Another IBSS educational event with support from the eeBLUE/NAAEE Aquaculture Literacy grant is in the books. Squid-A-Rama is as exciting as it sounds! The MaST Center Aquarium, IBSS team Mark and Lisa Tagal, Des Moines Art Commission, King County Library System, and the City of Des Moines held Squid-A-Rama at the Des Moines Beach Event Center to much aplomb this year. It was a full house with children of all ages, young adults, and even senior citizens all together to watch the MaST Center Aquarium release this year’s cohort of baby squid. Watching it live stream at the Beach Center was particularly interesting as the release happened after dark. 

There was much to do in the 3 short hours of this event. Attendees got to participate in storytime, sessions of squid dissection, a squid talk, information on the marine mammal stranding network, and a coloring contest showcasing student artwork, all while the sun slowly sank into the beautiful waters of Puget Sound. This year’s surprise was our IBSS team cooking up squid two ways. You could have a plate of crispy fried squid with tartar sauce, or a scoop of jasmine rice layered with fragrant freshly made green curry and a sprinkling of fried squid to put it over the top! 

This was another chapter in the “Merroir of Ocean-Farmed Seafood” where Mark and Lisa had the chance to talk to each attendee as they lined up for their surprise light meal. Some had never tried squid or curry, but most left with a new love for something different in their meal rotation. It is challenging to influence much of a squidʻs natural flavor, but there was certainly a difference between the taste of the fried squid and tartar vs. the fragrant noseful bite of the green curry squid. Needless to say, there were some that came back for fourths! 

There is nothing like meeting people over a meal to catch their attention about where their food comes from, why it tastes the way it does, and how they can become educated consumers of ocean-farmed seafood. Many thanks to Aeriel Wauhob and Emily Bjornsgard, with MaST Center Aquarium, for including our IBSS team this year. The highlight close to the end of the evening was when the Mayor of Des Moines, Connie Boesen, stopped by for a quick Hello! This was one Squid-A-Rific Squid-A-Rama!