Culinary Innovation and Ocean Sustainability Take Center Stage at Sixth Annual Fundraiser

LA Harbor College students will prepare recipes inspired by Chef Zimmern

AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles is proud to announce its sixth annual fundraiser, Blue Hour 2025: The Culinary Arts of Blue Food, an event that connects science, culture, food and community by combining food technology to tell the story of and raise awareness for the emerging blue economy. AltaSea will honor celebrity chef and restaurateur Andrew Zimmern with the Innovation Award, presented by ocean advocates Philippe and Ashlan Cousteau. Phillippe is an Emmy-nominated ocean storyteller, Founder of EarthEcho International, and the grandson of famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau.

AltaSea will honor Chef Zimmern with the Innovation Award in recognition of his contributions to sustainable seafood and the blue economy. The Innovation Award is given annually to people who display ingenuity, drive progress, and solve some of the world’s most pressing problems with innovative solutions. As a chef, humanitarian, entrepreneur, and global citizen, Zimmern has devoted his life to exploring and promoting cultural acceptance, tolerance, and understanding through food.

Zimmern’s work, including his co-creation of the Emmy and James Beard Foundation award nominated PBS documentary-series Hope in the Water, his work telling stories on and about our global water systems for over 20 years on television across 12 series, his authorship of the new cookbook The Blue Food Cookbook, his advocacy for fresh and salt water food systems as a global ambassador for the United Nations World Food Program, the Nature Conservancy, creating access to sustainable fish and seafood as a pillar of his work with the Environmental Working Group, and as a founding member of the Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture inspires us all to take global action for healthier oceans and a more sustainable food future.

Now in its 11^th year, AltaSea has developed a 35-acre ocean technology campus that is home to many innovative climate solutions focused on the ocean in a variety of industries, including aquaculture, carbon capture, renewable energy, and ocean exploration. AltaSea also partners with high schools, colleges, and universities to provide educational experiences for the next generation of climate scientists and innovators.

Sponsored by Delta Air Lines, Carrix, Air Products, Arc Boats, Enlyst Fund, AltaSea Trustee Dr. Geraldine Knatz and others, Blue Hour 2025: The Culinary Arts of Blue Food will feature chef demonstrations, exquisite culinary creations, literal works of art from food, live music, and distinctive entertainment. It will also feature a variety of ocean food and drinks, curated by award-winning Chef Sammy Monsour. The event will take place on September 27, 2025, at AltaSea’s Lands End (Berth 60), with doors opening at 5:30 PM and the awards ceremony starting at 8 PM.

For more information and tickets, please visit: https://altasea.org/blue-hour-blue-food/.

“I’m honored to receive AltaSea’s Innovation Award and to celebrate the blue economy,” said Chef Zimmern. “AltaSea’s work in promoting sustainable aquaculture and seafood inspires a new way of thinking about our relationship with the ocean, aligning with a belief I’ve long held: sustainable seafood is key to both nourishing communities and preserving our oceans for future generations.”

Zimmern’s upcoming book, Hope in the Water: The Blue Food Cookbook, set to release on October 28, 2025, is a “seafood bible looking at blue food from water to plate: a tangible delicious cookbook for how to best buy, prepare, and cook from our oceans and waterways sustainably.”

“Sustainable seafood is a critical pillar of the blue economy. Andrew Zimmern’s career has brilliantly showcased how good sustainable seafood can be,” said AltaSea President & CEO Terry Tamminen. “We are thrilled to honor him at the Blue Hour for his transformative contributions to ocean health through his culinary innovation and advocacy.”

AltaSea will also honor the Chadwick Ocean Institute with the NextGen Award, which honors emerging leaders or institutions that help shape a better and more sustainable future. Founded in 2024, the Chadwick Ocean Institute is a K-12 program that extends learning beyond the classroom, immersing students in real-world ocean science, research, and sustainability. Students get hands-on experience, providing them with a strong foundation with jobs in the emerging blue economy. The institute has a dedicated space at AltaSea called “The Co-Lab”, a vibrant hub for ocean innovation where students, scientists, entrepreneurs, educators, and policy shapers converge to explore new frontiers in marine science and technology.

