About | Stock Enhancement

Aquaculture for Stock Enhancement

A stock enhancement program will spawn wild-caught Blue king crabs in a hatchery, raise offspring to juvenile-size, and release around Alaska's Kodiak Island to help restore depleted stocks. [Photo by Celeste Leroux]

In addition to enabling aquaculture for seafood production, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is committed to fostering the development of marine aquaculture as a tool for stock enhancement of important commercial and recreational marine fisheries, threatened or endangered species, and marine habitats. An often overlooked area of aquaculture, stock enhancement is gaining momentum globally as a proven approach. In some cases, stock enhancement is also called "restoration aquaculture". A history of marine stock enhancement and an updated list of recent publications can be found on the website of the Science Consortium for Ocean Replenishment, a multi-state U.S. initiative that includes Mote Marine Laboratory, National Marine Fisheries Service Northwest Fisheries Science Center, University of New Hampshire, University of Southern Mississippi, and the NOAA Aquaculture Program. Information on the International Symposiums on Stock Enhancement and Sea Ranching can be found here.

Researchers at NOAA's regional science centers are engaged in stock enhancement research on a wide variety of species:

Other U.S. marine stock enhancement research includes:

For more information, contact the NOAA Aquaculture Program.