Water warrior promotes the ‘blue mind’ life
Nichols has been called a water warrior, one who commits to helping others access their “blue mind state.”
His book Blue Mind, published in 2014, quickly became a
national bestseller. Translated into numerous languages, it’s since inspired a
wave of media attention and practical application.
Nichols will speak at 7 p.m. at Edwards Hall on the
Kingston Campus, as part of the University’s fall Honors Colloquium, “Not
Business As Usual: Business for the Common Good.” The talk will also be
streamed live (video links are available the day of each event, at the link
above).
Nichol’s visionary ideas related to ocean and aquatic ecosystems,
migratory species, marine protected areas, fisheries management and plastic
pollution inspire others to find a deeper connection with nature and embrace
inventive approaches to issues ranging from protection of ocean life to global
water supply to the mental health benefits of a life spent on or near the
water.
Formerly a senior scientist at Ocean Conservancy, Nichols received a Bradley Fellowship to study the impacts of sea level rise at Duke University Marine Lab, a Marshall Fellowship at the University of Arizona, and a Fulbright Fellowship to the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico marine station in Mazatlán. In 2011 he was inducted as a Fellow National member of the Explorers Club.
Nichols has authored more than 200 publications, lectured
in more than 30 countries and nearly all 50 states, and appeared in hundreds of
media outlets including NPR, BBC, PBS, CNN, MSNBC, National Geographic, Animal
Planet, Time, Newsweek, GQ, Outside Magazine, USA Today, Elle, Vogue, Fast
Company, Surfer Magazine, Scientific American, and New Scientist.
He is a senior fellow at the Center for the Blue Economy
and lives with his family on California’s Slow Coast overlooking the Monterey
Bay, an area he chose to settle in after trekking the entire 1,800 kilometer
coast from Oregon to Mexico.
Nichols is no stranger to URI, having spoken on the
topic “An Ocean State of Mind” at the 2021 Honors
Colloquium, “Sustaining Our Shores.”
Lauren Poirier, a 2021 graduate and former URI Marketing
and Communications intern, also wrote an essay about Nichols’ Blue Mind in the summer 2019 issue of the
University of Rhode Island Magazine, in which she says, “Psychologists,
biologists, neurologists, researchers, surfers, fishers, swimmers, and
beachgoers alike agree that there is just something restorative and peaceful
about spending time in or near water.”
The URI Honors Colloquium is free and open to the public. Hosted by URI’s Honors Program, this is the University’s premier lecture series and marks the centennial of the College of Business. Lectures will be held most Tuesday evenings through Dec. 5, and will also be available online. Learn more about the fall colloquium. Register for updates and reminders here or email urihonors@etal.uri.edu
