What Your Dinner Has to Do With the Ocean

By Katie Sheahan | May 29, 2026

When most people think about ocean conservation, they picture beaches, coral reefs, or fishing boats. Dinner doesn't usually make the list. Yet one of the most direct ways we influence ocean health happens far from the coast, often right from our own kitchens.

The connection is obvious when seafood is on the menu. Even here in Colorado, our seafood is part of a global market. Fish caught in one part of the world are often shipped thousands of miles before reaching our plates. That means inland demand still contributes to fishing pressure on ocean ecosystems. It also contributes to the environmental costs of transportation, including greenhouse gas emissions, underwater noise pollution, and the spread of invasive species through shipping networks.

Unfortunately, buying seafood responsibly isn't always straightforward. Labels can be misleading, and sustainability claims are not always backed by independent science. Overfishing, bycatch, and habitat destruction remain major concerns in many fisheries. Our choices as consumers may seem small, but collectively they help shape demand for how seafood is harvested around the world.

But seafood is only part of the story. Even if you never eat fish, your dinner is still connected to the ocean. All food systems are linked through watersheds. Rain falls on farms, flows into streams and rivers, and eventually reaches the sea. Along the way, it carries more than just water. In Colorado and across the United States, agricultural fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus help grow the crops that feed us. These nutrients are essential for life, but when excess fertilizer washes into rivers, it doesn't simply disappear. It continues downstream, eventually reaching coastal ecosystems.

Once there, too much nitrogen and phosphorus can trigger massive algal blooms. As those algae die and decompose, oxygen levels in the water drop. Fish, shrimp, and countless other organisms struggle to survive in these low-oxygen conditions, creating what scientists call "dead zones."

One of the most well-known examples occurs in the Gulf of Mexico, where nutrients carried by the Mississippi River contribute to a seasonal dead zone that affects one of North America's most productive marine ecosystems. The seafood resources many communities depend on can be directly impacted by activities occurring hundreds or even thousands of miles inland.

That's what fascinates me most about ecology. There is no true "away." Rivers connect mountains to oceans. Actions taken on farms influence fisheries. A meal eaten in Colorado can have consequences for ecosystems we may never see. I don't say this to make anyone feel guilty about what they eat. I don't plan on giving up seafood. That would be a tragedy for my family's annual Crab Fest!

Instead, I think awareness matters. When possible, choose seafood from well-managed fisheries. If you're visiting the coast, support local fishing communities that depend on healthy fish populations for their livelihoods. Consider where your food comes from, how it was produced, and what resources were required to bring it to your plate.

For me, these choices became easier when I started thinking differently about food itself. One idea that has stayed with me comes from Robin Wall Kimmerer in Braiding Sweetgrass. She writes about viewing what we take from the Earth as a gift rather than a commodity. Whether it's raspberries growing in the mountains or seafood harvested from the ocean, approaching food with gratitude changes how we value it.

Ironically, choosing higher-quality food from local producers helped me waste less food overall. I bought less, appreciated it more, and threw away far less than I used to. The shift wasn't really about perfection. It was about paying attention.

Because the ocean is not separate from our daily lives. It is connected to the rivers that flow through our communities, the farms that produce our food, and the choices we make every day.Even here in Colorado, the ocean is downstream of us.