This year marked the third Feast of the Local Fishes, where once again we gathered at the Historic U.S. Coast Guard Boathouse for an afternoon that felt tailor-made for the Oregon coast. This particular evening greeted us with calm water, balmy air, and clear skies, a refreshing contrast to the stormy conditions that every year prior have greeted us for this one.

This year marked the 4th annual Seaweed Cyanotypes workshop. This year, the workshop was hosted in Seaside at the Circle Creek Conservation Center in partnership with North Coast Land Conservancy.

Following our incredibly fun and inspiring Newport tour, The Blue Line, held on Saturday, Local Ocean Seafoods put on a delicious and unique Sunday Seafare Brunch.

The community really showed up on this one! A classic rainy winter day in Newport, Oregon couldn’t stop people from venturing between stops for “The Blue Line” - a self-guided tour around Newport’s working waterfronts, and the powerful connection between science and seafood that defines Oregon’s coast. Despite the steady drizzle, attendees ventured across the bay, to explore the people, research, and fisheries shaping a resilient coastal future.

Out of all the ocean trivias we’ve hosted, Marine Reserves Trivia Night, hosted by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Cape Perpetua Collaborative, and Friends of Otter Rock at The Wilds Taphouse & BBQ was one for the books!

Our Newport-based Women of the Water conference was an incredible reminder that while aquaculture is often viewed through the lens of technology and biology, at its heart, it is powered by people, and some really really incredible ones at that.

The Seafaring Speakeasy returns to Portland on February 1st for a culinary walk through the kelp forest. Guests will get to try an array of creative drinks and Oregon-caught seafood prepared by chefs from across the state.

The Blue Foods Forum returns to Portland on February 1–2, bringing together impact investors, funders, producers, nonprofits, researchers, policymakers, and creatives to explore the future of Oregon’s blue foods economy.

Oregon’s first Blue Foods Forum brought together chefs, scientists, artists, and entrepreneurs to explore new ways of connecting ocean health with coastal livelihoods. In the months since, that gathering has sparked real change, launching new seafood products, creative collaborations, and innovative ventures that are redefining what it means to build a truly sustainable blue economy on the Oregon Coast.

Sea Wolf Books offered an ocean-centric poetry-writing station with poetic inspiration and writing prompts available to folks of all ages during our Winter Waters Weekend in Port Orford, Oregon. As promised, we have published the poetry written here!

Winter Waters is made our first-ever journey to the Southern Oregon Coast, landing in the gem of a fishing village, Port Orford! A huge thank you to Discover Port Orford, Port Orford Main Street, and Travel Curry Coast for sponsoring Winter Waters on the South coast.

A Winter Waters dinner along the Nehalem River, enjoying local food, plenty of seaweed and oysters, with views of the coastal mountain range!

Chef Jonathan Jones hosted guest chef Enrique Sanchez Rodriguez, from Newport’s Local Ocean Seafoods at Epilogue Kitchen, in it’s new home in South Salem. Both these chefs have participated in Winter Waters events in the past, we were excited for the opportunity to join them together for this special collaboration dinner.

Chef Maylin Chávez of Nácar Oysters joined Chef Mark Doxtader at Tastebud, in Multnomah Village for a special night of seaweed-centric bites and special dishes including sea-focused pizzas, breads and salads from the team of Tastebud, and raw bar with a Baja twist from Chef Maylin.

Seven local Oregon breweries crafting seaweed beers specifically for the February Winter Waters dining series, so we decided to get them all in the same bar so you can try them side by side.

Chef Ian Grant of Savvy Food Co and Chef U’ilaniku’ulei Vele of The Hoxton, took over the Lovely Rita kitchen for a night of ocean delicacies with a focus on seaweed and local sustainable seafood.

This 5-course dinner showcased the abundance of the Oregon coast and creative techniques, cultural heritage and expertise of these chefs.

On the evening of Thursday, February 20, 2025, at the cozy venue Union Pine in Portland, we celebrated the final act of our three-day Blue Foods Forum with the Seafaring Speakeasy — a spirited, sea-centric gathering of community, creativity, and culinary craft.

In February 2025, Oregon’s first Blue Foods Forum brought together an extraordinary mix of chefs, economists, artisans, food innovators, marine scientists and ocean advocates for three days of hands-on industry collaboration and culinary inspiration.  

Set against the creative backdrop of the Ecotrust Redd East event venue in SE Portland, this action-driven gathering invited participants to explore how Oregon’s ocean-based foods — from wild seafood to regenerative seaweeds — can contribute to a more sustainable, resilient, and delicious local food future.

We brought Winter Waters Ocean Trivia back to Flying Fish Co. for the 2025 series, and had a hoot! We enjoyed dulse hush putties and seaweed beer over a couple rounds of trivia.