Blog
Article, Stories and Solutions from Jake Levenson
Jake Levenson, Marine Biologist and Non-profit Founder, offers Articles, Tips, and Inspiring Stories to tackle the greatest challenges facing our oceans.
Innovation Lessons Shared at Umass Boston Convocation
Remarks from the Umass Boston School for the Environment 2025 Convocation how innovative ideas might seem absurd, right before they are a breakthrough
The Art and Science of Data-Driven Decision Making
I’ve always been a data geek. There’s something deeply satisfying about taking a mass of numbers and turning it into something meaningful—something that informs decisions, optimizes processes, and leads to the best possible product in the case of rum-making.
A Fitbit for Manta Rays: Sticking with Science to Study a Slippery Species
I spend a lot of time figuring out how animals move through their environment—especially when human activities, like energy and mineral development, overlap with important habitats. But studying ocean giants like the Mobula birostris, or the giant oceanic manta ray, comes with a challenge: the moment they glide out of view, they take their secrets with them.
That’s where biologging technology comes in.
Why Did a Marine Biologist End Up Building a Rum Distillery?
In 2017, Hurricane Maria destroyed nearly everything in Dominica - homes, vehicles, boats, and the lush rainforest that gives Dominica the name “The Nature Island.” Our small band of local ocean protectors were faced with the seemingly insurmountable challenge of how to build back their lives and get back to the conservation work. With the very habitat that drew ecotourism stripped away by Maria, even this source of income was gone. While we worked to recover, I started thinking about better solutions for the future of conservation in Dominica, something rooted in self-sufficiency rather than infrequent or fluctuating grants and donations.
