Oregon Seafare

02/25/2026

The Oregon Ocean Cluster recently hosted Of Oregon’s Waters, a hands on professional development day for all High School Culinary Arts teachers within Lane Educational Service District. This shellfish and seafood butchery training was designed to strengthen classroom curriculum while deepening connections to Oregon’s working waterfront.

Teachers expanded their knowledge of sustainable, Oregon landed seafood and shellfish, gaining practical filleting skills they can bring directly into student kitchens. Seafood butchery was led by Breanna Henderson, while a deep dive into shellfish biology and sourcing was guided by Jesse Kane.

Beyond knife skills, educators explored the full boat to table supply chain, learned about workforce pathways within Oregon’s Blue Economy, and engaged with the 100 Percent Fish concept to reduce waste and maximize value. They also collaborated on smarter sourcing strategies with a value chain coordinator to improve how seafood is purchased, stored, and distributed across Lane ESD schools.

Each teacher left with the seafood they filleted and access to the online course Fisheries of the Pacific Northwest Beautiful and Wild Foods from the Sea, equipping them with continued learning tools long after the training.

When teachers are empowered with real world skills and industry connections, students gain more than recipes. They gain pathways into meaningful careers rooted in Oregon’s waters.

Learn more about the Oregon Ocean Cluster: https://oregonoceancluster.com/

02/18/2026

Ephraim D. Froehlich, Principal AKWA-DC, and speaker at our recent Blue Foods Forum, explains the essential purpose of a Blue Economy Task Force and the work of Ocean Clusters.

Ephraim D. Froehlich, Principal AKWA-DC, explains the essential purpose of a Blue Economy Task Force and the work of Ocean Clusters. Link to dive deeper int...

02/14/2026

Recap: A Seafaring Symposium
On the morning of February 2, 150 entrepreneurs, chefs, makers, creatives, policy experts, students, and more gathered to connect and collaborate around a shared goal: a vision for a flourishing blue foods economy in Oregon.

Architect Bill Tripp opened the day with a conversation ecosystem design, introducing the metaphor of the puzzle box: each of us holds a piece, but gatherings like this allow us to step back and see the full picture—the image on the cover of the box, and the future we’re collectively building toward.

This big vision is what we work backwards from, designing our businesses, spaces, and conversations with care, intention, and an eye toward the bigger picture.
In practice, that means learning from those who have been there before—people working deep within different corners of the puzzle. We heard from policy experts like Ephraim Froehlich, entrepreneurs like Aaron Huang, and network builders and subject-matter experts like Adam Bent and Dr. Alexandra Leeper, who brought an international perspective from places a few steps ahead, where the puzzle is already taking shape.

Read the full recap.

It’s Oregon law that the entire Coast is open to everyone. Explore all 363 miles. Check out our post, 'From Inspiration to Action: Blue foods forum in Review' to learn more.

02/14/2026

Blue Foods Forum in Review: The 2026 Blue Foods Forum finished up last week in Portland with two days of seafood, art, connection and collaboration for the future of Oregon's blue economy.

Seafaring Speakeasy:
On Sunday evening, the Redd in Portland transformed into a moving kelp forest—alive with art, conversation, and a palpable sense of excitement. Nearly 350 people gathered for an elevated evening of ocean-centric bites, creative expression, and connection, united by a shared vision for a flourishing blue foods economy in Oregon.

The Seafaring Speakeasy served as both a celebration and a kickoff: a moment to gather, toast, and connect ahead of the deeper work to come. The event launched the Winter Waters culinary series, which runs throughout February, and set the tone for the Blue Foods Forum: Seafaring Symposium—the space where participants would dig into workstreams and collectively imagine the future of the blue economy.

Read the full recap below.

It’s Oregon law that the entire Coast is open to everyone. Explore all 363 miles. Check out our post, 'Blue Foods Forum Speakeasy: The Night Everyone’s Talking About' to learn more.

