Aquaculture America 2024

February 18 - 21, 2024

San Antonio, Texas

EXPANDING NORTHEASTERN U.S. GREEN SEA URCHIN AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION AND THEIR POTENTIAL TO REDUCE BIOFOULING OF SHELLFISH

Coleen Suckling1* , Tara Plee1 , Dana Morse2, and Steve Eddy3

 

 1  Department of  Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Science,  University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881 USA;

 2  Maine Sea Grant, Darling Marine Center, University of Maine, Clark’s Cove, Walpole, ME 04573 USA;

3 Centre for Cooperative Aquaculture Research, University of Maine, 33 Salmon Farm Road, Franklin, ME, 04634 USA.

coleensuckling@uri.edu

 



 The green sea urchin (GSU),  Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, is an economically important species in the Northeastern US, with production primarily based in Maine . The  fishery  has dramatically declined since the 1990s, but the demand for GSUs has increased.  GSUs can be grown in open water in a wide range of gear types  either  alone, in polyculture with shellfish or algae or as part of integrated multi trophic aquaculture systems. They are a high value luxury seafood product and global and national demand is unmet creating an opportunity for aquaculture . This talk will overview  project efforts  working towards expanding the emerging aquaculture industry. These include optimizing hatchery production methods, outreach to increase the awareness of seed availability, and  facilitating uptake by providing new growers with seed and technical support for experimental growth to market. Sea urchins  also offer  a low trophic solution towards reducing nuisance shellfish biofouling species through polyculture. Biofouling can prevent shellfish from reaching their full  growth  potential by >30% and sea urchins can reduce this fouling through grazing. This talk  will overview projects partnering shellfish growers, hatchery producers and researchers on the use of GSUs for reducing biofouling on various shellfish species. This work is  funded by the US Department of Agriculture’s Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, National Institute of Food Agriculture, and the Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center.