Aquaculture is a growing and vital part of the Rhode Island and regional maritime seascape. In January 2025, Rhode Island Sea Grant launched “Professional Aquaculture Training: Beyond the Basics for Businesses and Practitioners.” This course is a hybrid (live, in-person and virtual) 12-week course that aims to provide an advanced understanding of aquaculture in five main topic areas: 1) Economics of Shellfish Farming, 2) Staying Healthy in Aquaculture, 3) Keeping the Peace in Aquaculture, 4) Effective Communication in Aquaculture, and 5) 21st Century Farming Principles, Practices and Considerations.
This course provides participants with information to competently and confidently improve farm businesses and operations, minimize conflict with coastal residents and other users, and take advantage of state and federal resources. There are no official prerequisites for the course, but it is highly recommended to have taken an aquaculture course available to the public. Weekly guest presentations by topical experts are available by a pre-recorded video(s) or during a hybrid class. Course instructors lead the participants in a discussion of the presentation. It is clear from recent, contentious lease applications in Rhode Island that the state’s aquaculture industry will have to make some changes if it is to contribute to a more favorable future. This includes ensuring the use of best management practices, more effective communication strategies when engaging with the public, and participating meaningfully in research and outreach, all of which are covered in this course. In this presentation, we will discuss lessons learned from teaching the course in 2025, and anticipated updates for the 2026 course offering.