About This Project
Restaurants act as gatekeepers to the nation’s seafood supply with 67% of all seafood by dollar value moving through restaurants to consumers (Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch 2013). Thus, the promotion of sustainable seafood in restaurants has the potential to significantly impact the protection of seafood resources in the Pacific Northwest.Ask the Scientists
Join The DiscussionWhat is the context of this research?
The purpose of the PDXSeafood Project is twofold; first the project aims to improve community awareness of threatened seafood stocks and promote consumption of sustainable seafood through a menu marking program in local restaurants in Portland, Oregon. Secondly, this research effort will assess the quantitative effect of such an outreach program by tracking consumer seafood selections before and after implementation of the program. Restaurants act as gatekeepers to the nation’s seafood supply with 67% of all seafood by dollar value moving through restaurants to consumers (Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch 2013). Thus, the promotion of sustainable seafood in restaurants has the potential to significantly impact the protection of seafood resources in the Pacific Northwest and to provide quantitative data to indicate whether such public outreach programs are successful.
What is the significance of this project?
Marine ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest, as in the rest of the world, are under increasing pressure from anthropogenic activities and fish harvests. Implementation of this program will reduce pressure on vulnerable Pacific Northwest fisheries by educating the public about sustainable choices at the grassroots consumer level, and the data collected in tracking this program will allow conservation groups to evaluate and prioritize similar outreach programs in the future. The PDXSeafood project will be the first quantitative study of the effectiveness of this type of outreach program and will provide conservation managers the ability to evaluate the planning and design of community sustainable seafood education efforts accordingly.
What are the goals of the project?
Through this project we will, 1) partner with 10-12 local restaurants which currently serve sustainable seafood items as well as less-sustainable options, 2) append restaurant menus to indicate the most sustainable seafood choices according to Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch “Best Choice” lists, and 3) track the purchase of seafood items in partner restaurants before and after implementing our logo to mark sustainable items. We will also raise awareness of sustainable seafood issues among community members and provide educational resources through the casual, unconventional setting of local restaurants.
Budget
Funds will be directed towards restaurant menu printing subsidies, surveys and informational brochure printing for consumers and internet site development for outreach to participating restaurants.
Meet the Team
Affiliates
Team Bio
Meghan's dissertation work is the focus of the research on the Giant Panda in Sichuan, China. Meghan documents factors responsible for variation in reproductive success among animals. She works on incorporating a multidisciplinary perspective designed to contribute to improved management and conservation of animals and their habitats. She has been published in one of the top journals in her field, Conservation Biology, for a similar project researching mate choice in endangered Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits. Her work involves working closely with animal husbandry staff in formulating research questions and projects that benefit the species in the Oregon Zoo’s and San Diego Zoo's collection as well as the giant pandas at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'An, China.Meghan S. Martin
Meghan's dissertation work is the focus of the research on the Giant Panda in Sichuan, China. Meghan documents factors responsible for variation in reproductive success among animals. She works on incorporating a multidisciplinary perspective designed to contribute to improved management and conservation of animals and their habitats. She has been published in one of the top journals in her field, Conservation Biology, for a similar project researching mate choice in endangered Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits. Her work involves working closely with animal husbandry staff in formulating research questions and projects that benefit the species in the Oregon Zoo’s and San Diego Zoo's collection as well as the giant pandas at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'An, China.
Additional Information
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Project Backers
- 2Backers
- 1%Funded
- $30Total Donations
- $15.00Average Donation