Aquarium of the Pacific

Aquarium Event

Trevor Corson: Sexy Lobster, Succulent Sushi

My Favorite Facts about Underwater Bugs, Raw Fish, and the Future of our Oceans

© Matthew Worden

The seafood on your plate isn't just food—it's an astonishingly weird and interesting cast of underwater characters, from randy lobsters to squirmy seaweed to gargantuan tuna fish. And it's caught and collected by equally interesting human beings, in ways that are sometimes good and sometimes bad.

A former commercial lobster fisherman turned pop-science writer and culinary expert, Trevor Corson will entertain you with tales about the briny world beyond your plate, telling stories that are often amusing, sometimes sobering, and always fascinating, beginning with the rugged lives of Maine fishermen and the hilarious sex lives of the lobsters they catch, moving on to the surprising secrets of the mysterious world of sushi, and tying it all together with useful lessons about how we can all make smarter choices about what we eat.

Trevor Corson is a best-selling author, a frequent commentator on NPR, and a judge on the Food Network's hit TV show Iron Chef America. Known for his humorous and informative presentations on the creatures that compose our seafood, he goes by some rather unusual nicknames, including "The Lobster Sex Guy" and "America's Only Sushi Concierge."

After spending five years studying philosophy and Buddhism in China and Japan, Corson moved to Maine and got a job as a full-time crewman on a commercial lobster boat. His two years at sea led to his first book, The Secret Life of Lobsters, which was named a Best Nature Book of the Year by USA Today and Discover and became a worldwide pop-science bestseller. Ocean conservationist Carl Safina says, "The Secret Life of Lobsters is so full of fun and fascination that you'll be almost embarrassed to think that for all these years all you ever knew about lobsters was how they taste."

Corson is also the author of The Story of Sushi: An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice, which tells the true story of a group of apprentice sushi chefs in Los Angeles as they struggle to master the centuries-old art of Japanese cuisine. The book was named the Best American Food Literature Book of 2007 by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, a Best Food Book of the Year by Zagat, and an Editor's Choice by The New York Times Book Review. Publisher's Weekly called The Story of Sushi "riveting—one of the more compelling food-themed books in recent years." Celebrity chef Eric Ripert says, "Trevor Corson's reverence for all things from the sea is palpable. In The Story of Sushi, he takes you on a fascinating journey... rich in detail, thoroughly engaging, a pleasure."

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