In Hot Water, a Climate and Seafood podcast

The Emotional Tide: Trauma and Resilience in a Changing Climate

Unpack how climate change is reshaping not just ecosystems but our emotional landscapes. This episode connects the rising trauma of a changing climate to the challenges faced by seafood systems in the Great Lakes and around the world. Through systems thinking and trauma-informed design, we examine how climate disruptions ripple through fisheries, communities, and the human psyche, as well as how new approaches can help us respond with care, clarity, and resilience. Episode Transcript [https://www.seafoodandgenderequality.org/s/In-Hot-Water-GL_04_Climate-ChangeTrauma_250505.pdf] Episode Guide * 00:00 Intro to In Hot Water, Great Lakes Edition * 02:40 Cheryl Dahle, design strategist for systems change, returns in this episode to explain how a systems design approach is a relatively new way to problem solve through an examination of human behavior * 06:21 Cheryl started her career as a journalist and, disillusioned, left to found a nonprofit, Future of Fish [https://www.futureoffish.org/], working empower thriving, resilient ocean communities by driving innovation and investment to small-scale fisheries * 15:45 Systems change in the seafood sector - how does it happen? * 18:32 Having returned to journalism, Cheryl focuses on how the media covers climate change with the Solutions Journalism Network [https://www.solutionsjournalism.org/] * 29:10 In 2021, the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, Global Climate Change and Trauma [https://istss.org/public-resources/friday-fast-facts/climate-change-and-trauma/] released a detailed briefing paper describing the current state of knowledge and gaps on climate change and trauma. We asked Mary Foydor, a transdisciplinary designer about trauma-informed co-design, to tell us more about the links between climate change and trauma * 30:13 The definition of trauma * 31:11 Guiding principles to a trauma-informed approach to designing solutions * 36:54 Climate change is a trauma that we're experiencing collectively * 38:47 Joy-washing and the decolonization of trauma and trauma-informed design and care * 41:14 Final words: Our future is uncertain, but open with possibilities. If we can hold open that space of uncertainty and invent into it, we have a really good chance. Resources 1. 1. Recommend this series to anyone who enjoys seafood and is curious about how climate change is affecting our seafood-producing regions.

Fishtown's Fight: Saving a Working Waterfront

Journey into the heart of Fishtown, Michigan—a historic commercial fishing village on the shores of Lake Michigan that continues to anchor Great Lakes maritime culture. This episode dives into the deep roots of the region's fishing community, the founding of the Fishtown Preservation Society, and the resilience required to protect a working waterfront threatened by rising waters and time. Hear how history, trauma, and community care intertwine in a place where fishing isn't just a livelihood, it's a living story. Episode Transcript [https://www.seafoodandgenderequality.org/s/In-Hot-Water_05_Fishtown_250501-r4x6.pdf] Episode Guide * 00:00 Intro to In Hot Water, Great Lakes Edition * 02:06 Meet Amanda Holmes, executive director of the Fishtown Preservation Society [https://www.fishtownmi.org/], which oversees the historic site and working waterfront Fishtown * 03:54 The history of the region and the fishery, which has been documented since the 1850s * 05:32 Families settled in Fishtown, establishing a community around fishing the local waters * 09:25 The birth of Fishtown Preservation Society arose out of point of crisis and its evolution * 21:48 The rising waters of Lake Michigan, seiches [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiche] in particular, threaten the historic shanties along Fishtown's iconic waterfront, leading to a massive restoration effort * 33:50 In episode four of this series, we learned about trauma and trauma-informed solutions design, we relate this to instances of trauma running through Amanda's historical account of Fishtown and the fishing community that sustains it * 41:33 The importance of true community and supporting the people around you * 43:44 The importance of meaningful partnerships in preserving the legacy of Fishtown * 50:58 What can visitors to Fishtown expect to see and experience? * 41:14 Final words: Our future is uncertain, but open with possibilities. If we can hold open that space of uncertainty and invent into it, we have a really good chance. Resources 1. 1. Recommend this series to anyone who enjoys seafood and is curious about how climate change is affecting our seafood-producing regions.

Tinned with Care: Preserving the Great Lakes

Discover how one entrepreneur is reshaping the future of regional seafood—one tin at a time. This episode takes you to Fishtown, Michigan, for the story behind the first Midwest-based tinned fish company sourcing exclusively from the Great Lakes. Learn how honoring local flavor, rethinking business models, and planning for climate resilience are all part of building a more sustainable seafood system from the inside out. Episode Transcript [https://www.seafoodandgenderequality.org/s/In-Hot-Water-GL_03_Tinned-Fish_250501.pdf] Episode Guide * 00:00 Intro to In Hot Water, Great Lakes Edition * 02:07 Introducing Marissa Fellows, the founder and CEO of Great Lakes Tinned Fish [https://www.greatlakestinnedfish.com/],, whom we met in a shanty on the spectacular working waterfront of Fishtown [https://www.fishtownmi.org/], Michigan * 03:30 Marissa shares her journey to creating the Great Lakes Tinned Fish company and the people who supported her along the way * 10:39 Challenges to opening the first Midwest-based tinned fish company sourcing exclusively from the Great Lakes region * 17:14 Flipping a business model on its head while capturing the taste of the Great Lakes in a tin * 21:07 Investing in the long run means being part of the conversation around the future of Great Lakes fisheries * 22:57 Marissa is incorporating resilience into her business that relies on a product that's affected by the effects of climate change * 25:48 Flipping the script, Marissa asks Crystal what is most important thing for businesses to be sustainable in the fishing sector Resources 1. 1. Recommend this series to anyone who enjoys seafood and is curious about how climate change is affecting our seafood-producing regions.