AltaSea Trustee Eric Johnson will receive this year’s Cornerstone Award, given annually to a member of the AltaSea family that has been instrumental in AltaSea’s growth. One of AltaSea’s earliest champions, Johnson’s contributions to AltaSea support both the development of K-12 educational components and as lead advisor for the construction of the campus. Upon joining the board of trustees, Johnson a real estate developer by trade, led the prioritization of the redevelopment of Berths 58 – 60. Johnson and his family are pillars of the San Pedro community. As President of Jerico Development, Johnson has helped transform and revitalize the LA waterfront by leading the West Harbor project, a public private partnership with the Port of Los Angeles. West Harbor is a 42-acre ground-up retail, dining and entertainment destination being developed through a joint venture with the Ratkovich Company, Osprey Investors, and SSA Marine. His family’s foundation, the Crail Johnson Foundation, has helped underprivileged youth in urban Los Angeles since 1988 and is one of AltaSea’s founding donors.

Blue Hour 2025: The Culinary Arts of Blue Food will feature four immersive and inspiring “Blue Food” pavilions, offering guests a chance to explore exceptional ocean-based cuisine while discovering the future of the blue economy and sustainable aquaculture. The pavilions will be curated by Chef Sammy Monsour, a Michelin Award-winning chef known for sustainable seafood and Southern-inspired cuisine.

“I’m excited to showcase four unique ways to enjoy sustainable seafood, celebrating the ocean’s bounty while advancing a more sustainable future,” said Chef Monsour. “The funds raised by Blue Hour supports AltaSea’s Ocean STEM, which provides educational programs to students throughout Los Angeles at no cost, giving them an opportunity to learn about the vast opportunities within the blue economy. These range from sustainable food and regenerative aquaculture to underwater robotics and more.”

This year’s event spotlights vendors and collaborators deeply connected to AltaSea’s mission to accelerate ocean innovation:

• LA Harbor College Pavilion – Blue Economy Culinary Arts: In partnership with LA Harbor College’s acclaimed Culinary Arts Program, this pavilion will spotlight next-generation culinary talent. Students will prepare recipes inspired by our 2025 Blue Hour Honoree, Chef Andrew Zimmern.

• Seaweed Pavilion – Featuring Kelp Ark: This pavilion will highlight the power of seaweed as both a sustainable food source and a regenerative force for our oceans. A featured well-known LA chef, selected by Chef Sammy Monsour, will create culinary experiences that celebrate seaweed’s diversity. In collaboration with Kelp Ark, this pavilion will emphasize the ecological and culinary significance of marine plants.

• Braid Theory Pavilion – Sustainable Innovation Meets Cuisine: Curated in partnership with AltaSea partner Braid Theory, this pavilion will explore ocean-conscious packaging and the future of eco-friendly food innovation. It will blend food artistry with storytelling, integrating sustainable materials into the culinary journey.

• Blue Robotics Pavilion: This “coastal café” pavilion will bring a chef-curated tasting of oysters that champion shelf-stable, sustainable options for ocean-based nourishment.

To complement the Pavilions, Trani's Dockside Station and Chef Dustin Trani will provide a curated menu of food offerings. Dockside is a seafood forward California cuisine full-service restaurant celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year. Chef Dustin Trani is a fourth-generation celebrity chef and owner. The Trani family is a San Pedro institution that has consistently set the standard in the town’s food scene.

In addition to the various food offerings, internationally-acclaimed conceptual artist and composer Beatie Wolfe will showcase selections from her award-winning climate art portfolio that includes “Smoke and Mirrors” and “From Green to Red.” These pieces use art to communicate over six decades of climate data to raise awareness. Earlier this year, Wolfe released two studio albums “Luminal” and “Lateral” with Brian Eno, one of the most influential figures in the music industry.

About AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles

AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, located on 35 acres at North America’s leading seaport by both container volume and cargo value, is dedicated to accelerating scientific collaboration, advancing an emerging blue economy through business innovation and job creation, and inspiring the next generation, all for a more sustainable, just, and equitable world.

For more information on AltaSea, please visit: https://altasea.org.

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