A crystal clear perk of visiting the Crystal Coast: fresh seafood. A key fisherman to thank for the delicious fish coming right off the boat to your kitchen table—or the menu at your favorite restaurant—is David Tucker of Blue Ocean Market.

Originally from Greenville, North Carolina, the now-longtime Carteret County resident grew up fishing on the weekends with his dad and uncle, but often visited and stayed at his grandmother’s place in Atlantic Beach.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in economics from UNC Chapel Hill and a master’s in business administration from East Carolina University, Tucker made the move to Carteret County to begin his fishing business as an early 20-something.

Enter Blue Ocean Market. The “catch and eat” enterprise has its hand in wholesaling seafood up and down the coast, not to mention in major cities such as Boston, New York and Chicago. Crystal Coast locals and tourists alike can find Blue Ocean Market fish at markets in Atlantic Beach and Morehead City.

While the fishy outpost is heavily supported by Carteret County residents, tourism provides a significant boost to Blue Ocean Market’s success, according to Tucker.

“If you look at our numbers and restaurant retail sales, it’s a bell curve,” said Tucker. “In January, [sales] are lower. They creep up in the spring, increasing from Memorial Day to Labor Day. We count on it. If it weren’t for tourists, life would be completely different.”

To boot, Tucker supports his 28 employees—plus, his 11- and 13-year-old sons—with good jobs, and that doesn’t even include his boat crews! When it comes to the demand for fresh fish, Tucker has no doubt: Blue Ocean Market thrives, in large part, because of tourism.