National Marine Aquaculture Initiative Projects by Topic
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) launched the National Marine Aquaculture Initiative (NMAI) in 1998, to help resolve the issues standing in the way of the development of a marine aquaculture industry. Since its launch, NMAI has provided funding to address a broad range of topics, including aquaculture policy and regulation, offshore aquaculture, marine recirculating systems, shellfish culturing, and new species research. To view specific projects by TOPIC, click on the headings below.
Shellfish Aquaculture
Finfish Aquaculture
Open Ocean or Offshore Aquaculture
Marine Recirculating Systems
Hatchery and Nursery Development
Nutrition and Health
Best Management Practices
Environmental Monitoring and Protection
Policy Development
Outreach Activities and Programs
Geographic Information System Tools
Shellfish Aquaculture
Shellfish aquaculture involves culturing invertebrates such as clams, mussels, oysters, and scallops. A vibrant shellfish industry help the United States. In some cases, shellfish operations provide and meet an increasing demand for seafood, a closely-related field of employment for fishermen displaced by declines in wild shellfish stocks. NMAI projects listed under this topic focus on developing technologies and innovations for culturing shellfish.
Finfish Aquaculture
Finfish aquaculture involves raising fish such as cobia, mutton snapper, and sea bass. Projects appearing under this topic focus on developing technologies and innovations for culturing finfish.
Open Ocean or Offshore Aquaculture
Offshore or open ocean aquaculture is a form of marine aquaculture where finfish, shellfish and plants are cultured at sites located in the open ocean, away from the coast. In the United States, this type of aquaculture is still in its infancy, but does hold promise for the culture of both finfish and shellfish. NMAI projects listed under this topic are designed to provide opportunities for growth of the U.S. offshore aquaculture industry.
Marine Recirculating Systems
Marine recirculating aquaculture systems, also known as water reuse systems, reuse water by passing it through a filtration system that removes fish waste and contaminants. Compared to traditional aquaculture practices that use large quantities of high-quality water, recirculating aquaculture systems use less water and land and yet produce similar yields. However, the energy needed to run the system is much greater than traditional culture technologies which means that recirculating aquaculture currently has a higher production cost than traditional non-recirculating aquaculture. NMAI-funded projects listed under this topic work to develop new and innovative technologies needed to make marine recirculating aquaculture operations more cost-effective and, in turn, more competitive.
Hatchery and Nursery Development
Without young fish or shellfish to raise, an aquaculture operation will have little success. There are typically three stages involved in fish aquaculture: the hatchery where fish eggs are collected, fertilized, and hatched; the nursery, where recently hatched fish are allowed to grow to juvenile size; and the actual farm, where juveniles grow to market size. In order for an aquaculture operation to be successful, it must have access to juvenile fish or shellfish that can be grown to market size. Projects listed under this topic address hatchery and nursery development, including breeding programs, cost-effective food for juveniles, and the transport of juveniles.
Nutrition and Health
The health, nutrition, and quality of organisms being raised in marine aquaculture will can impact the success of any operation. Food content can also impact the surrounding environment. NMAI-funded projects that fall under this topic are exploring nutrition and health management and technologies, including the development of plant-based food and vaccines for fish to protect against the spread of disease.
Best Management Practices
Standard operating procedures, schedules of activities, maintenance procedures, and other best management practices have been developed to maximize the efficiency and minimize the impacts of marine aquaculture operations. Projects listed here are working towards developing new and innovative management practices for industry.
Environmental Monitoring and Protection
As the U.S. marine aquaculture industry continues to develop, new management practices and technologies that minimize environmental impacts to the water column, seafloor, and nearby aquatic life continue to be developed. Included under this topical area are projects that seek to assess the environmental impacts of aquaculture and to develop new technologies to monitor and mitigate environmental changes associated with aquaculture.
Policy Development
In the United States, within the realm of offshore aquaculture, a regulartory policy framework must be developed to ensure that activities are sited and permitted in an environmentally responsible way. Projects in this topical area seek to evaluate and develop policies to regulate marine aquaculture activities in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone.
Outreach Activities and Programs
The involvement of representatives from academic institutions, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private industry, and the general public is key to developing aquaculture initiatives that are economically, socially, and environmentally sound. Projects listed under this topical area aim to engage and educate constituents and community members about marine aquaculture.
Geographic Information System Tools
Tools such as geographic information system (GIS) databases can be used to find suitable locations for aquaculture operations, and ensure that these operations are sited properly. Using such tools can increase the likelihood that an aquaculture operation will maximize economic output without negatively disrupting the marine environment. Projects described under this topical areainvolve the development and implementation of GIS and other tools to analyze data and help in making reliable aquaculture decisions.