Oceans@Duke Sustainability Summit
Ocean to Table: Climate-Resilient Innovations for Sustainable Blue Foods
Friday, March 28
Gross Hall Atrium & Room 103, Duke University
Agenda
All times ET
Time
Segment
Description
10:00 a.m.
Innovation Showcase
Opportunity for networking and innovation showcase along the wall, including stats, fun facts, challenges.
11:00 a.m.
Welcome Address
Overview of the day
11:15 a.m.
Plenary Session I
Local + Sustainable = Climate friendly seafood supply chains
Ryan Speckman | Sara McDonald, Ph.D. | Kiley Dancy
Moderator: Jennifer Bushman, Founder and Executive Director of Fed By Blue
12:00 p.m.
Break
12:15 p.m.
Plenary Session II
Role of NGOs and private sector to help institutions procure more climate-friendly seafood supply chains
TJ Tate | Meaghan Hudgins | Adriana Sanchez
Moderator: Jennifer Bushman, Founder and Executive Director of Fed By Blue
1:00 p.m.
Capstone Address
Monica Jain, Fish 2.0 will provide an insightful overview of the discussions from the day and offer an inspiring call to action
1:30 p.m.
Audience Q&A
2:00 p.m.
Taste of Traceability
Locals Seafood Caters seafood bites that incorporate different species, in-season traceable back to the boat and ocean farm.
Plenary Session I Speakers
Kiley Dancy, Fishery Management Specialist
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
Kiley leads climate coordination efforts, oversees Inflation Reduction Act projects for Climate Ready Fisheries, and manages the Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection Amendment for key fish species. Previously work includes managing the summer flounder fishery plan, East Coast Scenario Planning Initiative and Deep Sea Corals Amendment. She holds a BS in Biology from the University of Michigan and a Masters of Environmental Management from Duke University.
Sara McDonald, PhD, Director of Conservation
South Carolina Aquarium
Sara focuses on priority conservation issues, including coastal resilience, plastic pollution reduction, citizen science, research, and supporting local, sustainable seafood through the Aquarium’s Good Catch program. As a Senior Fisheries Scientist for Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, she led bycatch work and managed the Seafood Social Risk Tool, assessing risks of forced labor, human trafficking, and child labor in seafood value chains. She holds a PhD in marine science and conservation and a BS in Zoology from Duke University, and an MS in Marine Biology from Florida Institute of Technology.
Ryan Speckman, Co-Founder
Locals Seafood
Ryan works to connect consumers with North Carolina’s diverse, well-managed fisheries, supporting local fishing families and their heritage. Through Locals Seafood, he emphasizes transparency in sourcing and the importance of valuing natural resources. By educating the public on the benefits of choosing real NC seafood, he helps sustain local economies, protect fisheries, and ensure a strong seafood industry for future generations.
Taste of Traceability
Lunch will be provided for participants and panelists which offers a chef-inspired seafood tasting featuring locally sourced seafood from the North Carolina coast, provided by Local Seafood. Each dish will be fully traceable to its source—whether from an ocean farm, wild fishery, or fishing community—giving participants a direct connection to the people and places behind their seafood.
This experience highlights the importance of transparency and sustainability in seafood supply chains, emphasizing how traceability empowers consumers to make informed choices that support coastal communities, small-scale fishers, and responsible harvesting practices.
As panelist Ryan Speckman, co-founder of Local Seafood, explains, “We believe in transparency of our sourcing because we’re supporting these families and their heritage. Educating the public about seeking and consuming real NC seafood is important because it supports small businesses, local economies, and NC families.”
The lunch aims to cultivate discussion behind the importance of sourcing local, sustainable seafood and how strengthening local supply chains can reduce carbon footprints, preserve working waterfronts, and promote a more resilient, community-driven seafood system.
Through this tasting, attendees will gain a deeper appreciation of the value of knowing where their seafood comes from and how their choices contribute to a healthier ocean and a stronger, more sustainable seafood industry.
Plenary Session II Speakers
TJ Tate, Director of Conservation
National Marine Sanctuaries Foundation
TJ is a leader in marine conservation and sustainable seafood, currently serving as Director of Conservation for the National Marine Sanctuaries Foundation. With over 20 years of experience, they integrate science, policy, and advocacy to drive ocean sustainability. Previously, she led seafood sustainability efforts as Director at the National Aquarium in Baltimore and Executive Director of Gulf Wild, specializing in seafood traceability and responsible sourcing. A skilled collaborator and strategist, TJ excels at aligning stakeholders and resources to advance conservation and sustainable fisheries.
Meaghan Hudgins, Executive Director
Conservation Alliance for Responsible Seafood
Meaghan leads the collective charge to identify and capitalize on the organization’s key strategic and organizational opportunities. Using a people-first approach, she leverages her expertise & tenure to facilitate collaborations and support the incubation of ideas and strategies across organizations. She brings two decades of relevant experience from both the non-profit and corporate sectors working across diverse stakeholders and initiatives. She holds a degree in Journalism from Indiana University.
Adriana Sanchez, Founder
Adriana is the founder of Seafood Ninja, Inc., a platform dedicated to helping companies develop and implement seafood sustainability programs. With over 12 years of industry experience, she specializes in making sustainability accessible to businesses of all sizes. What began as a personal blog in 2015 became an incorporated company in 2017, and Adriana continues to lead efforts in responsible sourcing and strategic sustainability solutions.
Capstone Speaker
Monica Jain
Founder of Fish 2.0 and Manta Consulting Inc.
Monica connects her passions for fisheries, oceans, finance, and impact investment. She launched Fish 2.0 in 2013 to build a global network of entrepreneurs and investors driving sustainable seafood growth, working with over 400 entrepreneurs, 300 investors, and 40 sponsors.
Named a White House Champion of Change for Sustainable Seafood in 2016, Monica has spent 30 years advancing ocean conservation and sustainable seafood across four continents. Her expertise spans marine biology, philanthropy, venture capital, banking, and international development.
In addition to Fish 2.0, she advises foundations, investors, and corporations on sustainability initiatives and strategic partnerships. She holds degrees from Stanford University and The Wharton School.
Fish 2.0 is a global community that brings innovators and investors together to grow the sustainable seafood sector. Since 2013, we have done this through regional accelerators and events around the world, the Global Innovators Forum, and trend analysis that brings attention to what’s next in seafood.
Contact Us
Reach out to us for inquiries about Duke Oceans Week and ocean sustainability events and collaborations.
Email: dukeoceans@duke.edu
