U.S. aquaculture is an innovative industry that increases access to fresh seafood while protecting coastal natural resources. Aquaculture producers continue finding new ways to balance business management and ecosystem benefits.
Sustainable Seafood from Tide to Table
The Tide to Table series profiles members of the aquaculture community who provide valuable jobs and increase access to sustainably sourced seafood in the United States. Aquaculture is more than just seafood production. It is ecosystem stewardship, strengthening coastal communities, and promoting economic opportunities.
Atlantic Aquaculture Growers
In the Southeast region, marine aquaculture focuses on food production, research, stock enhancement and restoration efforts. Species cultured in the region include oysters, clams, shrimp, red drum, almaco jack, spotted seatrout, summer flounder, snook, pompano, and black sea bass.
Carteret Community College’s Aquaculture Technology Program
Morehead City, North Carolina
Carteret Community College’s Aquaculture Technology program is teaching sustainable marine science and business skills to future growers in North Carolina. Read more
The Mid-Atlantic region, which includes the Chesapeake Bay, boasts a vibrant commercial marine aquaculture industry supported by a world-class research and technology sector. Throughout the Mid-Atlantic, the production of oysters and clams has increased substantially over the past decade. The dockside value of aquaculture production in the Mid-Atlantic totaled approximately $85 million in 2020, and there is still great potential for growth.
Swell Oyster Co.
Hampton Harbor, New Hampshire
Gulf of Mexico Aquaculture Growers
Aquaculture contributes to the Gulf of Mexico's maritime economy through the production of finfish, shellfish, seaweeds, and live rock. As of 2018, the Gulf states accounted for 23 percent, or $345 million, of aquaculture production in the United States.
Barrier Beauties
East Galveston Bay, Texas
Pacific Aquaculture Growers
With cold, pristine waters and the most coastline of any U.S. state, Alaska has immense capacity for growing a sustainable aquaculture industry. As of 2021, if all of the aquaculture applications in the queue are approved, the acres under production will have increased from less than 350 in 2016 to nearly 3,000 in 2021. That's an approximate 850 percent increase in 5 years.
Alaska Shellfish Farms
Halibut Cove, Alaska
The Pacific Islands region is no stranger to aquaculture, with a rich history of practicing and investing in aquaculture innovation and expertise. In Hawaiʻi, aquaculture set record sales in 2021—increasing 20 percent over previous years. One form of aquaculture in Hawaiʻi, Loko i‘a (traditional Hawaiian fishponds) are a vital component of native Hawaiian communities and are valuable cultural and ecological resources.
California has a long history of coastal aquaculture, mostly along the central and northern coast, with shellfish growers from Morro Bay all the way to Humboldt Bay. Various seaweeds are cultured throughout coastal California, and in the offshore ocean in southern California. Southern California's Mediterranean climate is ideal for open ocean and offshore aquaculture of mussels, oysters, kelp, and native fish such as yellowtail and white seabass.
Original source can be found here.
