Crave is a true trailblazer when it comes to sustainable seafood sourcing in the Big Apple: Not only were they the first NYC partner of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, they’re also a charter member of the JBF Smart Catch Program. And with two sprawling locations, they’re perfectly positioned to preach the gospel of ethically caught fish to the masses by way of barramundi ceviche, red crab salad, seared yellowfin tuna marinated in coriander adobo, and fried fish sliders, featuring tempura-battered local hake.

Owned by two Contra alums, this pescatarian paradise works magic with wild, local, and sustainable seafood plucked from the North Atlantic. And certainly it’s hard to miss the red meat when options run to golden tilefish with Caraflex cabbage, pan-roasted monkfish paired with Tropea onions, steelhead trout scattered with romano beans and slicked with olive remoulade, and beer-battered blowfish tails dunked in preserved ramp aioli.

Though no relation to the leading conservation and advocacy organization, the restaurant Oceana still does its part as a maritime custodian. Partnered with the Billion Oyster Project, they have the perfect depository for discarded shells from Plymouth Rocks, Moondancers, and Cape May Salts. And with Bill Telepan at the helm — also executive chef of the Wellness in Schools nonprofit, the director of sustainability at ICE, and a true farm-to-table pioneer — you can bet their ocean-to-plate ethos is more realized than ever.

Unsurprisingly, Chelsea Market’s mob of tourists tends to get a bit thicker around this glittering haven of seafood, both sold retail and shuttled to their in-house fish shack, sushi bar, raw bar, and lobster counter, as well as adjunct restaurant Cull & Pistol. And while each and every item is mindfully procured and selected, the Lobster Place takes a measured approach to sustainability. Operating under the idea that consumer preference should help direct the way we manage our ocean’s resources, they’re a judgement-free zone about what goes on your plate. Not to mention that they put their actions where their words are: The Lobster Place operates Billion Oyster Project’s shell collection program and goes to restaurant partners to transport and donate cast-off shells from the week.

Fighting back against the fact that we tend to be “basic” when it comes to seafood (heavily relying on salmon, tuna, and shrimp), Gabe Stulman and crew changed ingrained ordering habits at their restaurants — which, in turn, they hope affects their customers’ everyday choices as well. Armed with the knowledge that nine out of ten fisheries are being fished at or above their sustainable limits (which has led experts to caution of a collapse in marine biodiversity in the next 35 years), offerings extend to topneck clams with cornbread stuffing instead, not to mention their namesake sardines, which come stacked with Creole tomato sauce on toasted strecchi bread.

So much more than a means of enjoying lobster rolls on the water, the historic schooner-situated Grand Banks (along with its sister establishments Pilot and Island Oyster) operates in partnership with the Maritime Foundation — for whom they’ve generated over $100,000 to preserve at-risk vessels, restore healthy rivers, and develop oyster habitats in New York Harbor. They’ve even led an industry-wide campaign against serving striped bass and other at-risk species. But considering the chef is none other than Kerry Heffernan, it’s hard not to dwell on those lobster rolls, tossed with a dulse emulsion and ideally accompanied by seaweed-salted french fries.

Originally launched as a Brooklyn pop-up, this eight-seat East Village eatery is New York’s only sustainable omakase spot. And as the lone local sushi restaurant to be recognized by Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, you’ll find the bare minimum of farmed and frozen specimens, to say nothing of international shipments of exotic fish, flown in from Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market. Instead, the 15-course progression is far more likely to include tidbits of wild Long Island porgy, Montauk scallops, North Carolina grouper, and raw, oily bluefish, accented with produce from the Union Square Greenmarket, and accompanied by sake from Brooklyn Kura or wine via Rooftop Reds.

Not only do they serve as a supplier for many of the city’s most conscientious seafood consumers (such as the aforementioned Mayanoki), GPFL makes ample use of their network of fishing industry relationships in an adjoining restaurant. And just as at their retail counter (where daily catches arrive whole, then are broken down in house), the menu changes based on weather conditions, spawning seasons, area closures, and harvest limits. So you never know when you’ll find fried Rhode Island squid, Boston mackerel escabeche, or Calendar Island mussels, or whether the fish in the sandwiches will be invasive species such as blue catfish and lionfish, or bycatches such as dogfish or Acadian redfish.