WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • DECEMBER 2024 69 3) Local foods and aquaculture products (3.32) and, 4) Trends in aquaculture feeds (3.28). In both the 2018 and 2024 surveys, changing public perceptions of aquaculture emerged as the most valued of the proposed webinar topics. Trends in aquaculture feeds and local foods/aquaculture products were ranked in the top four in both surveys. Similarly, USAS members were asked about their interest in workshop topics rated on the same scale of 1 to 5. Of 15 suggested workshop topics (Table 3), those with the four highest mean ratings from 218 respondents were: 1) Best aquaculture practices (3.51), 2) Recirculating aquaculture system design, engineering, and operation (3.46), 3) Aquatic animal health (3.37), and 4) Scientific communication (3.27). Best aquaculture practices was selected as the top prospective workshop topic in both the 2018 and 2024 surveys. Likewise, aquatic animal health and recirculating aquaculture system design, engineering and operation were ranked in the top four subjects in both surveys. Proposed conference locations were evaluated, with 218 members rating each location on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 strongly disagreed and 5 strongly agreed with a particular location. Of 13 locations listed (Table 4), the top five locations with the highest mean rating from 218 respondents were: Tampa, FL (3.59), Savannah, GA (3.47), Atlanta, GA (3.45), Charlotte, NC (3.37) and Fort Lauderdale, FL (3.28). Similarly, the 2018 survey ranked Tampa, FL, Charolette, NC, Savannah, GA, Atlanta, GA, Jacksonville, FL and Fort Lauderdale, FL as top conference locations, respectively. The 2024 survey contained several comments regarding re-occurring USAS conference locations. The mission of the United States Aquaculture Society (USAS) is to support and grow a diverse, vibrant, and advanced aquaculture community through workshops, continuing educational opportunities, and publications. Supporting the needs of USAS members is critical to meeting this mission and ensuring the sustainability of the society. In addition, member interests and needs may change regularly due to shifting climates, environments, policies, advancing technologies, public perceptions, and more. The USAS Promotions and Membership Outreach Committee sent out an email survey during the Fall and Winter of 2023/2024 to gather this information. The survey requested insights into why people join USAS, their preferences for educational events and services, and their feedback on various aspects of the Society. This survey was adapted from that developed by Walton, et al. published in the June 2018 issue of World Aquaculture 49(2)5-7. The survey was solicited from October 20, 2023 until March 1, 2024. It contained eight questions, and 218 responses were received from 867 members, a 25 percent response rate. The survey began by asking members their primary reason for maintaining their USAS membership. Of 217 respondents, the majority cited professional networking as their primary motivation (51.2 percent), followed by membership benefits which include awards, student activities and discounted rates to conferences (21.7 percent). U.S. aquaculture updates (12.4 percent), continuing education (9.2 percent) and “other” (5.5 percent) comprised the remaining choices. Question response data is provided in Table 1. Members’ interest in webinar topics was assessed by rating each on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 not being useful and 5 being extremely useful). Of 17 suggested topics (Table 2), those with the four highest mean ratings from 218 respondents were: 1) Changing public perceptions of aquaculture (3.85), 2) Extension programs in aquaculture (3.39), Summary of the 2024 United States Aquaculture Society Membership Survey Results Emma Hauser, Jordan Lynch, Dan Mossier and Forrest Wynne TABLE 1. What is your primary reason for becoming a member of the United States Aquaculture Society? (217 respondents). Reason Percentage Count 100 217 Continuing Education 9.22 20 Membership Benefits (awards, student activities, conferences, etc.) 21.66 47 Professional Networking 51.15 111 US Aquaculture Updates 12.44 27 Other 5.53 12 (CONTINUED ON PAGE 70)
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