WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2026 7 U.S. Aquaculture Society CHAPTER REPORTS Celebrating Excellence: 2026 Award Winners. One of my favorite traditions is recognizing the incredible contributions of our members. This year, we were proud to honor leaders across every career stage: • Distinguished Lifetime Achievement: Dan Benetti, Rex Dunham, LaDon Swann and Paul Zajicek • Distinguished Service: Ken Riley • Douglas Drennan II Industry Leadership: Amy Riedel-Stone • Distinguished Early Career: Imani Black and Halley Froehlich You’ll be able to read full profiles of these impressive aquaculture leaders in the next issue of WAS Magazine, along with many students who deserve applause. This year, 24 students received over $19,000 in awards to support travel, registration, and research recognition. We owe a debt of gratitude to our generous sponsors This February, over 1,500 attendees converged in Las Vegas, Nevada for Aquaculture America 2026, the annual conference sponsored by the U.S. Aquaculture Society (USAS), the National Aquaculture Association, and the Aquaculture Suppliers Association. This year’s theme, “All in on Aquaculture” captured the spirit of our society and highlighted my favorite aspect of the USAS. For me, this meeting was a milestone as I officially stepped into the role of USAS President, but my first Aquaculture America was more than a few years ago. At the time, I was returning to school and pivoting from restoration ecology to anthropology. I wasn’t sure how an anthropologist would fit at such a meeting, but I found a welcoming home in the USAS. Our society is unique because it bridges the gap between sectors and is inclusive of folks working in the aquaculture space from all angles. The USAS offers a space to share knowledge and join forces to support the growth of American aquaculture. USAS Student Subunits play an integral role in furthering the missions and reach of USAS and WAS. Subunits allow graduate, undergraduate, and even high school students to engage with different types of aquaculture at local scales and create social, educational, professional, and outreach opportunities for student members (Grenn and Walsh, 2024; Grenn et al., 2024; Grenn et al., 2025). Each year, subunits are asked to submit an annual report outlining their accomplishments to remain in good standing as an official USAS Student Subunit. Seven subunits completed the requirement for reporting year 2025 and are considered active. Active subunits are eligible to apply for the annual Student Subunit Project Grant ($1,000 in available funds — competitive) and the Student Subunit Travel Support Award (covers one student early bird conference registration, currently a $295 value — one awarded per active subunit) to attend the annual USAS Aquaculture America or WAS Triennial conference. Annual reports are published on the USAS Student Subunit webpage and outline each subunit’s membership, activities, struggles or concerns, chapter changes, and treasurer’s report. Highlights from these reported metrics are presented here. FIGURE 1. Membership by active USAS Student Subunit chapter. United States Aquaculture Society (USAS) Student Subunit 2025 Annual Report Summary Julianne Grenn, Abdulmalik Oladipupo, and Adriane Michaelis (CONTINUED ON PAGE 82) (CONTINUED ON PAGE 8) Our society is unique because it bridges the gap between sectors and is inclusive of folks working in the aquaculture space from all angles. The USAS offers a space to share knowledge and join forces to support the growth of American aquaculture.
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