The Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) recently showcased its commitment to advancing sustainable aquaculture research at the Northeast Aquaculture Conference & Exposition (NACE) in Rhode Island. Established by the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center  in 1998, NACE brings together a diverse network of stakeholders to discuss innovative research in aquaculture. ARI played a significant role in this dialogue, facilitating student involvement and showcasing the expertise of its researchers. The team, including Adam St Gelais, Cara Blaine, Kara Chuang, Chris Noren, Denise Skonberg, Brian Beal, Ayodeji Olaniyi, Kyle Brennan, Sue Ishaq, Paul Rawson, and Tim Bowden, covered a broad spectrum of topics ranging from seaweed cultivation and advanced fish nutrition to innovative shellfish farming and ecological sustainability practices. This engagement, coupled with a strategic visit to GreenWave hatchery in Connecticut, known for its regenerative ocean farming practices, underscores ARI’s commitment to driving forward the industry through relevant research and collaborative development, reinforcing its leadership in aquaculture innovation.

At the NACE conference, ARI participated in a panel discussion led by communication specialist Corinne Noufi. The panel brought together diverse perspectives covering a range of topics  from kelp aquaculture and nursery optimization to the complexities of scallop and finfish cultivation, as well as the importance of workforce development and communications. This session underscored ARIs dedication to fostering research that is not only academically rigorous but directly beneficial to the aquaculture industry. This approach effectively bridges the gap between academic research and practical application, ensuring ARI’s contributions impact the growth and sustainability of the aquaculture sector. Listeners can find the recording as part of ARIs Salty Talks Podcast. 

Prior to the conference, the visit to the GreenWave hatchery in Connecticut highlighted the importance ARI places on shared knowledge and industry relationships. This visit allowed ARI researchers to engage in-depth with other field experts, facilitating the exchange of innovative techniques and ideas. The primary focus of this visit was the exploration of advanced cultivation practices, particularly in the realm of seaweed culture. Using its new state-of-the-art photobioreactor (a system that uses controlled light and nutrients to grow algae more efficiently), ARI is at the forefront of advancements in these areas. The practices discussed are essential in addressing key challenges in the industry, such as optimizing resource use and reducing environmental impacts.

These discussions at GreenWave extended to encompass broader concerns within the aquaculture industry, including market dynamics, workforce development,  infrastructure challenges, and the role of aquaculture in climate change mitigation, reflecting ARI’s holistic approach to aquaculture research.

ARI’s attendance at  NACE provided a crucial interface between academic  and industry stakeholders, offering researchers and students valuable insights into the practical applications and implications of their research. This interaction is instrumental in fostering a collaborative space where academia and industry can converge, leading to innovations that are both scientifically sound and commercially viable.

BALTIMORE, MD – part of the University of Maryland Baltimore County, welcomed a community of aquaculture experts from both the U.S. and abroad during the 2nd annual SAS² Conference, held between October 17-20. This project in partnership with the University of Maine Aquaculture Research Institute, funded by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), highlighted the value of collaborative research and partnerships.

IMET Director, Russell Hill, set the stage, emphasizing the transformative potential of sustainable aquaculture, showcasing how the SAS² project champions responsible salmon practices nationwide. Project Director, Dr. Yonathan Zohar, noted the reality that the U.S. imports 90% of its salmon. Such a heavy reliance on international sources underscores the urgency to bolster domestic salmon production, ensuring a sustainable and self-reliant supply chain. 

Throughout the event, participants engaged in multidisciplinary discussions focusing on practical measures to reduce carbon footprints,  innovative uses of waste in aquaculture, and the nuances of land-based salmon farming. Comprehensive panels also touched on the intricacies of U.S. aquaculture permits, risk assessments, and off-flavor mitigation 

Leading the way in educational initiatives, Scarlet Tudor and an undergraduate student, Katarina Minas, from the Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) at the University of Maine provided attendees with an immersive experience via a virtual reality (VR) tour of 91����’s Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research (CCAR). Through advanced imaging techniques, she showcased various facets of the facility, including her favorite, the lumpfish room. Minas envisions this VR tour as a critical tool for educators, enabling students from remote parts of Maine to learn about aquaculture and its career prospects.

