Marine Protected Areas

A visit with Project Seahorse was next on the Philippines trip itinerary for Shedd’s conservation and research team. Project Seahorse comprises two groups that work in concert to conserve marine environments in the Philippines and elsewhere.

How green is my coffee?

I’m pretty sure that no one in my family would mind if I stopped drinking coffee. It’s not the inability to function before my first sip; it’s the time I spend studying labels whenever we’re out of beans.

Fair trade, shade-grown, organic, single-origin – I’m a professional “greenie,” and I’m confused! Plus, I do actually want to enjoy what I drink, which means it has to be a dark roast that isn’t too acidic.

What’s a java junkie to do? Here’s a rundown on some common labels:

Fair trade: Coffee plantations have been compared to field-based sweatshops, where workers spend long hours collecting beans for prices that don’t even offset production costs. Fair trade-certified coffee guarantees equitable wage and economic standards. Most FT coffee comes from small growers who practice more sustainable farming techniques, and it’s often organic to boot.

Shade-grown: Conventional coffee plantations replace diverse tropical forests with monoculture production. The forest-like setting of shade grown coffee benefits tropical migratory birds, such as the ones you’d find in our Amazon Rising habitats as well as Chicago’s familiar summer residents. The Smithsonian’s Bird Friendly certification is a great way to go.

Organic: Conventional coffee is chemically intensive to grow. Who wants pesticides and fertilizers in their morning cup of joe? Yuck! Look for the USDA or OCIA organic label, but try to choose coffee that’s both fair trade and organic to support farmers and the environment.

At Shedd, we serve coffee from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, which is committed to procuring environmentally and socially responsible products. At home, I’d recommend stopping into a local roaster or visiting your nearest Whole Foods Market, where you can label read to your heart’s content. Just leave the family at home.

Posted by Meg Matthews, conservation

Visit to Apo Island

Since 1998, Shedd Aquarium has been a key partner with Project Seahorse, a marine conservation organization dedicated to studying and protecting seahorses while helping people who depend upon them for their livelihoods. While Project Seahorse has programs all over the world, it has maintained an active presence in the Philippines since its inception. Recently Shedd’s conservation and research leadership team visited the Philippines to meet with our conservation partner to see how the program has grown since our last visit many years ago. In the next few weeks we’ll share some of the trip highlights, with the first stop being an Apo Island visit.

Fish of the month - arctic char

March’s fish of the month is farmed arctic char.

Farmed arctic char brings back especially fond memories for me. It’s been a Right Bite team favorite for years, but I grew to appreciate this fish even more after I served as a judge in an arctic char recipe contest last fall. My fellow judges and I had a great afternoon restaurant-hopping and tasting all the wonderful and different ways this fish can be prepared.

Supporting local farmers

Every week for the past four summers, a delivery truck parks at Shedd’s loading dock. Instead of dropping off sea salt or food for our collection, the driver unloads boxes bulging with locally grown organic produce for our staff.

Shedd participates in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, where customers (“shareholders”) pay a local farmer up front for a portion of the season’s crops. Farmers use the money to fund operations on their farms, which are often organic. In return, shareholders receive a share of each week’s harvest for the season. Shedd works with farmer Vicki Westerhoff, who runs Genesis Growers just down the road in St. Anne, Illinois.

Sustainable seafood recipe: easy diavola mussels

Easy Diavola Mussels
Serves 4

Ingredients:
6 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup dry red wine or chicken stock
1 cup prepared tomato sauce or pasta sauce
1 tablespoon drained capers
¼ cup pitted black olives, chopped
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed, debearded
½ pound linguine, cooked and drained

Sustainable seafood recipe: mussels in curry sauce

Mussels in Red Thai Curry Sauce
Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 pound tomatoes, seeded, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped, peeled fresh ginger
2 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¾ teaspoon sea salt
3 pounds mussels, scrubbed, debearded
Fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for garnish

Fish of the month - farmed mussels

February's fish of the month is farmed mussels.

Did you know that approximately 90 percent of all the mussels consumed in the world are farmed? Did you know that this is actually a good thing?

Farmed mussels – as well as related scallops, oysters, and clams – are generally very environmentally sound. Because they do not rely on fishmeal or fish oil as dietary feed, farmed mussels require little natural resources to grow.

Recipe: Cuban-style red snapper

 

Learn why Shedd chose American red snapper as January's fish of the month.

Huachinango Enchilado
(Cuban-style red snapper filets)

Recipe courtesy of: Dirk and Terry Fucik, Dirk’s Fish & Gourmet Shop

Serves 6

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, finely chopped
2 cups onions, thinly sliced
1 cup of red or yellow peppers, thinly sliced
2 cups canned whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup capers
3/4 cup green olives
salt and black pepper to taste
2 1/4 lbs American red snapper fillets, skinned 

Seafood recipe: Fillet of Snapper

 

Learn why Shedd chose American red snapper as January's fish of the month.

Fillet of Snapper with Lime Reduction
Serves 4.

Ingredients:
4 (4-ounce) fillets of American red snapper
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup white wine or chicken stock
¼ cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons organic unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Fresh lime wedges, for garnish