About Me

During my liberal arts degree at Hampshire College, I found a deeply rooted appreciation and drive to understand the ways that humans interact with nature. To me, the most tangible and universally relatable way that people interact with nature is through their food. The food system, global or local, is something that we are all a part of, and the impact of how we act in the food system has a direct impact on nature.

In the light of environmentally conscious food movements and buzzwords like "organic" and "local" I noticed little to no mention of fisheries in the dialogue. This triggered a line of inquiry focused on the fisheries food system, marine biology, and conservation that led to an understanding that the future of the world's oceans is dependent on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. Though I knew this to be true I soon discovered that aquaculture was not often accepted or seen as sustainable, in fact, it was quite the opposite.

My thesis project at Hampshire last year focused on dissecting and understanding perceptions of aquaculture in the food chain. I traveled throughout New England to interview retailers, survey consumers, and see aquaculture products and processes for myself. I was flooded with varying opinions and conflicting facts from both consumers and retailers. My research concluded on the realization that consumers are often misinformed via social media and mislabeling, and that retailers are often not equipt to inform consumers about aquaculture products and processes.

Now, I've pursued a career in supporting retailers and educating consumers about sustainable fisheries and products, with an obvious focus and interest in aquaculture. I aim to connect people to their food system and to nature through advocacy and education. Engaging customers with highly sustainable products is not only a means of advocacy for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, but also an act of marine conservation.