Keynote speaker, Matthew Craze from Spheric Research, shed light on the shift in land-based aquaculture, spotlighting Norway’s adoption of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) in salmon hatcheries and its innovative strides in supply chain management. Meanwhile, Daisy Berg from New Seasons Market shared a story of the Pacific Northwest’s evolution from a staunch wild salmon stronghold to recognizing the pivotal role of aquaculture innovations like RAS in sustaining wild salmon populations. Her insights challenged long-held perceptions and highlighted the synergy between traditional practices and modern innovations.

During the graduate student showcase, Halli Bair, an ARI student of Heather Hamlin, Director of the School of Marine Sciences, delved into her work focused on broodstock and offspring quality in Atlantic salmon. Her work aims to understand embryo survival rates in commercial hatcheries. This research could potentially reshape industry practices, offering an avenue to predict and improve fish performance early in the production lifecycle.

Culminating the conference, Steve Summerfelt from Superior Fresh and Steering Committee Chair of the SAS² project celebrated the collective ambition of attendees, articulating a unified vision: to solidify the U.S.’s position as a global leader in sustainable aquaculture. This conference not only celebrated past achievements but also set a clear goal for the U.S. aquaculture community, charting a path towards a sustainable and self-reliant future.

DAMARISCOTTA, ME — Last Friday, Damariscotta served as a vibrant learning hub with the SEAMaine Educator Summit. This event drew participants from all over the aquaculture sector, providing educators with invaluable insights into Maine’s aquaculture industry, starting with seed sourcing at the upweller, an informative river cruise, and concluding with collaborative meetings among the participants.

Aboard the boat were individuals from various corners of the sector, including representatives from , , , the Aquaculture Research Institute, Lobster Institute, and , and to name a few. The diversity of attendees brought a variety of perspectives and a wealth of knowledge to the discussions, creating a rich and inclusive learning environment.

The day kicked off with a hands-on session at the dock around the upweller – a system used for growing oyster seeds in a controlled environment, optimizing their development – providing foundational knowledge about seed sourcing. This set the stage for the subsequent river cruise on the Damariscotta River, an educational opportunity allowing participants to delve into various aspects of the oyster aquaculture industry. Carter Newell, a seasoned oyster farmer, offered a first-hand experience of oyster harvesting while shedding light on different cultivation methods.

A stop at the workfloat tumbler, a device designed to gently tumble oysters, promoting their growth and forming a desirable shape and thickness of shell, affording participants a closer look at its significant role and operation in oyster aquaculture, enhancing their grasp of industry practices.

Anne Langston Noll, one of SEAMaine’s Co-Chair of the Workforce Development Committee, engaged the attendees with answers to a broad array of questions from lease applications to harvesting techniques, offering insights into the wider scope of aquaculture and underscoring the need for workforce development. The summit underlined the importance of proficiency and skills across all facets of aquaculture, equipping educators to steer their students towards careers in the sector.

As the morning session concluded, educators transitioned to afternoon presentations, moderated by Keri Kaczor, another of SEAMaine’s Co-Chairs of the Workforce Development Committee, showcasing the efforts of grant recipients working to advance workforce curriculum and training modules in Maine’s seafood industry. These grants, strategically designed to bolster Maine’s seafood economy, seek to build capacity for creating new curriculum and training modules, as well as attracting fresh, young talent to the sector.

During the afternoon session, presenters explored a diverse array of topics, ranging from virtual workforce awareness initiatives to hands-on aquaculture education and the creation of mariculture training modules. These initiatives have a dual impact, nurturing talent within specific sectors while contributing to the overall resilience and sustainability of Maine’s seafood economy. 

Each presentation brought a unique perspective on how these initiatives support the growth and sustainability of Maine’s seafood sector as a whole. Educators shared project summaries showcasing successful strategies and discussed valuable lessons learned. Their insights offer actionable knowledge that can be applied across the seafood value chain, from harvest to distribution. The afternoon session served as an incubator for inventive ideas and approaches that will shape the future of Maine’s seafood industry, ensuring its competitiveness on a global scale. 

Throughout the summit, the collaborative spirit among educators and industry experts highlighted SEA Maine’s role in fortifying the seafood value chain, underscoring its significance in the industry’s collective growth and development

The SEAMaine Educator Summit not only provided educators with valuable insights into Maine’s aquaculture and seafood industry but also served as a catalyst for collaboration and innovation across the seafood sector. It exemplified the dedication and passion of individuals and organizations working together to nurture the next generation of seafood professionals in Maine, positioning the state’s seafood industry for ongoing strength and adaptability in an ever-changing global landscape.

For additional details and media coverage, .