02/14/2026

South coast seafood lovers, check this out! Southern Oregon Coast

Friday, February 27, 2026 - Gold Beach Join us for a tour of Fisherman Direct, with seafood tasting and a Dungeness crab picking demo, followed by lunch and education about Oregon Kelp Alliance.

02/06/2026

URGENT: Your help is needed to promote the Blue Economy.

SB 1525, the Blue Economy Task Force Bill, had a public hearing this week and there still time for you to submit testimony on this important topic for our coastal communities!

Support here: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2026R1/Testimony/SEE/SB/1525/0000-00-00-00-00?area=Measures

Please submit testimony in support of the bill, which will create a task force to explore and inventory the elements of Oregon's Blue Economy, as well as look at other states' and nations' efforts to develop this powerful economic sector. It will lead to a roadmap to guide the formation, growth and state support of the Blue Economy.

On the Oregon Coast we are hard-working providers. We grow, harvest and process the delicious, healthy seafood that feeds our state. We make value-added products and contribute proudly to our state's economy. We can and we will expand even more opportunities to do these things, while creating new jobs for our future generations that will keep our communities thriving.

Please join us in submitting testimony in support of SB 1525.

Testimony is due by 1 p.m. on Feb. 6. Submit written testimony here: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2026R1/Testimony/SEE/SB/1525/0000-00-00-00-00?area=Measures

01/27/2026

Step into a kelp forest without getting wet! 🌊 💚 At our Seafaring Speakeasy party this Sunday 2/1, we are honored to feature an immersive kelp installation by Jasmine Novack, a Seattle based cold water scuba diver, underwater photographer, and oil painter represented by the SAM Gallery at the Seattle Art Museum.

Get tickets: https://www.winterwaterspnw.com/events/seafaring-speakeasy26

Jasmine Novack is a Seattle-based, self-taught oil painter, cold-water scuba diver, and underwater photographer represented by the SAM Gallery in the Seattle Art Museum. Drawing from her background in marine science and environmental justice, her work is rooted in the kelp forests of the Salish Sea and her paintings explore fear, curiosity, and our relationship with the darker places of the ocean, and ourselves. Her work will be featured at the Blue Foods Forum Seafaring Symposium on February 1 in the form of holographic kelp projections and oil paintings.

Jasmine Novack’s creative process begins underwater. While cold-water scuba diving in the Salish Sea, she photographs and films kelp forests in low-visibility conditions, carefully navigating shifting light, currents, and dense fronds.

Back on land, Jasmine reviews her footage frame by frame, selecting moments that capture the emotional weight and complexity of the underwater environment. She studies the way light diffuses through water, how kelp bends and overlaps, and how shadows create depth in otherwise dark spaces. These images become detailed references of our underwater forests!
She builds her paintings using oil paints, recreating the translucency, motion, and density of the kelp forests with hyper-realistic clarity. The slow, methodical nature of oil painting mirrors the deliberate pace of diving, allowing her to translate fleeting underwater moments into immersive, contemplative works that invite viewers into spaces often hidden or feared.

📷: , Jenny Adler, Oriana Poindexter

01/06/2026

The Oregon Ocean Cluster (OOC) is proud to have been named a winner of the 2025 Regenerative Travel Impact Awards, receiving honors in the Food & Agriculture category for its leadership in advancing a more regenerative, equitable ocean food system.

Selected from a global pool of changemakers, OOC was recognized for its depth, integrity, and real-world impact in reconnecting communities, culture, and coastal economies to locally harvested seafood.

The award validates what partners across Oregon already know: meaningful change is happening along the coast. On a shoreline where nearly 90% of locally harvested seafood has historically been exported, the Oregon Ocean Cluster is helping rebuild local supply chains, strengthen workforce pathways, and unlock new economic opportunities rooted in place.

