Aquaculture Innovation Program

Aquaculture Innovation Program is sponsored by State of California, Department of Fish and Wildlife. Encourages innovative aquaculture projects that contribute to sustainable seafood production in California.

California Sea Grant Projects Advance Aquaculture Workforce and Expertise on the West Coast | California Sea Grant California Sea Grant Projects Advance Aquaculture Workforce and Expertise on the West Coast Americans import the vast majority of their seafood from overseas — yet California is well-positioned to grow more fish and shellfish at home. Four new California Sea Grant projects, funded at $541,886 as part of a $9.

4 million national investment , launched in late 2025 to build the workforce, expertise and industry coordination needed to expand aquaculture on the West Coast. As global demand for seafood continues to rise, 70-85% of American seafood comes from abroad. Expanding domestic aquaculture is a critical step toward a secure and reliable local food supply.

The new projects are part of a national strategy to modernize seafood production and build a more competitive industry that ensures coastal communities stay resilient. “This funding allows us to connect California’s aquaculture community with global leaders in the field and put proven practices to work in our state,” says California Sea Grant Director Shauna Oh.

“It will help build a stronger, more resilient aquaculture industry that supports coastal communities and sustainable seafood production. ” Two of the projects focus on international knowledge exchange, with teams traveling to Japan and South Korea to study advanced techniques in improving sea urchin roe quality and seaweed cultivation.

The trips are part of a wider effort to bring world-class seafood farming techniques to the West Coast. Two other projects will support a paid community college internship program to train the next generation of aquaculture workers and strengthen ties between state agencies and industry groups pushing to expand California’s aquaculture sector.

One of the industry’s biggest hurdles is a shortage of skilled labor, and these internships give local workers a foothold in the growing industry. In addition to hands-on learning, the projects will produce workshops, training materials and other resources to share their findings from these exchanges. The effort supports Sea Grant’s mission to build partnerships and strengthen domestic seafood production.

The funding initiative is part of National Sea Grant’s five-year aquaculture investment plan , a national roadmap for building a more sustainable and competitive seafood industry. It prioritizes practical knowledge sharing, workforce training and helping communities adopt new technologies and business strategies to increase domestic aquaculture production. Learn more about California Sea Grant’s projects below.

This funding supports opportunities for researchers, extension personnel and aquaculture industry members to exchange knowledge through visits to aquaculture sites in the U.S. and abroad. These experiences help participants learn about new technologies, production practices, business approaches and other topics that can advance aquaculture. U.

S AND JAPAN - SEA URCHIN ROE ENHANCEMENT KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE Project Lead: Luke Gardner (California Sea Grant) Community Mentor/Partners: Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency Summary: U.S. researchers, farmers, processors and divers who are developing purple sea urchin aquaculture will visit research facilities and farms in Japan to learn advanced techniques for improving the quality of urchins collected from the wild on the West Coast.

They will share their findings with U.S. aquaculture communities through a white paper and conference presentations, supporting efforts that also reduce the dense urchin populations that damage kelp forests. KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE ON MACROALGAE CULTIVATION - INCHEON, SOUTH KOREA TO SAN DIEGO, CA, USA Project Lead: Simona Augyte (California Sea Grant) Community Mentor/Partners: Jennifer E.

Smith (Scripps Institution of Oceanography) Summary: This project will strengthen seaweed aquaculture on the U.S. West Coast by connecting researchers, growers and California Sea Grant extension staff with partners in South Korea, where seaweed farming is well established.

The team will visit the Marine Ecology and Green Aquaculture Laboratory at Incheon National University for training in advanced cultivation methods, including the process of crossing breeding to establish pure seaweed strains, growing seaweed to help uptake waste from farming animals and selecting the best-performing varieties.

The team will share the learnings through a hands-on workshop, webinar, a seaweed nursery lab manual and student training materials. This funding supports workforce development in the U.S. aquaculture industry through internship opportunities.

These programs provide hands-on experience at aquaculture operations for high school, undergraduate and graduate students, including those at community colleges, as well as others interested in entering the field.

A COMMUNITY COLLEGE AQUACULTURE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM TO HELP READY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOR A GROWING AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY Project Lead: Theresa Talley (California Sea Grant) Co-PIs: Simona Augyte (California Sea Grant), Thomas Tubon (MiraCosta College) Summary: This project will develop and launch a paid, 100-hour aquaculture internship program that provides hands-on training at partner facilities for community college students.

The program will prepare new aquaculture workers for jobs at farms and related operations, including public aquariums, aquaculture research facilities and aquatic technology businesses across the region. The team will also design a training manual to guide learning and mentorship. This program model and materials support replication across California and beyond.

This funding supports efforts to address legal, regulatory and policy topics relevant to the U.S. aquaculture community, helping improve coordination and inform decision-making across the industry.

Project Lead: Luke Gardner (California Sea Grant) Community Mentor/Partners: Randy Lovell (California Department of Fish and Wildlife), Celia Barroso (NOAA Fisheries, West Coast Region) Summary: This project will boost coordination among two groups that bring together agencies and aquaculture industry representatives: the California Aquaculture Interagency Working Group and the California Aquaculture Development Committee.

The work will strengthen collaboration among partners, identify key information needs and develop shared resources, including report templates and guidance documents to support the continued development of aquaculture in California. NOAA’s California Sea Grant College Program funds marine research, education and outreach throughout California.

Headquartered at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, California Sea Grant is one of 34 Sea Grant programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce.

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