Blogfish is one of my favorite blog reads, it's published by Mark Powell, who lives on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle. Mark is Vice President for Fish Conservation at Ocean Conservancy, and his blog covers everything from sustainable seafood to surfing. Mark ocassionally links to Carl Safina's blog, which is where I found out about the Fish Phone. Safina is president and co-founder of the Blue Ocean Institute, and author of Song for the Blue Ocean, which has been on my bookshelf for a couple of years (but I've yet to crack it).

Got all that?

The Blue Ocean Institute has launched a seafood guide, similar to the pocket guide published by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, except for this one is available on your mobile phone.



That's right. Say you are eating out and there's an awfully tempting grilled mako shark with cilantro butter entree on the menu. Now you've seen enough Animal Planet and other nature shows to know that shark populations are in serious decline, so you're wondering if it's "safe" to eat that sharp toothed predator for dinner. By safe, we mean "shark karma," as in you better watch out next time you dip your toes in the surf.

Kidding. By "safe," we mean is it ok to eat shark without feeling like you are contributing to the decimation of the species. Only slightly kidding.



So who you gonna call? Why don't you just whip out your iPhone, Blackberry, or whatever portable communication device you favor, and navigate your way to Fish-Phone-dot-org. From there you can select what ever species it is that populates the menu in front of you and make an informed dining decision.



And save a shark at the same time. Cool or what?