A person tends to oyster beds at an oyster farm in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.
Photo: NOAA Fisheries
The University of New Hampshire has been selected to host a new NOAA cooperative institute aimed at expanding marine aquaculture research and strengthening the competitiveness of the US seafood sector.
The NOAA Cooperative Institute Fostering Aquaculture Research and Markets, known as CIFARM, will be backed by approximately $13.5 million in initial funding for projects following its establishment. The five-year institute is intended to support research partnerships focused on advancing domestic aquaculture production and seafood markets.
NOAA said CIFARM will bring together researchers, academic institutions, Sea Grant programmes, industry partners and non-governmental organisations to work on applied research for the aquaculture sector. Areas of focus will include marine aquaculture demonstration projects, engineering and technology development, artificial intelligence, environmental observations and forecasting, risk management, vulnerability analysis and seafood markets research.
“The United States is finally recognizing aquaculture as a vital complement to our world-class fisheries,” said NOAA administrator Neil Jacobs. “We look forward to collaborating with these exemplary partners to continue to unlock the potential of this industry in the United States.”
UNH will lead the institute through a national network that includes New Hampshire Sea Grant, the University of Miami, Florida Sea Grant, the University of Southern Mississippi, the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute, California Sea Grant, the University of Hawaii and Hawaii Sea Grant.
Elizabeth Chilton, president of the University of New Hampshire, said the university was “excited to partner with NOAA on this first-of-its kind cooperative institute to advance American aquaculture”.
“By leveraging our coalition’s scientific excellence and regional expertise, we are poised to make great strides for the aquaculture industry,” she said.
According to UNH, CIFARM will work on technologies to improve fish farming and other aquaculture systems, use AI to optimise operations, advance demonstration farms, study ocean conditions, test offshore farming systems and analyse seafood markets.
David Fredriksson, director of UNH’s Center for Sustainable Seafood Systems, said the US has “unrivaled infrastructure to be a leader in seafood production with responsible aquaculture”.
“We want to be thoughtful and proceed in partnership with communities to produce seafood that fits the wide range of ecosystems, cultures and economies for each region,” he said. “The goal is to expand markets, build working waterfront capabilities, and grow an educational structure for seafood economic growth and marine resource stewardship on a national scale.”
Announcing the move, NOAA said Americans eat $24.2 billion worth of imported seafood each year, with around half estimated to be farmed overseas. The agency argued that aquaculture can support coastal economies, create jobs, complement wild-capture fisheries and contribute to domestic food security.
“By investing in aquaculture research and markets, NOAA Fisheries continues its commitment to improving sustainable American fisheries through science-based management,” said Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “We are proud to empower the industry to produce more seafood for American plates.”
In its own announcement of the news, UNH said CIFARM will build on its existing aquaculture research infrastructure, including its AquaFort offshore aquaculture research and training platform, which hosts integrated multi-trophic aquaculture work involving steelhead trout, sugar kelp and mussels. The university also said its research vessels and marine research facilities in Portsmouth Harbor, Great Bay will form part of the platform supporting the new institute.