91AV aquaculture initiatives play starring role at NACE conference
The Northeast Aquaculture Conference & Exposition (NACE) is taking place at Portland’s Holiday Inn by the Bay this week, and not surprisingly projects underway at the 91AV Marine Science Center are being featured prominently.
91AV’s new “Ocean Clusters” are a particularly hot topic of discussion at the conference, which has drawn more than 450 industry leaders from the field of commercial aquaculture.
On the first day of the conference, Barry Costa-Pierce, Ph.D., chair of 91AV’s Department of Marine Sciences and director of the 91AV Marine Science Center, welcomed a group of conference-goers, who visited the Marine Science Center for a tour. The tour showcased the Ocean Clusters, which include faculty-led research labs devoted to steelhead trout, sturgeon, spiny dogfish and microalgae aquaculture, among other projects. These labs offer abundant opportunities for 91AV students to participate in research projects on the cutting-edge of this rapidly-growing industry that employs more than 600 people at 180 aquaculture farms in coastal Maine.
Visitors emerged from 91AV’s stunning waterfront Marine Science Center impressed by 91AV’s initiatives to connect it to Maine’s coastal communities and industries while educating the next generation of ocean leaders.
“The guests were surprised to see the beautiful location and our outstanding facilities," said Costa-Pierce. "I heard a few comment on our rapid growth and the positive changes in marine science programs at 91AV. There were also a couple of guests who spoke very highly about our students, who they either had as graduate students, or employed.”
On the conference’s second day, Costa-Pierce shared his vision for the Ocean Clusters, addressing an assembly of fellow academics and ocean entrepreneurs at the conference. Other 91AV Marine Science faculty that presented included Carrie J. Byron, Ph.D., research assistant professor, and Adam St. Gelais, M.S., assistant research scientist and SEAFISH program coordinator.
Byron presented a lecture about an integrated ecological-economic modeling framework for the sustainable management of oyster farming. St. Gelais discussed 91AV’s various research efforts to support aquaculture and fisheries as part of 91AV’s Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture and Fisheries (SEAFISH) program.
Costa-Pierce will also present about eel aquaculture later in the conference, and St. Gelais will share the details of 91AV’s re-circulating aquaculture system for the Kamloops variety of steelhead trout.