Arlington, VA – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) has selected five aquaculture pilot projects to receive funding. Through these pilot projects, emphasis is being placed on promising but less commercially developed technologies for finfish and shellfish, and other industry needs like increased permitting efficiency. As part of its efforts to foster responsible aquaculture and seafood security in the US, NOAA Fisheries provided $575,000 in funding to the Commission to support these projects. Following a rigorous review, which included an evaluation of the technical aspects of the proposals as well as their compliance with environmental laws, the following five projects were selected. The projects, ranging from black sea bass production to aquaculture workforce development, will begin in August and are scheduled for completion in 2020.
FY2019 Atlantic States Marine Aquaculture Pilot Projects Grants
| Applicant | Title |
| Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries | The Massachusetts Aquaculture Permitting Plan Web Interface to Streamline Aquaculture Permitting |
| University of Maine | Aquaculture Workforce Development: Certificate in Applied Sustainable Aquaculture |
| University of North Carolina at Wilmington | Removing Technical Barriers to Sustainable Production of Black Sea Bass (Centropristis striata) in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems |
| North Carolina State University | Continued Evaluation of Bay Scallop (Argopecten irradians) Aquaculture in North Carolina as a Means for Industry Crop Diversification and Restoration of Wild Stocks: Building upon 2018 Results |
| Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission | Regional Pilot Project to Evaluate and Develop Sustainable Aquaculture of the Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus) |
For more information, please contact Dr. Louis Daniel, at ldaniel@asmfc.org or 252.342.1478.