Seen in the Press

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.

Scientists from the California Sea Grant extension program and Sonoma Water have been actively monitoring juvenile and adult Coho salmon returning to the Russian River system since the hatchery program began. The number of adult Coho returning to the river each year to spawn has gradually increased from just a handful in 2009, to more than 700 in 2017-2018.

An executive order designed to support and promote domestic aquaculture may be beneficial for California's aquaculture practices. California Sea Grant Aquaculture specialist Luke Gardner and other scientists at Moss Landing Marine Labs are testing aquaculture practices to enhance their sustainability and productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic.