WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • SEPTEMBER 2025 23 food champions. YCA provides training, networking, and hands-on experiences for youth while promoting innovation in sustainable farming and cross-cultural collaboration. By empowering youth as scientists and entrepreneurs, YCA supports the development of a resilient blue economy and the future of Caribbean food security and environmental sustainability. Since its formation, YCA has had an outsized impact: • Three virtual networking meetings were held in 2024, connecting students across the Caribbean and exposing them to real-world opportunities in ornamental fish farming, marine aquaculture, and innovation in seaweed aquaculture. • Students had the opportunity to visit ornamental fish farms where ornamental fish producers have the potential to contribute to a lucrative export market in Jamaica • Of the eight founding members, two have since graduated. Bethany Dean is now a promising research scientist at the Alligator Head Foundation in Jamaica, and Matthew-Pierre Roger is pursuing graduate studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus in Kingston, Jamaica, as the first Caribbean student to specialize in aquaculture sciences with a focus on algae (seamoss) production. Both Bethany and Matthew-Pierre became the first student leaders on the Executive Board of Directors of CAEIH, giving a voice to the needs of youth in the growth of the aquaculture sector. • Under the guidance of CAEIH, Matthew-Piere recently received a grant in the Spring of 2025 to assist a woman-led cooperative seaweed association on the island of Canouan in the Grenadines to test and train seamoss farmers on water quality testing. In July 2024, Hurricane Beryl swept through Canouan, causing significant devastation to the farms of these women, who relied on cultivating seaweed and creating value-added products for their livelihoods. Matthew was able to empower these women by teaching them to better understand their marine environment. • In April 2025, 16-year-old high school senior Alessandro Russo gained valuable experience and knowledge interacting with high-level aquaculture experts at the Blue Food Innovation Summit held in London. • In July 2025, the group appointed an Events Coordinator, Geresa-Leigh Luke from the University of Florida Whitney Lab, to expand regional participation and deepen student engagement. • A Country Ambassador program was also launched to organize field trips and farm visits on the various islands to give students practical exposure to aquaculture operations and entrepreneurs. Regional and International Collaboration In September 2025, YCA will co-host its first cross-cultural networking session with students from Duke University’s Oceans Duke Program, led by director Dr. Stephanie Russo. This collaboration will foster dialogue between Caribbean and U.S.-based youth and lay the foundation for a joint webinar during Oceans Week 2026. Such partnerships help Caribbean youth gain visibility and amplify their voices in global conversations around blue food systems, innovation, and climate action. Future Goals of YCA As the movement grows, YCA is committed to: • Expanding to all Caribbean nations, including Spanish, French, and Dutch-speaking territories. • Establishing quarterly webinars on aquaculture careers, entrepreneurship, and scientific research. • Launching a mentorship network connecting students with regional scientists, policy experts, and farmers. • Leading a student research program focused on algae, tropical fish farming, and sustainable feed development. • Advocating for aquaculture to be recognized as a STEM subject in Caribbean secondary schools and universities. Cultivating Innovation, Leadership and Hope The Youth in Caribbean Aquaculture initiative is more than just a student group. It is a movement responding to urgent challenges with vision, collaboration, and action. By cultivating young leaders who are trained, passionate, and ready to innovate, YCA is planting the seeds for a thriving Caribbean aquaculture sector that is just, sustainable, and future-ready. Investing in youth is not only the solution to the aging workforce and economic stagnation, it is the key to unlocking the full promise of the Caribbean’s blue economy. Notes Juli-Anne Russo, PhD,* Caribbean Aquaculture Education and Innovation Hub, Via Monte Roncone 20, Allumiere, Italy 00051. * Corresponding author: Caribbeanaquaculturen876@gmail.com Geresa-Leigh Luke, YCA Events Coordinator. Marine Biology majors at UWI.
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