Advancing sustainable aquaculture requires collaboration between indigenous knowledge keepers and western scientists. The University of Maine’s AquEOUS fellowship program aims to integrate indigenous and western science through applied aquaculture research.
The AquEOUS fellowship program hosted its first cohort of undergraduate students in the summer of 2023. Six students from across the nation participated in the 10-week fellowship with research experience areas focused on sea run fisheries restoration and management, shellfish restoration, environmental DNA to monitor river health and restoration, and the developemnt of an indigenous youth aquaponics program. This poster will detail this programs goals and objectives, highlight the student experience, and feature future program expectations.
This project was funded by the USDA -NIFA under award number 2022-67037-36623.