$3.4 million in Sea Grant grants to support aquaculture projects
January 17, 2017
By Liza Mayer
The National Sea Grant College Program is allocating $3.4 million in federal funding to support aquaculture research and outreach aimed at developing sustainable aquaculture.
The funding, announced in October, will support 11 aquaculture research projects and 23 projects to organize and conduct conferences and workshops to transfer aquaculture information.
New research projects totaling $3 million in federal funds include research on managing the complex profile of biotoxins threatening the shellfish industry of lower Chesapeake Bay, integrating mussel and long-line kelp structures and management in New Hampshire, and developing technologies to expand the supply of emerging marine finfish fingerlings for commercial offshore aquaculture systems, said the announcement.
The rest of the fund will support conferences, workshops, training and technology-transfer efforts focused on advancing aquaculture knowledge, management and collaboration. Projects include strengthening the network of fishpond practitioners in Hawaii, building collaboration among the aquaculture and fishing industries in California, and training shellfish aquaculturists in Connecticut.
“An important and often overlooked area is going beyond research to integrate useable science into people’s everyday lives. The conferences and workshops funded this year will contribute to filling that gap,” said Jonathan Pennock, National Sea Grant Director.
The $3.4 million in grants is part of Sea Grant’s $9 million national aquaculture research and technology-transfer portfolio in 2016.
