It was a chilly, foggy, rainy day in June of 2017 when Colles Stowell came to speak at my Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture course, a 2-week intensive course at Shoals Marine Lab at the University of New Hampshire. Colles’ visit was one of many guest lectures and fishing trips that I experienced during the course, but Colles spoke with passion and heart, leaving a lasting impression on me. A couple of weeks after the course ended, I emailed Colles and asked if he had room for an intern, and I’ve been with One Fish Foundation in some capacity since then. I now wear the hat of Communications Manager, and this summer will mark 9 years here!
Where it all started! Colles’ guest lecture at the Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture class!
When I first started at One Fish, I was a Marine, Estuarine, and Freshwater Biology student at the University of New Hampshire, and most of my research was focused on climate change and ocean acidification (OA). But I fell in love with fish during my time at SML, and One Fish has continued to foster that love.
We also learned how to properly identify the sex of a lobster!
After leaving UNH for health reasons, I continued my work with One Fish, and in late 2019, Colles offered me a chance to work with the Slow Fish North America planning teams for the Slow Fish 2020 network-wide conference in New Hampshire. As many of you know, that gathering was ill-fated (thanks, COVID), but we pivoted to a series of webinars called Crew Together.
Breaking down the impacts of ocean acidification on molluscs for a high school marine biology class in 2018.
What started as me taking notes on Zoom calls for the planning teams quickly turned into me being an essential navigator of the Zoom world (and later, the HopIn world 😬). That work led me to accept a role with our dear friends at North American Marine Alliance, where I remained until June 2024. Throughout those years, however, I stayed closely connected with Colles and One Fish, still offering support in various ways.
After my time at NAMA ended, I felt called to come back to One Fish in a larger capacity, and as luck would have it, Colles had the space for me. Over the last year and a half, I’ve stepped into managing the communications work for both One Fish and Slow Fish North America. I’m excited to grow that work this year as we launch the Chefs Community Series.
8 years later, I attended a KNOW FISH Dinner as the One Fish Communications Manager last November!
For me, expanding the work means nurturing existing relationships while cultivating new connections with fishermen, harvesters, fishmongers, advocates, and all links of the seafood supply chain. Furthermore, it is essential that we amplify those voices as we collectively work toward establishing a values-based seafood supply chain as the norm, not the anomaly.
As One Fish has grown, so have I. I was a young, college kid working to find her place in the world when I joined One Fish. There have been some bumps along the way, as there are in life, but I’m now a college graduate, mom to an amazing (and rambunctious!) two-year-old, and I’ve found a home at One Fish Foundation. I’m beyond grateful for that, and absolutely thrilled to see our work growing. I’m consistently inspired by and honored to be among folks who believe in leaving a better future for the next generation. And what a beautiful privilege it is to be able to describe my “work” in such a way.
Top photo: Isles of Shoals in the distance (to the right of the blog title), where the Shoals Marine Lab is. Credit: Jennifer Halstead
