Sea Notes

Carnival of the Blue 14

It's that time again -- when the best ocean blogging from across the web comes together in the monthly Carnival of the Blue.

This month's edition is hosted by Anthony Townsend at The Blue Economy. Check it out.

Carnival of the Blue 13

To get you ready for your World Ocean Day celebration on June 8, check out the first anniversary edition of Carnival of the Blue, the monthly compendium of the best of ocean blogging. Blog Daddy Mark Powell, of The Ocean Conservancy and Blogfish, put together this month's entertaining -- and encouraging -- roundup.

Read and enjoy!

Cooking Up a Storm

The connection between what we eat and the health of the oceans is becoming clearer every day. Scientific journal reports on the disappearance of 90 percent of the ocean's major predators, or the prospects for all commercial fisheries worldwide to collapse by 2048 if we don't change our ways give a sense of urgency to the issue.

That's why Monterey Bay Aquarium created the Seafood Watch program. And its why our Cooking for Solutions events include a day-long Sustainable Foods Institute for members of the media. We want to get the issue onto the radar of food editors as well as environment writers.

This year, we had an unprecedented turnout of top writers, from established publications like the Washington Post and Bon Appétit Magazine to writers and bloggers for newer online outlets like Sustainable Food News and Grist.org.

And they've already had a lot to say about what they learned.

- Gourmet Magazine's Barry Estabrook has posted three times, looking at the impact of climate change on agriculture, and twice about how to make good seafood choices. (And thanks to Gourmet for the photo.)

- Roz Cummins, who blogs for the environmental news site Grist.org, found a renewed sense of hope as a result of her participation, and offers up one of Rick Moonen's recipes (for Chicken-Fried Trout).

- Bonnie Powell of The Ethicurean explores in depth the issue of sustainability and what it REALLY means, tapping into the wisdom of Fred Kirschenmann, senior fellow at Iowa State's Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. She also dives into the topic of sustainable seafood, with the help of Edible San Francisco Magazine.

- Sam Fromartz, author of Organic, Inc. and writer of the Chews Wise blog, was astonished (as we were) to learn from Chef Rick Moonen that Las Vegas serves up 60,000 pounds of shrimp every day -- and probably not much sustainable shrimp in the lot. Rick was an Institute panelist, and the author of Fish Without a Doubt.

- Radha Marcum of Delicious Living offers some bullet points for individual action (learn to love sardines is No. 1 on her list).

These are just the early web posts. Many more articles are likely to follow in print media, and beyond.

Last note: You know the message is getting through when bloggers like The Slow Cook's Ed Bruske take culinary leaders to task for serving up a cornucopia of Red List seafood at a showcase event in Washington, D.C.

Community Supported Fisheries

Community supported agriculture (CSAs) is a growing tool to save the family farm. Sign up and you get a box of fresh produce each week, straight from your local -- usually organic -- farmer. Everybody wins.

Depending on where you live, you can do the same (or similar) thing now in support of family fishing boats. Add the term community supported fishing to your lexicon.

From Maine to California, it's possible to connect directly with the folks going out each day to catch fresh, seasonal seafood. You get a fresher product from someone you know. The folks on the boat get a better price for their catch. Fishing communities stay alive and healthy, rather than withering away into "colorful" remnants on a once-thriving waterfront.

I spoke with Zeke Grader, at the Institute for Fisheries Resources in San Francisco who says you can't yet buy an actual share of the catch in California, though their website will hook you up with places to buy fresh seafood everywhere along the coast.

But as bloggers like Carolina Bolado on Menu Pages, and publications from Gourmet Magazine to the Christian Science Monitor are reporting, community supported fisheries are a growing trend nationwide.

You can, for example, buy a year's catch from a Maine lobster trap for $2,995 -- with the average catch around 150 lobsters a year. Or you can buy a share of the catch for just $249, with the guarantee of "a gourmet lobster feast for 4" from the lobstermen with the Catch a Piece of Maine partnership.

Closer to home, there's a Fishfone at Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay, between Monterey and San Francisco, where you can call about buying fish straight from the boat, seven days a week.

Check out a few other options with the Menu Pages links, or visit the harbors and farmers markets near your home that offer fresh-from-the-boat seafood.

Let us know what you find in your neighborhood. We'll help spread the word!

And if all this sounds like too much trouble, you can't go wrong by using the Seafood Watch pocket guide for your region to select sustainable seafood at the market, or your favorite restaurant.

Carnival of the Blue 12

The monthly roundup of all things ocean comes our way again: It's Carnival of the Blue 12. Check out the news and views assembled by James Hrynyshyn at The Island of Doubt.

Manky & Brian: Seafood Champions

How cool is this? A law school student & blogger named Manky took up a seafood challenge from her boyfriend Brian

If she completed the school paper she'd been laboring over (loudly, while he was trying to sleep) & managed to turn it in on time, he promised that for the next two years he'd only eat seafood that's a Green List choice of our Seafood Watch program (well, except for squid).

She blogged the challenge, then blogged the fact that she met the deadline.

"Whoohoo!" she wrote. "I am totally motivated! If I write this paper, I can save lives!! (Wow, he really wanted some peace and quiet.) He's already given up the red side of the chart and octopus (I think it's just wrong to kill something smart) and I really didn't expect him to take this step. I'm so excited! "

A day later: "Paper was in on time - Save the Sea Turtles!"

So -- what are you doing to save ocean wildlife through your seafood choices? You don’t have to follow Manky & Brian’s lead, and entirely give up the "Good Alternatives" on our Yellow List. (Just ask the necessary questions about how they’re caught, and consume them in moderation.) But if you’re doing something, let us know.

Comment here or blog it, and we'll share the news.

Carnival of the Blue 11

It's time again to check out the best of what's being blogged about the ocean and its inhabitants. Check out Carnival of the Blue 11, brought to you this month by the fine folks at Zooillogix. There's even a brief item about the travels of our young white shark.