In this presentation we will overview a project which addresses the major challenges which inhibit sea urchin aquaculture production in the Northeastern US , funded by the Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Centre. It works towards adapting and improving upon existing technology to improve the success and lower green sea urchin ( Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) seed production costs. Hatchery methodologies in the Northeastern US have yielded low settlement success and post-settlement survival for the green sea urchin causing high seed production costs for this emerging aquaculture species. The transformation from planktonic larvae to benthic juveniles, known as settlement, and the survival of these newly settled juveniles are critical aspects for sea urchin aquaculture to be successful. It has been suggested that different biological and chemical cues such as bacteria, benthic diatoms, macroalgae, or even altered temperature can promote settlement. In this study, we test these by examining the settlement success of S. droebachiensis larvae exposed to differing biofilms (e.g. Nitszchia sp., Cylindrotheca closterium , Adult S. droebachiensis ) and conditioned seawater treatments (Adult S. droebachiensis or macroalgae chemical cues) under two temperature regimes of 12 and 14°C to determine whether settlement can be enhanced. It has been suggested that the low survival rate of newly settled juveniles in hatcheries is associated with the lack of optimal food sources. To address this, an experiment was conducted to determine if differing diatom and macroalgae food sources under two temperature conditions of 12 and 14°C increases survival. This study elaborates on the chemical and biological cues that induce high larval settlement success and post settlement survival, and we discuss the next steps in optimizing cultivation conditions. In tandem we are working towards increasing awareness of the availability of hatchery seed by working through collaboration with regional industry and extension staff towards increasing grower interest in seed uptake.