The optics of a public/private partnership and the associated opportunities for conflicts of interest often deter academic institutions from engaging in such relationships. Here we report on the specific case of a partnership between Carteret Community College in Morehead City, NC with The Biota Group, a company that specializes in farmed marine life for the aquarium trade.
Five years into the partnership we are seeing numerous benefits, including a college aquaculture lab where all aspects of a hatchery are operating every day of the year, internship and employment opportunities for students and alumni, a steady source of trained employees in an industry where this is often a limiting factor, and at least 12 species added to the Biota’s offerings. While conflicts can occur, our experience has been that they are rare and easily resolved as all parties continue to operate in good faith.