Courtesy of Aquarium of the Pacific:
July 8, 2014—Long Beach, CA—The global population is growing and with it, the demand for seafood. More than three billion people on the planet depend on seafood as their primary source of protein. Wild-caught fisheries harvests have leveled off and cannot meet the demand. Aquaculture, or the farming of aquatic species, is filling the gap and now accounts for more than half of the global seafood supply. The Aquarium of the Pacific’s new Ocean Aquaculture: Farming Seafood for People and the Planet is a film presented on the NOAA Science on a Sphere® platform that explores the need for more responsible aquaculture or fish farming in the United States.
More than 90 percent of the seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported and more than half of that is from aquaculture. It has the largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) – the area extending from the coastline out 200 miles – in the world and the potential to responsibly produce the same amount of seafood harvested globally in an area about the size of Vermont. “The Aquarium believes environmentally responsible marine aquaculture production has to grow in the U.S. and beyond to reduce pressure on wild fisheries, provide healthy protein for the growing population, and promote healthy ocean ecosystems,” said Kim Thompson, Aquarium of the Pacific Seafood for the Future program manager.
Some of the topics explored in the Aquarium’s new aquaculture film include: the state of the global seafood supply; the need to balance well-managed, wild-caught fisheries with responsible aquaculture; and the need to utilize the United States’ robust resources in the form of natural capital, technology, expertise, and stringent environmental standards to grow the industry domestically. The film was written by Aquarium of the Pacific staff with advisement from aquaculture scientists and experts at NOAA Fisheries and Hubbs Sea World Research Institute. It was produced by the Aquarium’s award-winning audio visual team. The public can view this and other films, including Rising Sea, Ocean in Motion, and Urban Ocean on the Science on a Sphere® globe daily at the Aquarium’s Ocean Science Center. These films are available for use by more than 100 institutions with a Science on a Sphere® globe. Science on a Sphere® programs are viewed by 33 million people in 15 countries, with most of the locations in the U.S.
Science On a Sphere® (SOS) is a room-sized globe that uses computers and video projectors to show NOAA and NASA satellite and other data in near real-time and prediction models on a six-foot diameter sphere. Researchers at NOAA developed Science On a Sphere® as an educational tool to help illustrate real life Earth system science to people of all ages. Animated images of atmospheric storms, climate change, and ocean temperature can be shown on the sphere, which is used to explain sometimes complex environmental processes.
Seafood for the Future (SFF) is the Aquarium of the Pacific’s seafood advisory program. The program works with a network of responsible chefs, restaurateurs, aquaculture producers, fishermen, distributors, and others to promote healthy and responsible seafood choices. SFF’s recommendations are made to ensure that fish, ecosystems, and people are all part of the equation. Learn more at www.seafoodforthefuture.org.
The nonprofit Aquarium is a place where important topics facing the planet are explored by scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders in search of sustainable solutions. Home to more than 11,000 animals, the Aquarium features a variety of programs to engage the public in ocean conservation and environmental education. For more information, visit www.aquariumofpacific.org or call 562-590-3100.
Facebook.com/AquariumofthePacific / Twitter @AquariumPacific / YouTube.com/AquariumofthePacific.
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