Bushman began by sharing the remarkable journey behind Hope in the Water, a seven-year collaboration with Andrew Zimmern and David E. Kelley, who, along with his wife Michelle Pfeiffer, brought authenticity, artistry, and aquaculture experience to the screen.

The creation of the series was anything but simple. PBS initially hesitated to back it, wanting to better understand the scientific backing. After more than a year of scientific review by the Blue Food Assessment (Stanford, Stockholm University, and EAT-Lancet), there was a clear need for this kind of documentary. The result is now PBS’s most successful documentary launch in history, viewed by over 8 million people, covered in 167 articles, and used by 440,000 educators in U.S. classrooms through PBS Learning Media toolkits.

But the results were more than just numbers, Bushman emphasized impact: they saw increased awareness, responsible consumption, and measurable shifts in seafood purchasing where the campaign was active, proof that story can change behavior.

“It’s not rocket science,” she smiled. “If people know where their food comes from, and who’s growing it, they make better choices.”

Local Leaders, Global Lessons

Following the screening, Bushman moderated a powerful panel with four Northwest leaders shaping the future of sustainable aquaculture:

• Dune Lankard, Founder of the Native Conservancy

• Bobbi Hudson, Executive Director of the Pacific Shellfish Institute

• Nyle Taylor, Senior Director of Farms at Taylor Shellfish Farms

• Samantha Larson, Science Writer at Washington Sea Grant and co-author of Heaven on the Half Shell

Together, they explored the cultural, ecological, and technological dimensions of blue food systems, from Indigenous mariculture and kelp restoration to innovation in shellfish farming and next-generation workforce development.

Regeneration from the Roots (and Tides)

Lankard shared his journey from Alaskan fisherman to regenerative ocean farmer a story that wove together personal loss, climate urgency, and ancestral knowledge.

“The ocean has always given to my family,” he said. “Now it’s time we give something back.”

Through the Native Conservancy, Lankard is training Indigenous ocean farmers, building a Kelp Highway Network, and creating a Native Kelp Alliance to shape future ocean policy. His stories of ancient kelp “energy bars” made with hooligan fish oil and berries illustrated how innovation sometimes means going back to historic roots.

The Modern Tide Flats

For Taylor Shellfish’s fifth-generation farmer Nyle Taylor, innovation starts in the mud. He described how advances in hatcheries and floating aquaculture systems have transformed productivity and resilience, reducing assembly time, improving efficiency, and enabling collaboration with shellfish farmers around the world.

“We’re all solving the same challenge,” Taylor said. “How to grow better, more resilient shellfish.”

His work, alongside Pacific Shellfish Institute scientists and Washington Sea Grant researchers, is helping define what responsible aquaculture looks like in a changing climate.

Science and Storytelling

Science communicator Samantha Larson reminded the audience that storytelling is as critical as science in reshaping public perception.

“We have to connect the dots between environmental stewardship and our sense of place,” she said.

Washington Sea Grant’s Tide’s Out training and NOAA Science Camp introduce middle-schoolers to aquaculture as a career path, ensuring the next generation of ocean farmers grows from curiosity and care.

Meanwhile, Bobbi Hudson emphasized that trust remains one of the biggest barriers: “More than half of people we surveyed had never seen a shellfish farm,” she noted. “What we don’t know breeds fear. Understanding begins with conversation.”