USC Environmental Studies students explore “Blue Foods” with Holdfast Aquaculture

As part of the USC environmental studies course ENST 413: Sustainable Aquaculture and Food Security, students spend the semester learning about “blue foods,” the wild and farmed seafood that we harvest from oceans, rivers, and lakes. Despite blue foods’ high nutritional value and lower environmental footprint compared to land-based animal farming, many consumers overlook these foods. People typically cite cost concerns, unfamiliarity, or uncertainty about preparation methods as barriers to incorporating more blue foods into their diets.

“Since the course is classroom-based, I am always seeking opportunities for students to see aquaculture production systems in action and meet with people from the industry,” said Associate Professor of Environmental Studies (Teaching) Scott Applebaum.

In collaboration with Research Associate Amalia Almada from USC Sea Grant, this year Applebaum took his class to San Pedro. There, they visited a Holdfast Aquaculture facility where the company hatches oyster larvae (also called “seeds”). The students heard from co-founders Diane Kim and Ian Jacobson and took a tour through the hatchery, learning how the seeds are grown in San Pedro before they enter nursery systems in Morro Bay. Eventually, the juvenile oysters are moved onto oyster lines in the ocean, where they grow until they’re ready to harvest.

After the tour, students took part in a blue foods tasting session, a course component that has been offered for the past three years. Applebaum introduced a selection of low-impact blue foods — such as preserved and tinned seafoods and seaweed-based products — to the class. This year, students also received a hands-on lesson in oyster shucking, guided by Jacobson. The goal is to help them build familiarity with blue foods, identify cost-accessible options, and imagine how these foods might fit into their everyday food choices long after the course ends.