PBS to air Fed by Blue's seafood sustainability docuseries

U.S. public television channel PBS plans to air a three-part documentary series titled Hope in the Water, focusing on blue food technology that aids in food security efforts and improves sustainability in vulnerable seas around the world.

“We’re particularly excited about Hope in the Water's potential to reach broad audiences thanks to the powerful voices at the forefront of the series, who demonstrate the possibilities of a more sustainable future,” PBS Vice President and Head of Development Bill Gardner said in a release. 

The show, produced by David E. Kelley, who created or produced a number of popular shows, including Doogie Howser, M.D. and Big Little Lies, and four-time James Beard Award-winner Andrew Zimmern, will debut in summer 2024. It is a part of a multiyear impact campaign from nonprofit Fed by Blue aiming to produce content that inspires visionary work in ocean sustainability. 

“Fed by Blue is working to amplify efforts that are bringing new pathways, new dialogue, and new perceptions about the importance of foods that come from water,” Fed by Blue Co-Founder Jennifer Bushman said. “Helping to develop a docuseries on this topic has been an anchor for our greater work.”

Hope in the Water will highlight environmentalists and public figures Shailene Woodley, Martha Stewart, Jose Andres, and Baratunde Thurston. Each activist is tied to a story in which they seek smart climate change solutions, and each will explore specific ocean environments jeopardized by climate change; illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and exploitation; and habitat destruction.

“With a commitment to extensive public engagement around the series, we aim to not only bring compelling and authentic documentary content to audiences, but also to connect and strengthen voices, people, and communities,” Gardner said. 

“Through Hope in the Water, we are on a mission to reimagine a planet where both ecological balance and food abundance are possible,” Kelley said. “Our series is a fresh take on how we can rewrite menus worldwide that will create meaningful and lasting impact for generations to come. [We] are buoyed by our enthusiastic collaborators – Shailene, Martha, Baratunde, and José – and are proud to partner with the Earth-conscious changemakers at PBS.”

In the show, television personality, businesswoman, chef, and restaurant operator Martha Stewart explores the Gulf of Maine’s Penobscot Bay, the fastest-warming body of water on the planet, which is located in the U.S. state of Maine. 

Fed by Blue received partial funding for the series from the Anne Ray Foundation, a philanthropic venture that aims to preserve and promote the environment and the arts, among other initiatives.

Photo courtesy of PBS