On this episode of Shaped By The Sea, Brian Yurasits catches up with his friend and colleague, Johnny Joaquin Bohorquez, to talk about the most efficient ways to protect our world's oceans. Johnny is a PhD Candidate at Stony Brook University, and has spent the past 5 years researching how we can sustainably finance marine protected areas. Protecting vast expanses of the ocean from exploitation isn't cheap, but it's necessary. Money makes the world go 'round, but where does the money used to finance marine protected areas come from? How can we set these special places up for success? Johnny stresses the importance of community involvement in the creation of protected areas. When locals directly benefit from protecting areas of our ocean, enforcement becomes cheaper and marine life can recover. There's plenty we can learn from Johnny's experiences and his unique connections to Maine, New York, and Columbia.