by Mariah Boyle, Ichthyology Lab

At MLML, many graduate students need an outside job to help pay the bills while working towards their degree. My outside job that gives me  a different perspective on the oceans –  I work at FishWise, a non-profit sustainable seafood consultancy in Santa Cruz, that helps seafood producers, distributors, and retailers source and sell more sustainable products. Working with seafood consumers and the seafood industry allows me to apply my background of research in fish science (ichthyology) to the real problems facing our oceans today like contaminants, overfishing, and pollution.

Sure we all think about the oceans when we pick up litter off the beach or don’t pour anything down the street drains that lead to the oceans, but what about when we shop for groceries? It is time we all took responsibility for what seafood we eat, whether in the grocery store or at a nice seafood restaurant.

Now there is a new blog that can help you do just that! FishWise has launched a blog on our website to help consumers think more critically about the seafood they eat.

Take this seafood quiz to learn if you are FishWise!

1.    What is more sustainable, farmed or wild salmon?
2.    True or False: Fish can live to be 100 years old.
3.    True or False: Some catch methods, like bottom trawling, have high amounts of bycatch, even including turtles!

To learn more about the above questions, check out our blog to read the full stories and become FishWise (check the comments section below for the answers).

Want to do even more? Shop at a FishWise member retailer to support stores that source more sustainable seafood. All FishWise member retailer partners label the sustainability of their seafood right on their seafood signs!

Is your local grocery store not FishWise yet? Tell them to go to www.fishwise.org to learn more!