National Sea Grant Program Approach to Industry Development

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National Sea Grant Program Approach to Industry
Development Dr. James McVey Program Director
for Aquaculture National Aquaculture Extension
Conference April 2003 Tucson, Arizona
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National Sea Grant College Program created by
Congress through Sea Grant Act of 1966
Sea Grant network has grown from 3 state programs
in 1968 to 30 programs in coastal and Great Lakes
states today
Sea Grant funds nearly 12 million in aquaculture
research and 1.5 million in aquaculture
extension 22 FTEs in Sea Grant
aquaculture extension
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All Sea Grant programs have an Extension Director
responsible for management of the state Sea Grant
extension programs All extension programs have
advisory committees consisting of constituents
from industry, state, and academic partners Many
Sea Grant programs have specialists such as
economists, seafood technicians, ecologists, and
fisheries experts who have input to those
extension agents working on aquaculture
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Sea Grant has 4 major techniques for conducting
aquaculture extension - State Sea Grant
Extension agents and specialists - Research
staff working in partnerships with industry -
Education projects for both teachers and
students - Demonstration projects for new
technologies
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The most successful extension activities occur
when extension personnel are connected with
research staff from the beginning

• Examples of successful aquaculture extension
• Oyster gardening programs
• Soft shell crab technology transfer
• Hybrid striped bass culture through pond
  demonstrations
• Offshore aquaculture demonstration projects
• How to workshops for red drum and shrimp
  culture
• Clam culture technology transfer
• Aquaculture high schools in Connecticut