To Healthy Bodies and Healthy Oceans

"There's no escaping the fact that everything we eat has a global impact. So try and learn as best you can what that impact is and then take the first step to minimize it." - Barton Seaver

Chef Barton Seaver, of Washington, D.C., currently holds the position as my favorite TED speaker.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/barton_seaver_sustainable_seafood_let_s_get_smart.html

Chef Seaver's talk adresses sustainability and ocean conservation, just like those of Sylvia Earle and Brian Skerry. However, while they discuss global fisheries and marine protected area, Seaver discusses something that is much closer to home -- Dinner! Seaver calls for eating restorative seafood, which entails eating sustainable varieties of seafood while also doing what you can to help threatened species recover and unthreatened species thrive.

One might ask, "How can I help aquatic species thrive while still enjoying seafood?" Seaver has an all too simple answer to this question. And that is to reduce portion sizes of protein (seafood or other) and to compensate by increasing helpings of vegetables. Coincidentally (or not), shrinking our protein portions while compensating with piles of veggies is also an excellent way to attain a healthy weight. This is the main point that I think everyone should take note of: Seaver's suggestion to increase vegetable consumption while also reducing protein portions will not only increase the health of our oceans, but will also increase the health of our bodies. 

When it comes to concerns about ocean conservation and sustainable food options, it is very easy for people to act disconnected and aloof. But this is no surprise. The ocean is waaaayyy over there while the empty stomach is aching right here. I admit that when I get hungry, my mind is very focused on securing nourishment, while not necessarily contemplating how obtaining that nourishment is going to impact the world around me. On the other hand, concerns about health and diet are much more likely to be on the mind of an average human being, and so, theoretically, are much more likely to influence our actions. And this is what makes Seaver's insight so powerful; by choosing to eat sustainable seafood in appropriately-sized portions, you are not only doing the ocean a service, but you are also doing a favor for your body and your health.

Being healthy is great, and doing good for the oceans is an excellent side effect! So let us all shrink up those protein portions, pile on that plant matter, and I will raise a toast to your health and the health of our oceans.

For more from Chef Seaver and some tasty looking recipes, check out his website!
For information on sustainable seafood options, check out the Explore More page!

Explore More!

I am starting to get really excited about this blog as I discover more and more things that I can do with it! I have several different ideas for interesting additions that I can make, but the first idea that I decided to act upon was the creation of the Explore More! page! This page is essentially a collection of links to resources that I have found and that I wish to share. My hope for this page is that it will constantly be expanding as I continue to add new sources of news, information, entertainment, and amusement, all somewhat (loosely) related to marine science.

The order in which new links are added to the Explore More! page will likely correlate with my current projects and interests. Recently, I have taken an interest in sustainable seafood because I see making responsible choices about seafood as an opportunity for anyone and everyone to contribute to ocean conservation efforts. And not only is it a very accessible area of ocean conservation, but it is also a very influential one, especially in terms of the positive effects it can have on our oceans' fisheries. If there were no demand for Bluefin Tuna or Orange Roughy or Swordfish, then there would be nothing for fishermen to gain economically by going after these creatures. And with nothing to gain, there would be no reason for the continued exploitation of such fisheries. Seafood consumers hold much of the power in determining which sea creatures are sought after, so I encourage everyone to do their research and to only put their money towards seafood varieties that are that are caught or farmed in an ecologically sound manner, and are not in danger of being overexploited.

My use of the word "research" makes it sound like selecting sustainable seafood is a lot of work. But this is simply not the case, so fear not! The first three links that I have posted to my Explore More! page are FishOnline, Seafood Watch, and Fish2Fork. All three of these sites are exceedingly useful for figuring out which seafood you should buy, and at which restaurants you should buy it. So please take a look, either by clicking on the links in the above text, or by clicking on the Explore More tab that is at the top of this page.