The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s respected Seafood Watch program has been connecting seafood lovers to ocean-friendly choices for over a decade. Now its recommendations are available as an Android application.
Starting today, Android users can download the free Seafood Watch app from the Android Market to get on-the-go access to sustainable seafood choices when dining or shopping. To find out more and download the Android app, visit www.montereybayaquarium.org/seafoodwatchapp.
The new Android app includes the aquarium’s crowdsourcing feature, Project FishMap, which allows users to tag any one of more than a million restaurants and markets across the United States whenever they find ocean-friendly seafood – and to learn where others have found sustainable options.
“With Project FishMap, anyone who buys sustainable seafood can now share their discoveries via the Android app,” says Sheila Bowman, senior outreach manager for the Seafood Watch program.
Since Project FishMap was added to the aquarium’s popular iPhone app in December 2010, more than 1,200 individuals have logged over 2,100 seafood recommendations from over 400 cities.
“Seafood lovers across the country from Chicago to California are letting others know where the best choices can be found in their neighborhood,” said Bowman. “This is just what we envisioned when we created this feature. It’s really gratifying to see the database of sustainable seafood sources grow and we’re excited to see how many new locations we’ll get as sustainable seafood advocates start using the new Android app.”
Other key features of the new Android app include:
- Access to over 365 recommendations for seafood across the U.S., including the Great Lakes and Hawaii – automatically selected according to geo-location.
- A special guide for sushi lovers, including listings by Japanese names.
- Option to add new restaurants and markets to the FishMap database.
- Earn virtual badges for using Project FishMap and share sustainable seafood findings with friends via Facebook and Twitter.
- Search function to find seafood quickly and easily by common market names.
- Suggestions to sustainable alternatives for items on the Seafood Watch “Avoid” list.
- “Super Green” list: seafood that is heart-healthy, low in contaminants, and a Seafood Watch “Best Choice.”
The Seafood Watch app is also available free for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and has been downloaded over 585,000 times since its debut in 2009. A mobile website, m.seafoodwatch.org is available to view recommendations for all smart phones with internet access.
Since its debut in 1999, Seafood Watch has become the most influential consumer seafood selection tool in the United States. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has distributed more than 36 million Seafood Watch pocket guides to help individuals make seafood choices that preserve the health of ocean ecosystems. Printable consumer pocket guides, for different regions of the U.S., can be downloaded from the website, www.montereybayaquarium.org.
In 2008, Bon Appétit Magazine named Monterey Bay Aquarium as its “Tastemaker of the Year,” because Seafood Watch has played such an influential role in transforming seafood buying habits across the United States.
Beyond influencing consumers, the aquarium has partnered with the two largest food service companies in North America – Compass Group and ARAMARK – who are shifting their purchase of millions of pounds of seafood each year to more sustainable sources.
In September 2010, Whole Foods Market began labeling wild-caught seafood in its North America stores based on information from the aquarium’s Seafood Watch program, the Blue Ocean Institute, and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). This point-of-sale information is helping inform shoppers about how their choices can positively benefit our oceans.
To learn more about the new Android app visit www.montereybayaquarium.org/seafoodwatchapp.
The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the oceans.
Source: Monterey Bay Aquarium