Lake Michigan: Whitefish, Warming Waters, and What Comes Next

Step into the world of commercial fishing in Lake Michigan, where deep-rooted tradition meets a rapidly changing environment. This episode traces the importance of whitefish, the effects of rising water temperatures, and the challenges facing fishing families as they navigate shifting policies and climate pressures. Hear how the future of a generational industry hangs in the balance and what's at stake for the communities that depend on it. Episode Transcript [https://www.seafoodandgenderequality.org/s/In-Hot-Water-GL_02_Commercial-Fisheries_250501.pdf] Episode Guide * 00:00 Intro to In Hot Water, Great Lakes Edition * 02:14 Karen Murchie, director of freshwater research at Shedd Aquarium [https://www.sheddaquarium.org/] in Chicago, Illinois, shares the importance of freshwater ecosystems and the food they produce (but it's a misnomer to call it "seafood!") * 07:20 A generational Great Lakes fishery steeped in tradition - meet Lakon Williams, operations manager and owner of Bayport Fish Company, a historic fishery on Michigan's Saginaw Bay * 11:14 Whitefish: a critically important fish in Lake Michigan's commercial fishery * 16:25 Lakon shares the history of commercial fishing in Lake Michigan and her frustrations about its historical and current management * 23:23 Recreational fisheries influence the management of fisheries resources * 28:12 According to the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit [https://toolkit.climate.gov/popular-resources], the Great Lakes show a trend toward higher water temperatures Lakon shares how that is affecting the fishery * 34:21 The Department of Natural Resources and their relationship with the commercial fishing companies * 38:06 The Great Lakes' fishing industry is in "dire straits" * 41;32 While not great for the native fish of the lakes, the introduced species Asian carp, or copi, represents a market opportunity * 43:12 Lakon ends the episode sharing that while she hopes to leave a thriving and sustainable business to her family's third generation, she's wary of the future Resources 1. 1. Recommend this series to anyone who enjoys seafood and is curious about how climate change is affecting our seafood-producing regions.

From Roots to Rivers: Food Justice in Chicago

Explore how environmental justice, food sovereignty, and cultural relevance come together in Chicago. From the legacy of industrial pollution and the "Toxic Doughnut" to the impact of climate change on local growers, we examine how communities are reclaiming power through food. Tune in to hear how land-based farming connects to seafood, and why culturally rooted food systems matter for a more just and sustainable future. Episode Transcript [https://www.seafoodandgenderequality.org/s/In-Hot-Water-GL_01_Food-Growers_250429.pdf] Episode Guide * 00:00 Intro to In Hot Water, Great Lakes Edition * 02:14 Meet Nick Davis, managing director of communications and engagement at the Community Food Navigator [https://communityfoodnavigator.org/], a community-run organization dedicated to building power amongst small-scale food growers of color in the Chicago Foodshed * 06:03 We dive into the history of Chicago and the environmental challenges that affect the river systems that lead into Lake Michigan, affecting the surrounding communities * 09:12 Cheryl Dahle, a design strategist for systems change, shares how telling stories of communities can be a part of driving systems change * 12:36 Altgeld Gardens, a community of about 7,000 residents on the southside of Chicago, surrounded by the "Toxic Doughnut [https://ejatlas.org/conflict/chicagos-toxic-doughnut-usa]" - toxic waste dumps and landfills - and, notably, the residence of Hazel Johnson, considered the mother of the environmental justice movement * 15:27 What do food growers need? * 18:14 What is culturally relevant food? * 25:55 Nick details the importance of fish that can be found in Chicago's rivers * 29:47 Climate change is affecting the region's food growers in a variety of ways * 34:07 Nick gushes about others working towards food justice in Chicago, like Oscar Villa of Bee-utiful Honey [https://www.bee-utifulbees.com/our-story], soil scientist Dr. Ishmael Israel, and Urban Growers Collective [https://www.urbangrowerscollective.org/] * 38:25 The hosts tie the interviews about food apartheid and culturally appropriate foods grown on land to seafood, emphasizing the connection between land-based farming and seafood production Resources 1. 1. Recommend this series to anyone who enjoys seafood and is curious about how climate change is affecting our seafood-producing regions.