David Anderson graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and built his experience working in two of Philadelphia's top restaurants. He moved on to the Bittersweet Bistro in Aptos, California, before coming to the Aquarium last year.

Coming back, that is—Anderson grew up on the central coast of California and volunteered at the Aquarium for 3 ½ years as a teenager. "There's so much to learn at the Monterey Bay Aquarium," he says. "Looking at the Monterey Bay from above you would never think of the huge variety that lives under the surface—I was able to spend every other Saturday for 3 ½ years learning about the details."

When Anderson began working as a chef, the connection between cooking and conservation wasn't immediately apparent. "The tie between environmental issues and what you eat didn't occur to me until about 10 years ago, when stories about swordfish being overfished on the east coast started appearing. Then it really started to have a connection for me."

He saw monkfish and Chilean seabass become overfished. "More and more," he says, "I started hearing about the Seafood Watch program—even before I started working at the Aquarium."

At the Portola Restaurant, Anderson only serves fish that appears on the Seafood Watch green "Best Choices" list. The Portola is part of the Bon Appétit Management Company's "Low Carbon Diet Program," which considers issues like proper waste disposal and the impact of beef or cheese production on the environment. Anderson works hard to get as much detail as possible about his seafood purchases, even evaluating the carbon footprint of different shipping methods. "Anything that's trucked or goes by boat is preferred over something that's air -freighted," he says.  

Anderson's commitment to talking about ocean conservation continues, even though he's no longer an Aquarium guide. As a Seafood Watch Ambassador, he attends local community events, where his perspective as a home cook is just as valuable as his restaurant experience.  "At home I shop at local markets," he says, "and I carry my pocket guide around.  Sometimes it's hard to find even yellow-listed items, so I tell people that you want learn to shop for what's available instead of what's in the recipe."

He recommends shopping first then adapting a recipe to fit. "I always tell people that recipes are guidelines and it's okay to play with your food! If you can't find exactly what you need, you can substitute things as long as the flavors still make sense."