In 2020, Sea Grant continued to engage in hundreds of aquaculture-related projects and ongoing efforts, leveraging federal dollars well beyond the federal investment with partnerships and collaborative efforts. This year, several established projects selected in previous years received continued funding, and many new initiatives were launched. 

The Sea Grant American Lobster Initiative, created in 2019, works to understand ecosystem changes affecting American lobster and share findings with regional stakeholders who can use the information to influence lobster management. This National Lobster Day (September 25) take a look at the extension and research strides made by Sea Grant’s American Lobster Initiative in its first year.

The Sea Grant Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative is hosting the first annual Sea Grant Great Lakes Aquaculture Day on October 10, 2020. Register now for this free, interactive, virtual event!

As the country adapts to changes necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, coastal and Great Lakes communities, too, are rethinking how to resume what were once normal activities. Sea Grant programs are leading efforts to provide relief to the communities they serve. Read about a few of the initiatives Sea Grant created or enhanced in recent months.

In a new report published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), California Sea Grant and Alaska Sea Grant contributed a case study to highlight the approach Sea Grant extension personnel take in working with fishing communities and the seafood direct marketing information products they have created since the mid 1990s.