Seen in the Press

California Sea Grant coastal specialist Theresa Talley found that less than 10 percent of the seafood consumed in San Diego is local. However, as demand for California spiny lobster goes up in San Diego, the local Tuna Harbor Dockside Market has seen an increase in visitors. 

After 20 years of investigation, researchers have found the culprit that caused massive coho salmon die-offs after it rained in creeks along Pudget Sound. California Sea Grant fisheries biologist Mariska Obedzinski weighs in on the discovery of the toxic chemical that caused these acute mortalities. 

Local fishermen have banded together to create a meal distribution program called Fish to Families centered on three communities hit hard by the pandemic: the fishing industry, hospitality workers, and locals facing food insecurity. A group of 12 local fishermen are providing about 550 to 600 pounds of seafood weekly to the program, and Fish to Families was able to distribute 2,400 meals in its first five weeks.

Chef Phillip Esteban and Craft Meals are being recognized by The San Diego Union-Tribune and its readers as a “Community Hero” for showing exemplary leadership in helping the community during the pandemic through the Fish to Families partnership. 

Fish to Families is a partnership that serves the fishing industry, hospitality workers, and the food insecure by cooking and distributing free sustainable seafood meals for communities in need. NOAA Fisheries and California Sea Grant provide educational materials to the group. 

Following an unprecedented estuary-wide collapse of the seagrasses in Morro Bay, scientists documented extensive erosion and geomorphological changes, which may indicate future shoreline and coastal habitat changes.