ocean crossings, Andy’s story is packed with actionable takeaways.
For young athletes, this is a masterclass in grit. For activists, it’s a reminder that the same tools of endurance apply to advocacy.
Sharing What You Love Means Protecting It

Andy joined Healthy Seas and our partner Arena on a ghost net cleanup in Croatia, witnessing first-hand the damage left behind by abandoned fishing gear. His experience turned into a powerful call to action: “We need clean oceans not just to swim—but to live, to breathe, to thrive.”
He’s now dreaming big—imagining a global network of athletes advocating for the sea through sport, visibility, and action. As he says in the episode: “Share what you love—and protect it too.”
If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe, rate and review it! This helps to boost its visibility.
Healthy Seas is a marine conservation organization whose mission is to tackle the ghost fishing phenomenon and turn this waste into an opportunity for a more circular economy. They do this through clean-ups, prevention, education, and working with partners who recycle and repurpose this material. The podcast is hosted by Crystal DiMiceli.

Join us as we dive into the depths to explore the challenges and solutions shaping the future of our seas. Hosted by Crystal DiMiceli, each episode features conversations with the people making waves in marine protection: divers, scientists, educators, business partners, and local communities.
Healthy Seas is a unique alliance of NGOs and businesses working together to tackle marine litter, especially ghost fishing gear, and transform waste into opportunity through circular economy solutions. Active across 20+ countries, we operate with a global mission and a local heartbeat.
Through cleanups, education, innovation, and partnerships, we’re restoring the ocean and inspiring action—one net at a time.
Backed by over a decade of impact and part of the UN Ocean Decade movement, this podcast invites listeners and companies alike to dive into a world where environmental restoration meets meaningful collaboration.
If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe, rate and review it! This helps to boost its visibility.
Healthy Seas is a marine conservation organization whose mission is to tackle the ghost fishing phenomenon and turn this waste into an opportunity for a more circular economy. They do this through clean-ups, prevention, education, and working with partners who recycle and repurpose this material. The podcast is hosted by Crystal DiMiceli.