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November 6, 2023

Director's Message

It’s fall, the perfect time of year to curl up with a cup of chowder and reflect on a successful Seafood Month! This October we celebrated all things seafood. On average, Americans aren’t eating enough seafood--consuming 19.0 pounds per year, down from 19.3 in 2019. The USDA Dietary guidelines recommend Americans eat two 4 oz servings of seafood each week, or 26 pounds per year. 

NOAA Fisheries Seafood Month included a tasty assortment of seafood stories, from explorations of getting seafood into American diets, zero-waste seafood, and oyster success stories. It exemplified how aquaculture and wild-caught seafood compliment each other, both on the water and in outreach. 

Zooming in on aquaculture, we celebrated Aquaculture Week to kick off Seafood Month. Our annual Tide to Table series profiled four growers representing shellfish, finfish, and seaweed aquaculture. Our 2023 growers, along with profiles from past years, are available in a new ArcGIS Story Map showcasing growers from across the nation. 

We’re so grateful to growers for sharing their stories with us. Putting a face to farmers, showing how much growers care about the ocean and the food they produce, is a powerful way to reach people. In addition, we shared a new NOAA Fisheries Podcast on seaweed and a video about mighty oysters providing important ecosystem services. 

Good food brings people together. Gathering around a table is an opportunity to share family traditions, culture, and ideas--in addition to a meal. Oftentimes more can be accomplished over a kitchen table than in a boardroom. 

Heading into the holiday season, as we gather to share food and strengthen our connections, I hope Seafood Month inspires both hearty meals and conversations around the table.

Cheers,

Danielle

Danielle Blacklock
Director, NOAA Office of Aquaculture
danielle.blacklock@noaa.gov 

Updates for Fall

Virginia Sea Grant Launches the USDA and NOAA-Supported Aquaculture Information Exchange Online Community Platform 

Nomination Period Is Now Open for the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee

Funding Opportunity Deadlines

November 8: Applications due for Tribal Priority Fish Passage Grants.

November 17: Applications due for Transformational Habitat Restoration Grants.

November 21: Applications due for Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Competition.

December 19: Applications due for Habitat Restoration Grants for Tribes and Underserved Communities.

December 20: Applications due for NOAA’s FY 2024 Small Business Innovation Research Phase.

Recent Publications

Alaska Region Annual Aquaculture Accomplishments Report

Celebrate National Seafood Month

The United States is recognized as a global leader in sustainable seafood for both wild-caught and farmed species. Join us to celebrate sustainable seafood, and Oyster Week, with new features, videos, podcasts, and more.

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The Alaska Region Opens Public Comments on Identifying AOA’s in State Waters

In June, NOAA and partners in the State of Alaska announced plans to identify Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) in Alaska state waters. As part of this effort, we are seeking public comments to help identify study areas and data to inform the identification process for AOAs in Alaska state waters. Maps of the potential AOA study areas can be found on the NCCOS Alaska Aquaculture Opportunity Area RFI website. The public comment period is open for 60 days, from October 19 to December 18, 2023. 

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Celebrating Aquaculture Week: Farming from Tide to Table

NOAA celebrated Aquaculture Week 2023 with the annual Tide to Table series, profiling members of the aquaculture community who provide valuable jobs and increase access to American seafood. 

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Restorative Aquaculture for Hawaiian Kūmū

The Oceanic Institute is developing technology to raise a Hawaiian goatfish species in captivity to try to help declining wild populations.

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Seaweed: The Miracle Macroalgae with Major Economic and Environmental Value

Listen in to explore this mighty macroalgae and its commercial and environmental benefits! In this episode, hear from Dr. Brianna Shaughnessy, a communications specialist for NOAA Fisheries, Tesia Bobrycki from the Native Conservancy, and Liz MacDonald from Atlantic Sea Farms. 

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StoryMap: A Sampling of Aquaculture Projects in the U.S. Pacific

This StoryMap highlights NOAA Fisheries-funded aquaculture projects in the U.S. Pacific Islands. NOAA Fisheries supports the revitalization of loko iʻa, and many other types of aquaculture projects through grants and cooperative agreements. 

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StoryMap: Long Island Sound's Shellfish Growers Are Citizen Scientists

Explore the StoryMap “Long Island Sound's Shellfish Growers are Citizen Scientists” to learn more about the oyster growers of Long Island Sound in their own words. 

Read More >>

Photos from the Field

Steering committee for the 2023 Women of the Water Conference. Women of the Water is a grassroots community with a mission to connect, uplift, and empower women and minorities in aquaculture. 

Dr. Marcy Cockrell of the NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture is a co-director of the organization. (L to R, back row: Dr. Kevan Main, Kaitlyn Theberge, Dr. Nicole Rhody, Dr. Marcy Cockrell, Blair Morrison, Sharon McBreen, Portia Sapp, Dr. Laura Tiu; L to R, front row: Nicole Martin, Natalie Lord, Hayley Lemoine)

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