Sea Grant Announces Aquaculture Research Grant Recipients for 2019

September 19th, 2019

The National Sea Grant College Program recently announced $16 million in federal funding awards to fill important gaps in aquaculture knowledge, advancement of existing efforts, and development of new possibilities. The funds will be disbursed amongst three targeted programs which represent specific areas of need for U.S. aquaculture and build on the foundation Sea Grant, NOAA, and others have built with investments over the last several years.

  • Advanced Aquaculture Collaborative Programs: Ten projects will develop integrated teams of professionals focused on accelerating the development of specific aquaculture topics. These teams will establish a collaborative program 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.
  • Exploring New Aquaculture Opportunities: Sixteen projects will focus on the development of new, and at times higher-risk, topics for which minimal foundation currently exists to inform and focus potential future investments.
  • Social, Economic, and Behavioral Research Needs in Aquaculture: Sixteen projects will address critical gaps in social, behavioral, and economic knowledge.

Three researchers from New Jersey will receive funding through these awards:

Atlantic and Gulf Shellfish Seed Biosecurity Collaborative

Lead PI: David Bushek, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey (managed by NJSGC)

The GIS Based Tool for Spatial Planning and Management of Shellfish Aquaculture in New Jersey

Lead PI: Michael DeLuca, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey

Innovative restoration aquaculture of freshwater mussels in the tidal freshwater zone of the Delaware Estuary Watershed for water quality improvement

Co-PI: Danielle Kreeger, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary; Roger Thomas, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (managed by NJSGC)

View the official Sea Grant/NOAA announcement HERE.

Please contact New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium’s Acting Director Dr. Peter Rowe for further information and comment at 732-872-1300 x31.

See some of the impacts resulting from Sea Grant-funded aquaculture research and learn more about aquaculture in the U.S.