The beginning of May at the Darling Marine Center welcomes us with blooming birches, warmer sun, and the end of another academic year, giving graduate students the opportunity to present their research. This past week, more than 60 School of Marine Sciences graduate students, some affiliated with the Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI), gathered for a symposium in Brooke Hall to highlight innovative work in their fields of study. Presentations covered a wide range of topics, from genetics to environmental monitoring, demonstrating the diversity and depth of research conducted at ARI. Beyond the statistics and data, the research presented by these graduate students has a broader implication for climate change, environmental management, and environmental policy. With both warming waters and a growing aquaculture sector in Maine, it’s critical to understand our coastal ecosystem and the communities reliant upon them.

Shellfish research was the basis for many talks at the symposium as Chris Noren, Jamie Peterson, and Tom Kiffney focused on the future of scallops and oysters. Noren, one of Damian Brady’s students, discussed the importance of understanding how scallop growth oscillates with temperature and season for sustainable development of the sector. Peterson, a student of Paul Rawson and Kiffney, another student of Damain Brady both concentrated on oyster development. Kiffney discussed the difference between diploid and triploid oyster growth in the Damariscotta River. Triploid oysters, containing three sets of chromosomes instead of two (diploidy) are nearly sterile, allowing them to grow faster and larger, as energy is not spent on reproducing. Peterson spoke about oxylipins, looking at the impact they have on early stage development. Oxylipins, produced by marine diatoms, algae, and certain bacteria can cause abnormalities or be toxic to marine organisms. Understanding the detrimental impacts of oxylipins can provide useful information for larval rearing in hatcheries. Bobby Morefield, working in Heather Hamlin’s lab presented his work examining the role that sex pheromones can play in the mitigation of sea lice infestations on Atlantic Salmon. 

Impacts of climate change and aquatic animal health were also presented at the symposium. Kate Liberti and Rene Francolini, both working in the Brady lab, underscored the importance of understanding the ecology and oceanography of Maine’s coastline. Liberti talked about temporal and spatial differences in aragonite saturation in Casco Bay. Aragonite is a form of calcium carbonate, necessary for shellfish growth. Organisms may be stressed and have a harder time forming their shells when aragonite saturation levels fall below one. These lower levels of aragonite saturation are due to increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, so following the processes and changes impacting carbon dioxide can be useful as an indicator to understand how aragonite saturation state is changing in Casco Bay. Francolini spoke about kelp forests and understanding genetic connectivity of different populations along the coast. Genetic information at the population level can provide useful insight into how different populations of kelp will react to changing oceanic conditions. This baseline knowledge is imperative as kelp is an essential nursery habitat for many native species along Maine’s coastline. Another one of Brady’s students, Sydney Greenlee, honed in on early detection of harmful algal blooms (HABs) using environmental DNA (eDNA). Pseudo-nitzschia australis, a marine diatom, can cause the blooms which can result in amnesic shellfish poisoning in humans, as well as pose negative health impacts to marine mammals and seabirds. Prior methods made it challenging to distinguish between toxin and non-toxin producing Pseudo-nitzschia species. eDNA can serve as a rapid detection and quantification tool for these HABs, alerting managers to the presence of diatoms in their samples so they can close shellfish harvesting before toxins are present.

Kazu Temple’s, a student of Ian Bricknell, is looking into the parasitic relationship of Profilicollis botulus, a prevalent parasite in green crabs and the impact this may have on the native eider duck population. The European green crab, an invasive species posing challenges to shellfish growers and harvesters in the intertidal, is the host of the parasite Profilicollis botulus known as a “spiny-headed worm.” When other animals such as the eider duck eat green crabs, they also become infected. Knowledge of this parasitic interaction between green crabs and other organisms is useful, as green crabs have been suggested as bait for the lobster industry and can also provide informative data about the spread of green crabs as an invasive species across different regions in Maine.

The breadth and future impact of the research presented by these graduate students is impressive. This symposium serves as a reminder of the enormous potential this new generation of scientists has to shape the future of our marine ecosystems and coastal economies.

Thousands of people made their way to New Orleans last week to celebrate Mardi Gras. While beads and cups filled the streets and the smell of fresh baked beignets warmed the air (though maybe it was just the humidity), representatives of Maine’s aquaculture community gathered in the Crescent City last weekend for a different reason: to highlight sustainable aquaculture in Maine. Aquaculture America, the largest national aquaculture conference, held February 23-26, showcased the incredible research, innovation, and workforce development across Maine’s booming aquaculture sector in a session chaired by Deborah Bouchard and Meggan Dwyer from the Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI). 

