Jul 26, 2010 – New England Wholesale food distributor AGAR, product specialist for independent restaurants, retailers and other food service providers has announced a fundraising and awareness campaign to help fund a research mission down the east coast and ultimately to the Gulf of Mexico. The goal is to help understand the effects of the Gulf Oil Spill on the seafood industry.
Under the Nautifish Seafood brand and working with vendors and others, AGAR will help fund the Odyssey Gulf Research Expedition spearheaded by Concord, MA-based Ocean Alliance. The mission is to gain a clearer understanding of the consequences of oil and chemical dispersants in the Gulf Region. One of the species Ocean Alliance will track and research is the Sperm Whale. Through this research and study of the Sperm Whale and other species, they hope to gain a better understanding of the overall health of the region and the species that occupy it. More on the expedition and AGAR’s efforts to help fund the mission can be found here.
“This important research mission will have a direct affect on the seafood industry and quite frankly, our livelihood,” stated Karen S. Bressler, president and CEO of AGAR. “By indentifying the damage the Gulf Oil Spill has caused to certain species in the Gulf, we will be able to have a clearer picture of what the future holds for the seafood industry.”
Ocean Alliance’s Research Vessel Odyssey, is a 93-foot ketch uniquely outfitted to track, sample and study whales for extended offshore expeditions. AGAR along with their Nautifish Seafood brand has been reaching out to vendors, customers and others in the seafood industry to rally their support for this mission. AGAR moves over 8 million pounds of seafood each year from their Taunton Mass. Facility which includes the popular Nautifish brand so there is a vested interest in what the Odyssey research mission comes back with. A video outlining AGAR’s efforts can be seen here: http://www.agarblog.com/2010/07/22/the-gulf-oil-spill-an …
Those wanting to make a tax-deductible contribution can do so by making out a check to Ocean Alliance C/O AGAR Supply, 225 John Hancock Road, Taunton, MA. 02780-7318 or call 617-880-5317 for more information. Ocean Alliance is a Not for Profit 501(c)3 organization.
Source: AGAR