Congratulations to our own Mrs. Paredes

Seafood You Can Feel Good About

Our High School Seniors

Closer to U.S. Shark Fin Bans

Who Pees on Each Other?

Congratulations to Eva & Marco! 

Our own Director of Education tied the knot this month!  Those of you who have participated in our online programs or experiential trips have spent quality time with Eva.  We wish the new Mrs. Paredes and her husband a lifetime of fun and happiness! 

Let Them Eat Fish!

There's been a bit of controversy over whether folks should eat fish and what sustainability means. SeaSmart has always encouraged "progress over perfection," meaning doing something is better than doing nothing because you can't do everything!  So what CAN you do?

-If you are a heavy commercial fish eater, consider cutting out one meal per week.

-If you are want to limit your seafood intake to sustainable options, check out one of the apps around-Monterey Bay Aquarium has a website, Seafood Watch, that you can add to your phone's home screen. It will help you make choices for a healthy ocean.

-If you want to be sure none of the seafood you eat is commercially caught (fraught with practices that harm the reefs, catch accidental critters such as dolphins, sea turtles and sharks, and maintain slaves working on ships), and comes only from well-managed fisheries whose fishermen are paid a fair trade, consider a Seafood "CSA." 

Some of us at SeaSmart subscribe to Sitka Salmon shares.  (We are not compensated in any way for this-we just support the industry, concept and their fish is delish!). Sitka Salmon Shares is an online seafood market delivering sustainable and wild-caught Alaska seafood from their collective of fishermen and partner processors direct to your doorstep.

We asked Sitka if they had any interest in providing an incentive for our SeaSmart fam and they offered the discount code "SeaSmart" which will be good for $30 off the purchase of any 2022 subscription by 11/30. Here's their website if you are interested to learn more...

Looking Ahead for our High School Seniors

Some of our SeaSmart family is entering the college application season.  It is a thrill and honor to understand how much our alumni's SeaSmart and SCUBA experiences have meant...enough that one has chosen them for her college application essay! 

"For a week I studied the fragile ecosystem and diving...this journey follows me wherever I go," she said.  "When I floated over a coral tree and scrubbed the delicate <coral tree> with a toothbrush, the dream of saving the coral didn't seem that out of reach."  "A few weeks ago I received my PADI Coral Reef Conservation certification, inching myself closer to the answers to the mystery that is our ocean." Wow!

We wish all of our seniors lots of luck in their post-high school pursuits.  (Keep us posted!) Hopefully our future artists will use their knowledge to advocate for our ocean and its inhabitants, our chefs will be mindful of what they put on their menus, our real estate developers will consider the impacts of their projects to the coastline, our next generation of politicians will maintain balance with environmental needs, and everyone will keep a piece of their SeaSmart experiences and the importance of caring for the ocean with them. 

Getting Closer to a Shark Fin Ban in the U.S. 

Fins from up to 73 million sharks end up in the global fin trade every year. The Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act (S. 1006) was passed as part of a broader legislative package known as the United States Innovation and Competition Act (S. 1260).  Similar legislation (H.R. 2811) to ban the shark fin trade has been introduced in the House of Representatives and currently has more than 130 bipartisan cosponsors. We’re now one step closer to officially removing the United States from the shark fin trade thanks, in part, to Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) for their steadfast leadership in championing this important legislation, and Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) for their support of the bill during committee markup. The Senate also passed an amendment, as part of the United States Innovation and Competition Act, that helps to address forced labor and Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. This is all very good news, as we are seeing more support than ever where we need it.  

Nature is Certainly Interesting...

Did you know that lobsters pee out of their face and to communicate, they pee on each other? Their urine openings (nephrophores) are found under the lobster's eyes, at the base of its second antennae. When in danger, lobsters can pee on one another to communicate and help each other survive.  They also urinate in each others' faces during fights. Excreting from the nephrophores is part of the lobster mating ritual as well. Male lobsters love to fight. Female lobsters seek out the most aggressive, dominant male in the area and show their interest by peeing repeatedly into his shelter. Their urine contains pheromones, which calm him down and get him in the mood, so to speak.  You may never look at a lobster the same way again! 

SeaSmart Swag: Look & Feel Great  

We have added some new additions to our collection of SeaSmart branded items.  You can now find reusable totes in addition to our super cool sweatshirts, tanks, and long & short sleeved T's. Choose from a variety of sizes and colors with a portion of the money going toward the 2022 Diversity Scholarship. Every ocean lover will want one!