Sea Change

Carlos Rafael immigrated to the US from Portugal as a teenager, and over the years, built one of the country’s largest commercial fishing operations from scratch. Carlos owned the biggest fleet of boats in the most valuable fishing port in America. He became known as the Codfather. But it all came crashing down in a federal sting. 
Who is Carlos Rafael? Depending on who you ask, he's either a villain who robbed the ocean or a kind of folk hero who stood up for fishermen. 
Today, we’re bringing you the first episode of Catching the Codfather from our friends at GBH News.
It’s often said that the U.S. has the most sustainable fisheries in the world. Laws have been designed to prevent overfishing, rebuild stocks, and protect a shared public resource. But, for the people living inside that system, it can feel very different. And that tension isn’t unique to New England.
Along the Gulf Coast, we often hear from shrimpers, oystermen, and anglers who say they’re being regulated out of a way of life. At the same time, we know what’s at stake if those rules fail. So where is the line? Catching the Codfather doesn’t offer easy answers. Instead, it tells a story about power, policy, and the complicated reality of managing a shared resource.
Listen to the rest of the series, Catching the Codfather, wherever you get your podcasts. The series is part of an ongoing documentary feed from GBH News called The Big Dig.
This episode of Sea Change Live was hosted by executive producer Carlyle Calhoun. Our theme music is by Jon Batiste. This episode was reported by Ian Coss.
Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

Two years ago, we investigated the Liquified Natural Gas export build out on the Gulf Coast. We followed those exports around the world from Louisiana to Germany to Japan to unravel the story of LNG. 
But that story isn’t over. Today, host Carlyle Calhoun returns to LNG with Gulf States Newsroom reporter Drew Hawkins. They talk about how people in Southwest Louisiana are still being impacted by this build out, how LNG exports are affecting your electricity bills and what the war in Iran means for this industry. 
“Carbon Coast” is part one of our three part series about LNG called “All Gassed Up,” reported and produced by Halle Parker and Carlyle Calhoun. You can listen to parts two and three by searching for “All Gassed Up” in our feed. 

CREDITS
 This episode of Sea Change was Carlyle Calhoun and Drew Hawkins. Our theme music is by John Batiste, and our sound designer is Kurt Kohnen. Carlyle Calhoun is the executive producer. 
Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We're a part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences Engineering and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Miro Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

We’re in the beginning of spring bird migration here on the Gulf Coast, which means warblers, vireos, orioles, and thrushes coming through as they make their way up North. Around 2 billion birds make landfall along our coast from March to May after crossing the Gulf of Mexico. But even after the high-stakes crossing of open water, their next leg of the journey is no less perilous.
In this episode, our friends from Up From Dust tell us a story about a phenomenon threatening birds on their long flights, and we learn how we can all do our part to help them on their journeys. 
To hear more from Up From Dust, click here. 
CREDITS
This episode of Sea Change Live was hosted by Eva Tesfaye. Our executive producer is Carlyle Calhoun. Sound design by Kurt Kohnen, and our theme music is by Jon Batiste. 
This episode was reported by Up From Dust Host Celia Llopis-Jepsen. 
Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

Sea Change travels to the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, for a lively live panel discussion about the future of seafood. 
For more than a century, the Gulf seafood industry has shaped towns, cultures, and identities along the coast. Yet, if you talk to almost anyone who works on the water, they’ll tell you the Gulf seafood story has changed more in the last 30 years than the hundred years before that. If you care about what’s on your plate, what happens to this coast, or what kind of future we’re leaving to the next generation of fishers and eaters, you’re in the right place. 
CREDITS
This episode of Sea Change Live was hosted by Executive Producer Carlyle Calhoun. Eva Tesfaye edited the episode. Sound design by Kurt Kohnen. Live music performed by Grits and Greens.
We’d like to thank the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Eagle Point Oyster Company, Holy Ground Oyster Company, Grits and Greens, and the panelists Ryan Bradley, Matthew Mayfield, Boyce Upholt, and Alex Perry. 
Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

Artificial reefs have been credited with supporting fisheries, protecting rare species, and attracting tourists that boost the economy. But, of course, like any story about the environment, it gets complicated both here in the Gulf and on Cambodia’s coast. 
If you'd like to know more about Alabama's booming artificial reef program, check out this article from Irina Zhorov.  
EPISODE CREDITS
This episode was hosted by Executive Producer Carlyle Calhoun and reported by Eva Tesfaye and Leila Goldstein. The episode was edited by Johanna Zorn, with additional help from Rosemary Westwood, Michael McEwan, and Aubri Juhasz. The episode was fact-checked by Michael McEwan. Sound design by Kurt Kohnen. Our theme music is by Jon Batiste.
Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX. Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. WWNO’s Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.