Recap: An Awesome Afternoon with Ocean Discovery Institute

Posted on August 25, 2026 by Local Fish

After connecting with Ocean Discovery Institute (ODI) a few months back, we instantly knew that we wanted to find a way to work together. ODI is an incredible non-profit organization based here in San Diego that creates learning experiences for young people traditionally excluded from science due to race, income status and educational opportunity. With their focus on ocean science, we have been looking for a way to partner and finally had the pleasure of holding our first collaborative event, and hopefully not the last.

Learning About Local Fish, Hands-On

We met with the students along with our friend chef Ashley McBrady from Make Projects to learn about local rockfish and how to prepare it. We spoke about local species, gear types, sustainability and of course cooking! The kids had so many great questions about fisheries, sustainable practices and even Marine Protected Areas. They got to have a hands-on cooking experience under the expert guidance of chef Ashley where they learned new cooking techniques, fish preparation, and ultimately got to taste something new and different.

Finding New Ways to Support Local

As the Local Fish project grows and evolves, we are always looking for the most impactful ways to support local fisheries and bring more local seafood to the community. Partnering with ODI has revealed yet another way that we can help spread the message. Nothing lights us up more than educating the community about sustainability and the importance of supporting our local fleet. It was incredible to have some of these conversations with kids focusing on the area of ocean science.

This particular event would not have been possible without the incredible support, time, and effort from the incomparable chef Ashley. She brings so much heart and soul and skill and talent to everything that she does and we are forever grateful for her support.

Where Food, Science and Community Meet

Food, and in this case seafood, is such an important piece of the puzzle because it truly sits at the intersection of science, sustainability, and community. There’s the marine science of understanding different species and their anatomy, the chemistry behind preparing and cooking them, and the community that comes together from sourcing ingredients all the way to sitting down and eating together. And of course nothing brings people together quite like a delicious meal.

Ashley prepared a gorgeous local rockfish meatball with a delicious salad and sauce. Almost everyone enjoyed it, but everyone was willing to try it and that’s really what counts. We are so grateful to ODI for hosting us and to chef Ashley for helping to get our message across in a fun and tangible way. We can’t wait to see where all these partnerships lead in the future.