This session aims to explore these questions and more, offering insight into topics such as the history of aquaculture in California, the current business and regulatory landscape for aquaculture and commercial seafood, the sector’s role in addressing climate change, advances in feed and sustainability, and new opportunities for industry growth and expansion across the state

8:30 California Aquaculture Flyover

 Tony Vaught, Professional Aquaculture Services

9:00 Opportunities and Challenges in Restorative Aquaculture on the West Coast: A Look at Purple Sea Urchin Ranching

Peter Struffeneger, Pacific Plaza Imports/ Plaza Aquafarms

9:30 Career Navigation, Branding & Networking in the New Work World

 Leah Stoker, FishPros Network

10:30 California Tribal Aquaculture: A Path of Resilience and Recovery

Daniel Swezey, Kashia Band of Pomo Indians

10:45 Working with Industry: The Value of Getting Research Out of the Lab and Into the Field

Jesse Trushenski, Riverence

11:00 The Role of Aquatic Health in California Aquaculture Development

Bill Keleher, Kennebec River Biosciences

11:15 The Why and How of State/Industry-led Disease Freedom Claims

Lori Gustafson, USDA APHIS

11:30 Applying AI Vision in Hatcheries to Improve Cohort Quality and Farm Outcomes

Paul Grech, OctaPulse

11:45 Public Awareness and Attitudes Toward Aquaculture in California: Insights from a 2025 Multimodal Survey

Devin Fitzgerald, California Sea Grant

12:00 Aquaculture Cooperative Extension in California: Current and Future Activities

Jackson Gross, UC Davis