Speakers from the University of Maine, Educate Maine, The Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Long Cove Sea Farms, Colby College, and the University of New Hampshire demonstrated the multidisciplinary work from 91����’s microcredential pathway, to using pheromones as a means to control sea lice. The take away from the session was clear; the aquaculture sector in Maine is robust, from the detailed innovation and research to the broader engagement of industry and education.

Workforce development strategy is crucial for the future of Maine’s aquaculture sector. “Creating clear and comprehensive occupational standards, standardizing workforce training across the state, and involving industry to align these trainings with workforce needs is something Maine is doing well,” points out Carissa Maurin with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Projects such as the , , and the Aquaculture Experiential Opportunities for Undergraduate Students (AquEOUS) are excellent examples of creating critical partnerships between industry leaders, educational institutions, and employers with emphasis on experiential learning and diversifying the workforce. 

Understanding Maine’s coastal livelihoods and consumer preferences as they relate to aquaculture are equally as important as workforce development. “Seaweed aquaculture in the United States, particularly in Maine, is expanding. Comprehension of how this industry fits into existing working waterfront communities can provide insight into the potential this industry has to diversify income in rural communities previously reliant on fisheries or other marine jobs,” Jennifer Meredith, Assistant Professor of Economics at Colby College explains. A glimpse into the natural resource economics of seaweed in Maine is part of the larger project with Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, looking at Gulf of Maine Seaweeds as a feed additive to lower methane emissions from dairy and beef production. Economic impact of the seaweed industry is also being looked at from a consumer perspective. Qiujie Zheng, Associate Professor of Business Analytics at the University of Maine presented a novel study telling a compelling story of why understanding consumer attitudes towards seaweed and value-added products is crucial for farmers and . Helping farmers find channels to improve consumer knowledge of seaweed products and educating them on how to prepare seaweed at home easily can begin to break down perceived barriers for those reluctant to experimenting with these value added products. 

Aquaculture as it relates to climate change and environmental impact was a common theme amongst presentations as well. Reduced plastics, carbon capture, ropeless gear, and insect meal highlight the innovation, value, and dedication to sustainable aquaculture throughout the state. As microplastics continuously pop up in news headlines, Abby Barrows of shed a bit of light articulating what aquaculture could look like without plastics. In collaboration with Sue Van Hook at in Pembroke, ME, these women are working to produce environmentally friendly gear that is scalable and comparable in price to what is already available using an unlikely material, mushrooms, to create . Gear innovation was also emphasized in Michael Coogan’s research through the University of New Hampshire, looking into ropeless gear technology for offshore bivalve culture. On the seaweed front, Adam St. Gelais, Aquaculture Innovation Specialist with ARI discussed macroalgae carbon dioxide removal through the first of its kind “Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment,” with the integration of both social and economic analysis. “To achieve full sustainability of the seaweed sector, both social and economic impacts must be well understood,”  Adam explained. Sustainability of fin fish aquaculture in Maine is on the rise as well. Assistant Professor of Fish Nutrition and Nutrigenomics Michael Habtetsion presented successful results from his research looking into sustainable feed development using insects as an alternative to fish meal for Atlantic salmon.

In conjunction with carving the path toward a more sustainable future industry, researchers in Maine are also working on creative solutions to problems that sometimes arise in aquaculture such as “off-flavor” and sea lice. Bobby Harrington and Bobby Morefield both with the University of Maine ARI are working on innovative solutions to address these issues. Harrington, a research associate at ARI has developed a more effective solution than current methods to test for naturally occurring compounds present in recirculating aquaculture systems which can result in an “off-flavor” of the fish tissue. Morefield, a current PhD candidate presented his work looking at pheromones as means for pest management, with the idea of having a drug free and environmentally friendly means to control for sea-lice in aquaculture systems. 

ARI’s session in New Orleans demonstrated Fat Tuesday was not the only thing to be celebrated last week –  the expertise of industry, farmers, and researchers, and the success of innovation and workforce development across Maine is definitely worthy of a couple celebratory beads as well. Congregation of these speakers across the aquaculture sector illustrated how well-poised Maine is to strengthen and support successful growth of this industry in the region and at a national level.

Contact: Corinne Noufi corinne.noufi@maine.edu