Aquaculture

Sea Grant invests in the development of sustainable marine and Great Lakes aquaculture to help coastal communities maintain a safe and sustainable local seafood supply. Sea Grant’s investment in aquaculture focuses on research and technology transfer, often through one-on-one interactions with extension agents, to support and expand America’s aquaculture industry. Questions about Sea Grant’s aquaculture work or the aquaculture funding opportunity may be directed to oar.hq.sg.aquaculture@noaa.gov. Check out our related subjects: 

From FY 2018 to 2022, Sea Grant’s average annual federal investment of $16.3 million in aquaculture resulted in a yearly average* of:

$69.6

MILLION ECONOMIC IMPACT

572

BUSINESSES

1,147

JOBS

71

PUBLICATIONS

*Metrics are direct results of Sea Grant work between February 1, 2018 and January 31, 2023, as reported by Sea Grant programs through June 2023. Sea Grant’s average annual federal investment during this time = $16.3 million. Sea Grant Investment = Funding to advance aquaculture research, technology transfer, and extension. Economic impact = market and non-market value of Sea Grant’s work related to aquaculture; value of jobs and businesses. Businesses = the number of aquaculture businesses created or sustained as a result of Sea Grant efforts. Jobs = aquaculture jobs created or sustained as a result of Sea Grant efforts.

Meet the Experts

Reference Resources

Sea Grant 5-Year Aquaculture Investment Plan, 2024 (pdf)
Cover page for A Needs Assessment of Aquaculture at Minority Serving Institutions
A Needs Assessment of Aquaculture at Minority Serving Institutions, 2024 (pdf)
Sea Grant National Aquaculture Portfolio & Highlights, 2018-2024 (pdf)
10-year NOAA Sea Grant Aquaculture Vision, 2016 (pdf)
Summary fact sheet of the 10-year NOAA Sea Grant Aquaculture Vision, 2016 (pdf)

Story Highlights

Science & Seafood

Sea Grant invests in the development of sustainable marine and Great Lakes aquaculture businesses to help coastal communities maintain a safe and sustainable local seafood supply that complements, not replaces, wild-caught fisheries.

Sea Grant Knows Oysters

Here at Sea Grant, we study oysters (a lot!), and we support hundreds of small businesses that grow, harvest, and serve oysters by providing training and technical assistance.

Resources from NOAA Fisheries

Read more about what NOAA is doing for aquaculture at the NOAA Fisheries website.

Featured Aquaculture Research

Aquaculture Funding

Aquaculture Hubs

As part of Sea Grant’s 2019 National Aquaculture Initiative, 11 funded projects are focused on accelerating the development of specific aquaculture topics through integrated teams of professionals. These teams established collaborative programs, commonly referred to as “Hubs”, to plan for and appropriately focus the next generation of aquaculture investments while enhancing the synthesis and transfer of past research advances to the industry.

Aquaculture Hub Links:

NATIONAL AQUACULTURE SYMPOSIA

In Fall 2021, the National Sea Grant Office hosted two Aquaculture Research Symposia to bring together researchers and their teams involved in projects funded through the 2019 National Strategic Initiative competitions. Awardees shared their work and findings with members of the aquaculture community through live talks, followed by time for discussion. Please see the links below for PDFs of project presentations.

The first symposium was held October 25-29, 2021 and focused on projects funded through the “Exploring New Aquaculture Opportunities” and the “Social/Behavioral/Economic Needs in Aquaculture” competitions.

The second symposium was held November 1-3, 2021 and focused on projects funded through the “Advanced Aquaculture Research Collaboratives” (Hubs) competition.

Aquaculture News

Two women in waist-deep water handle oyster cages with a bridge and trees in the background.
Announcements

NOAA Sea Grant to invest $8.8 million to enhance aquaculture production, capacity and knowledge sharing

To further support sustainable U.S. aquaculture, NOAA Sea Grant selected 33 projects totaling $8,821,710 in fiscal year 2024 federal funding. The projects will span coastal and Great Lakes states and territories with a focus on enhancing aquaculture species production, boosting aquaculture literacy and knowledge sharing, and strengthening aquaculture research and extension capacity.

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Oysters in a pair of gloved hands
Announcements

NOAA Sea Grant Develops 5-Year Aquaculture Investment Plan

Year-over-year, Sea Grant is committed to supporting aquaculture development across the nation, as a means of enhancing economic resilience and nutritional security in American communities. Sea Grant recently developed a five-year Aquaculture Investment Plan to guide its efforts in supporting aquaculture research, extension and education.

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Alabama

Sea Grant Continues to Support the U.S. Aquaculture Industry with FY23 Investments

In fiscal year 2023, Sea Grant invested $14 million in federal funding to support several new initiatives, including the Aquaculture Economics and Markets Collaborative, Aquaculture Technologies and Education Awards, Aquaculture Supplemental Awards and the previously announced Seafood Industry Workforce Development Awards. In addition, fiscal year 2023 investments supported the continuation of Early Stage Propagation Strategies for Aquaculture Species Awards, Marine Finfish Aquaculture Juvenile Production Technologies Awards, Advanced Aquaculture Collaboratives, and the Aquaculture Information Exchange.

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