Seafood plays a critical role in Delaware’s economy and culture like most of the other coastal states in the US. Aquaculture has shown consistent growth over the last decade, accounting for more than half of the seafood processed for human consumption globally. Since 2018 when leases first became available, shellfish aquaculture in the state has grown to 10-15 farms. These growers are leasing only 23 of the 343 acres that are available in the Inland Bays. Prior to 2022, Delaware was one of the few states on the East Coast lacking an operational shellfish hatchery. Importing seed from out of state that requires expensive disease testing poses an additional hurdle for growers on top of high startup costs, regulatory restrictions, and COVID setbacks. The University of Delaware, in collaboration with Delaware Sea Grant and Delaware State University, built a p ilot-scale shellfish hatchery in an effort to expand our seafood industry and take advantage of the economic, cultural, and environmental benefits that shellfish aquaculture could bring to Delaware. Following more than 5 months of construction, we are now fully operational, equipped with two saltwater intake pumps, multistage filtration, a 3,000-gallon filtered holding tank, two raceways, and five 160-gallon cone tanks. Currently, we have the capacity to produce approximately 50 million eyed larvae per season, with the goal to grow to an industrial scale. As the pilot facility develops, we are working with local schools including the Indian River school district and the Delaware Technical Community College to develop and implement aquaculture-focused activities and curriculum, utilizing our facility as a demonstration and extension space, fostering parallel educational efforts and workforce development.