Can the "locavore" movement do for fisheries what it has been doing for American farmers as a growing number of consumers buy locally grown produce from community farms? New NOAA Sea Grant social sciences research projects are seeking to answer that and other questions.

Reporters are invited to learn more in a media teleconference with NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., on March 22 when she will announce two studies funded by this initiative. They will look at how new business models - community supported fisheries and high value product lines - could benefit fishing communities in Washington, Oregon, and California.

WHAT:          

Media teleconference on two new NOAA Sea Grant projects to study models for sustainable West Coast fisheries 

WHEN:         

Thursday, March 22, 10:00 a.m. PT

WHERE:        

National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis
735 State Street, Suite 300 (3rd floor, conference room 323)
Santa Barbara, Calif. (Directions: http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/contact) 

HOW:             

Reporters may attend the press briefing in person or by teleconference:
Dial-in: 1-800-988-9466; pass code 66781

(Please RSVP to Linda Joy, 301-734-1165, linda.joy@noaa.gov, or Christina Johnson, 
858-822-5334, csjohnson@ucsd.edu)

WHO:              

• Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator
• James Eckman, Ph.D., director, California Sea Grant
• Barbara Walker, Ph.D., director of research development for the social sciences, humanities and fine arts, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Ana Pitchon, Ph.D., assistant professor of anthropology, California State University