Oregon’s aquaculture industry has potential for significant growth – expanding economically, geographically, and in diversity of species. Aquaculture was identified as a focal area for Oregon’s Blue Economy in a recent report for the Oregon Legislature, highlighting workforce, research, and market opportunities. Oregon Sea Grant (ORSG) supports the state’s marine aquaculture industry through research, collaboration, workforce development, and Extension initiatives. Much of the groundwork for our ongoing work was laid through efforts made possible by NOAA and National Sea Grant’s Aquaculture funding.
FY22/23 Aquaculture Supplemental funds enabled ORSG to hire its first dedicated Aquaculture Specialist in more than a decade, significantly expanding our aquaculture capacity. The ORSG Aquaculture team conducted a robust needs assessment with the industry, developed permitting and policy recommendations, and engaged with a broad coalition of aquaculture researchers and practitioners to develop the first Oregon Aquaculture Development Conference. ORSG supported collaborations at the regional and national level, helping to dentify training and workforce needs for Washington and Oregon and design and host a National Seaweed Conference in Maine.
Oregon Sea Grant has continued to build on these efforts. This NOAA funding supported the aquaculture-focused work of multiple ORSG faculty and undergraduate and graduate students, as well as the hiring of a Mariculture Extension Specialist to further advance the industry and ORSG’s role in supporting our coastal communities. Research funded through these efforts, along with the support of private foundations and other agencies, enabled Oregon to broaden its aquaculture portfolio to include dulse and purple urchin cultures, kelp restoration, land-based systems, and investigations into commercial and restorative opportunities for other native shellfish and seaweed species.
Current efforts, in collaboration with other Sea Grant programs, Oregon nonprofits, and industry groups, are focused on increasing aquaculture education and literacy and developing a state strategic plan for aquaculture that will allow for further, sustainable, expansion of Oregon’s mariculture industry. This talk will discuss the history of aquaculture in Oregon, our current projects and collaborative efforts, and our plans for the future.