Of the dozens of U.S. aquaria educating the public about underwater life, the 34-year-old Monterey Bay Aquarium on California’s Central Coast is an international standout. Researchers there set the sustainable seafood standards for fishmongers and restaurants across the United States, even around the world.
It all started in 1999 with the “Fishing for Solutions” exhibition, which shared impacts of fishing and aquaculture on the health of ocean wildlife and ecosystems. Through that, the public learned Atlantic populations of halibut and yellowtail flounder were at all-time lows. The breeding population of Pacific bluefin tuna is at 4 percent of its original size and continues to decline.
Education efforts included table tents in the aquarium’s restaurant identifying which fish were endangered by dining practices. In fact, the public kept taking these guides from the tables, so the marketing department was continuously ordering more table tents.
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