The Oregon Ocean Cluster (OOC) has been named a winner of the 2025 Regenerative Travel Impact Awards

12/30/2025

Following the 2025 Blue Foods Forum, Local Ocean Seafoods jumped into action by launching a formal 100% Fish Utilization program, transforming what was once considered waste into valuable products. Rather than discarding skins, bones, heads, collars, and scrape meat, the team began upcycling these materials into goods for people, pets, and plants.

Today, their fish skin pet treats and collagen rich fish bone broth are standout successes, available at Local Ocean’s Newport market, online, and through select retailers. Rockfish skin dog treats are a great example of how flavor, nutrition, and sustainability can align.

Read more: https://oregonoceancluster.com/news/oregon-ocean-cluster-in-action-localocean-73w6a

Learn more about the upcoming 2026 Blue Foods Forum: https://www.winterwaterspnw.com/events/blue-foods-forum-26

How the Blue Foods Forum Sparked 100% Fish Utilization at Local Ocean Seafoods

12/18/2025

🚨Ticketing is LIVE for Blue Foods Forum events in Portland, Oregon! 🌊

🦀 Sunday, 2/1, 5-9pm: Kick off Winter Waters and the Blue Foods Forum at the Seafaring Speakeasy. Get ready to drift through a kelp forest of flavors, where Oregon’s coastal bounty takes center stage. This event is open to anyone and everyone who loves Oregon seafood. Guests will sample an array of creative drinks and Oregon-caught seafood bites prepared by chefs from across the state including Oregon's oyster queen, Maylin Chavez of Nacar Oysters, Jack Strong from Allison Inn, Jacon Harth, Joseph Papas of OK Omens, and Chef Patrick Clarke and the culinary students from Siletz Valley School.
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/blue-foods-forum-seafaring-speakeasy-tickets-1977542138771?aff=oddtdtcreator

🐟 Our 2nd Annual industry-focused Seafare Symposium, on Monday, 2/2 is a full day of active learning, conversation, and delicious inspiration centered around Oregon’s ocean foods. The Symposium invites chefs, producers, educators, and food system innovators to imagine what a more connected, sustainable, and locally rooted blue food future could look like. Live seafood butchery demos, roundtable discussions, lightning talks and structured networking opportunities set the stage for rich dialogues and goal-setting within the group. Attendees will hear presentations on cutting-edge projects, meet potential partners, and attend immersive workshops designed to drive progress, activate solutions, and inspire collaboration around Oregon’s food system challenges.
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/blue-foods-forum-seafare-symposium-tickets-1977543206966

Hosted by Winter Waters and the Oregon Ocean Cluster in close partnership with Ecotrust, Oregon Kelp Alliance, Oregon State University’s Food Labs and many other friends, this community-building event inspired lively dialogues about interconnected ecosystems, circular economies, and complex food supply chains. Adopting an “unconference” model and approach allowed us to creatively explore how redefining the use and restoration of our ocean resources can ignite a better future for all. Thank you to Travel Oregon, for your support.

12/13/2025

Oregon Ocean Cluster selected as finalist for Regenerative Travel Impact Awards
The Oregon Ocean Cluster has been selected as a finalist for the Regenerative Travel Impact Awards!

Each year, Regenerative Travel highlights organizations and individuals who are ‘Redefining how we explore the world – proving that travel can be a force for regeneration, restoration, and deep connection.’

The Oregon Ocean Cluster is thrilled to be selected for representation in two categories: Food & Agriculture, and Initiative of the Year. These awards honor global changemakers who champion regenerative principles and work to create a more equitable, resilient, and life-giving future. We’re honored to be included among a lineup of inspiring organizations taking on big-picture projects around the world.

Learn more: https://industry.visittheoregoncoast.com/industry-news/agrotourism-culinary/oregon-ocean-cluster-selected-as-finalist-for-regenerative-travel-impact-awards/?mc_cid=5b0fed66fd&mc_eid=1730905673