Including seafood in your diet is healthy for your body, but your choice of fish also affects the ocean’s health. Destructive fishing practices and poorly managed farming harm marine habitats and endanger seafood supplies. Here’s how to purchase fish in a responsible way:

• Select for sustainability. Sustainable seafood is either caught wild or farmed using practices that can maintain future production without endangering the ecosystem. Look for fish from small farms (which are less likely than large-scale operations to pollute surrounding waters) and those managed under a U.S. fishery management plan (which are required to meet national sustainability standards).

• Find alternatives. Choose ocean-friendly seafood and avoid wild species that are vulnerable to overfishing or caught through environmentally destructive methods, such as bottom trawling over a vulnerable habitat.

• Share awareness. Spread the word in your community. Ask your favorite restaurants and seafood retailers to offer sustainable options and support companies that source environmentally responsible seafood.

Find out why you should get hooked on fish.