Sustainable Blue Foods Take Center Stage at Blue Hour
This October, AltaSea hosted its annual Blue Hour—a celebration of sustainable seafood, gathering for blue economy leaders, and fundraiser for AltaSea’s ocean education programming.
Blue Hour was headlined by Chef Andrew Zimmern, a global advocate for sustainable foods and winner of an Emmy and four James Beard Awards. Zimmern was joined by a curated selection of acclaimed chefs, who each designed seafood dishes exclusively for the event and prepared them on-site for guests.
“Blue Hour captures what makes AltaSea so special—using food to bring people together, spark curiosity, and show that a healthier ocean can also create stronger communities and a more sustainable future,” said Zimmern.
At Blue Hour, while watching the sun disappear behind the Pacific from the seaside deck of AltaSea’s Land’s End, Zimmern reflected on the importance of the oceans.
“The answer to gender equities, pay equities, the future of the global economy, the solutions to our climate crisis, the cure-alls for international and national securities…that and more are in the ocean,” Zimmern said.
Chef Dustin Trani, a fourth-generation chef and owner of Trani’s Dockside Station and The Majestic, curated Blue Hour’s high-powered lineup of chefs. He said his goal was to bring together like-minded people with “passion that comes from their heart and hands to what they’re putting out on the table.”
“It’s just an unbelievable group of some amazing chefs, some great talent, and it’s just so special to bring them to my hometown of San Pedro here at AltaSea,” Trani said.
During Blue Hour, guests sampled dishes from chef pavilions throughout AltaSea’s historic waterfront campus. Zimmern prepared kombu-cured Alaskan sablefish with fresh shiso, white miso-yuzu vinaigrette, pickled mustard seed and cucumber. Trani prepared a bluefin tuna tostada with green apple, chili crunch, mint, and Thai style ponzu. Chef Chris Cosentino, the award-winning partner chef of Koast in Maui, served Kona kanpachi crudo with macadamia nut nam jim.
“Sustainable seafood is a critical pillar of the blue economy, and Andrew, Dustin, Chris, and other chefs joining us are helping lead the way by showing how delicious, innovative, and essential ocean-friendly cuisine can be,” said AltaSea President and CEO Terry Tamminen.
Blue Hour’s other featured chefs also prepared creative dishes at the event. Alaskan chef Beau Schooler served a Taku salmon wing with buffalo sauce, kelp ranch, and kelp pickle. Chef Bradley Gale of The Fishery in San Diego prepared a temaki handroll with Ogo seaweed salad and kimchi aioli. Chef Robert Lee served Grassy Bar Miyagi oysters with mignonette, cocktail sauce, fresh horseradish and a ponzu kelp topping. Sushi chefs Tak and Juli Yokoo served an assortment of authentic Japanese sushi from their hydrogen-powered, zero-emission sushi cart. Chef Carlos Jurado of Selva in Long Beach prepared Peruvian scallop crudo with aji vinaigrette, fermented aji amarillo, chlorophyll oil, and champagne espuma. Guests were also able to enjoy drinks served by local coffee shop Sirens, which is preparing to open a full cafe on the AltaSea campus.
Local students from Los Angeles Harbor College’s Culinary Arts Program worked alongside each participating chef, a reflection of AltaSea’s emphasis on education, outreach, and workforce development. This focus sets AltaSea apart amongst blue economy hubs, according to Dr. Geraldine Knatz—AltaSea trustee, blue economy expert, and professor at the University of Southern California. Dr. Knatz recently completed a comprehensive study of blue economy centers worldwide.
“I did not find a model similar to AltaSea any place in the globe,” she said.
Chef Cosentino also reflected on what makes the AltaSea model work.
“To solve problems you need communication. And the fact that AltaSea houses all these innovators, creatives, and problem solvers all in one place…gives everyone an opportunity to work together,” Cosentino said.
Tyler Buckingham of Blue Robotics, which has both its headquarters and production center at its 49,000 square-foot facility on the AltaSea campus, agreed.
“When you bring people together that have different backgrounds, different expertise, [and] different passions, they cross-pollinate with each other. That’s why at a place like AltaSea…we create things that we wouldn’t be able to by ourselves,” Buckingham said.
Blue Hour culminated with an awards ceremony honoring two changemakers advancing an equitable and sustainable future. Tina Calderon, AltaSea’s Special Advisor and Cultural Consultant, received the NextGen Award for her work bringing Indigenous history, culture, and stewardship into AltaSea’s public programming—including acknowledgements recognizing that AltaSea’s campus is located on the traditional lands and waters of the Tongva people. Growing Oceans, a nonprofit research initiative based at AltaSea, was honored with the Innovation Award in recognition of its work on using nitrogen-fixing phytoplankton to draw carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while supporting ocean health.
AltaSea gives thanks to all of the sponsors that made Blue Hour possible, including title sponsor Carrix. The chefs used seafood from sustainable providers including Alaska Seafood, Blue Ocean Mariculture, the Cultured Abalone, and Holdfast Aquaculture. Pavilion sponsors included Carrix, Arc Boats, Alaska Seafood, Blue Robotics, Fenix Marine Services, Tekever, Los Angeles Harbor College, Dr. Geraldine Knatz, and Black Knight Patrol.
Funds raised through Blue Hour support AltaSea’s Ocean STEM programs, which provide educational experiences to students throughout Los Angeles at no cost. These programs introduce young people to career opportunities across the blue economy, including sustainable aquaculture, marine robotics, renewable energy, and ocean exploration.
Over the past several years, Blue Hour has established itself not only as a fundraiser for one of the world’s leading blue economy hubs, but also as a destination for culinary enthusiasts. Next year’s Blue Hour, scheduled for October 9, 2027, promises to be another unforgettable evening for foodies and ocean lovers alike. The event is open to the public, and anyone interested in information about ticket sales and next year’s featured chefs can sign up for AltaSea’s newsletter here.
Written by Emily Vidovich. Emily is an environmental journalist specializing in ocean conservation and climate change mitigation. She obtained her bachelor’s degree at George Washington University and a Masters in Global Environmental Studies at a university in Tokyo, Japan. Born and raised in the Port of Los Angeles, she now works in research and communications at AltaSea.