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A Center for Growing Seafood, Testing Ideas

Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture

North Carolina Sea Grant provides expert assistance to the state’s diverse seafood and fishing industries, serving on advisory panels and connecting researchers to people who work in commercial and recreational fishing, aquaculture, and seafood. For decades, Coastwatch has chronicled how such projects help coastal communities, coastal cultures, and the long-term health of fisheries.

Sep 2, 2015

PLANTING THE SEEDS FOR A COMMON WEALTH

That’s what some University of North Carolina Wilmington scientists hope their research will do: Build the oyster aquaculture industry in North Carolina. Seed funding from North Carolina Sea Grant has jump-started two projects that could help the state achieve this goal. These UNCW researchers are developing building blocks that might make it easier and more efficient for those who want to grow oysters in the state.

Dec 11, 2014

MOVING FISH: Supply and Demand In North Carolina’s Seafood Industry

But this demand and awareness may not help the fishermen at the coast. The commercial fishing industry in North Carolina is at a critical juncture.

Dec 1, 2014

HOME IN AN OYSTER SHELL: New Oyster Aquaculture Operations Grow Seed, Take Root

Joey Daniels shucks an oyster he just pulled from the Roanoke Sound and pops it into his mouth. "Twenty-four parts per thousand," he announces, stating a level of saltiness for the oyster.
trout burgers on grill

Sep 29, 2014

LOCAL CATCH: TAMING THE TROUT: Burgers Go Fishing

While burgers and trout traditionally appear to belong in different menu categories, Sunburst Trout Farms in Haywood County is trying to erase this distinction. With the help of North Carolina Sea Grant, Sunburst has developed an assortment of trout burgers that feeds the interests of burger and seafood enthusiasts while providing healthier options than traditional fast-food joints.

Jul 16, 2014

THE SEAFOOD SAFETY SQUAD: Ensuring Quality of Coastal Delicacies

The art world prizes provenance — establishing the origins, ownership, custody and safe keeping of works to authenticate their value. The seafood industry focuses on traceability — documenting the origins and handling of seafood products from oceans or farms to processors, suppliers, retailers and food-service providers. This tracking enables fish and shellfish to meet consumers’ expectations of food safety.
Scallops

Jun 3, 2014

Return of the Bay Scallops

Bay scallops have been enjoyed in North Carolina since the time when our state's only inhabitants were Native Americans. However, North Carolina's bay scallops have experienced years of low numbers.
broiled hybrid striped bass

Jun 1, 2014

SEA SCIENCE: Gene Groups Key to Embryo Development

A team of scientists from North and South Carolina has discovered that interactions among a small group of genes influence egg quality, a key part of all vertebrates' ability to reproduce, including humans. Results of this research, funded in part by North Carolina Sea Grant and the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, are published in the Open Access Journal, Plos One.
Herring Navigate

Mar 1, 2014

Coastal Science Serves North Carolina: Sea Grant Funds New Research Projects

Headquartered at North Carolina State University, Sea Grant is recognized as an interinstitutional program of the University of North Carolina system. Researchers across the state are eligible to compete for Sea Grant support. The 2014-16 funding cycle features projects with scientists from East Carolina University, NC State, NC Central University, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC Coastal Studies Institute and UNC Wilmington, as well as Duke University. The listing also includes a regional project that couples in-state researchers with out-of-state colleagues.
Burgess shown holding black sea bass.

Dec 15, 2013

SIZE MATTERS: Testing a New Mesh Size for Black Sea Bass

This time, they are experimenting with various mesh sizes that will trap fish 11 inches or longer, the new size limit for the commercial black sea bass fishery. They also want to ensure sublegal, or undersized, fish can escape.
MARC Facility

Dec 1, 2013

A Center for Growing Seafood, Testing Ideas

By design and location, North Carolina State University's Marine Aquaculture Research Center, or MARC, is something of a hybrid — a mix of opportunity and challenge, science and economics.