Aquaculture 2025

March 6 - 10, 2025

New Orleans, Louisiana USA

Add To Calendar 09/03/2025 08:30:0009/03/2025 08:50:00America/ChicagoAquaculture 2025CLIMATE IMPACTS, OPPORTUNITIES AND ADAPTATIONS FOR THE MAINE AQUACULTURE SECTORBalcony KThe World Aquaculture Societyjohnc@was.orgfalseDD/MM/YYYYanrl65yqlzh3g1q0dme13067

CLIMATE IMPACTS, OPPORTUNITIES AND ADAPTATIONS FOR THE MAINE AQUACULTURE SECTOR

Emily Whitmore*, Anne Langston Noll, Christopher Davis

Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center

193 Clarks Cove Rd

Walpole, Maine 04573

ewhitmore@maineaquaculture.org

 



Aquaculture is a transformative adaptation strategy that has potential to support sustainability and resilience of coastal regions in the United States. However, the aquaculture sector is also experiencing impacts of climate change such as: fluctuations in crop productivity in response to changing environmental parameters, increased storm frequency and intensity, changes in frequency of pathogen occurrence in aquaculture species, and changes in incidence of public health concerns (e.g. vibrio and/or biotoxins). This is true in Maine, where warming waters and increased storm intensity are pushing aquaculture farmers to make changes in their growing practices. To increase industry resilience, the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center and the University of Maine’s Aquaculture Research Institute are working collaboratively on a new project to better understand climate impacts and adaptations experienced by farmers, what they are doing to adapt, and barriers and enabling conditions related to adaptation. This project uses mixed methods, including interviews with farmers, and an industry-wide online survey. The results will inform the Maine Aquaculture Industry Climate Resilience Plan, to be released in 2025.