UMaine awarded $2.25M for land-based aquaculture research

2 people with tanks of water and tubes on shelves

Courtesy / Aquaculture Research Institute Researchers at UMaine’s Aquaculture Research Institute offer advanced water quality testing of marine and freshwater samples as well as water from land-based systems.

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By Laurie Schreiber

The University of Maine’s Aquaculture Research Institute was awarded $2.25 million to research recirculating aquaculture systems for shellfish and finfish.

Recirculating aquaculture systems, or RAS, represent an increasingly important technology in the field of aquaculture. The land-based seafood systems boost production, reduce dependence on coastal ecosystems and enhance resilience to changing environmental conditions, according to a news release.

Priorities for the research to be done at the university’s Center for Cooperative Aquaculture in Franklin include developing domestic broodstock, sustainable alternative feeds, impacts of climate change, innovations in waste processing, the reduction of environmental impacts and more energy-efficient systems.

“We’re committed to expanding our knowledge and expertise in RAS to culture fish and shellfish in a way that’s productive and profitable while ensuring the highest standards of animal well-being,” Deborah Bouchard, the institute’s director, said in the release.

The money was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agricultural Research Service. The funding represents a significant investment not only for the future of the RAS industry but for workforce development as well.

New investments have allowed the university to create several new full-time positions related to RAS research, enhance infrastructure at the Center for Cooperative Aquaculture and expand its research and development capabilities.

Another focus is on improving Atlantic salmon reproductive inefficiencies. Future new hires include a reproductive physiologist and a fisheries biologist to study off-flavor and water quality as it relates to salmon grown in RAS.

It’s expected the research will lead to a more sustainable and profitable future for the domestic aquaculture industry while making high-quality protein more accessible.