Connecticut Sea Grant has received roughly $600,000 in federal funding to launch two initiatives aimed at strengthening the long-term viability of the state”™s aquaculture industry.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration”™s (NOAA) Sea Grant program will provide approximately $400,000 grant for a two-year project to assess workforce development needs. The grant was one of 10 projects nationwide announced Aug. 15 by National Sea Grant that together will receive a total of $3.3 million for seafood industry workforce support.
A second grant of $200,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture”™s Agriculture Research Service will fund the purchase and outfitting of a trailer to be used as a mobile lab for solving production-related challenges of the emerging kelp aquaculture industry. The trailer will also be used to provide training to seaweed farmers and other interested sectors.
“I am grateful that our staff remains in close contact with the aquaculture industry to understand and address ongoing challenges and have the academic skills to secure funding from such competitive programs,” said Sylvain De Guise, director of Connecticut Sea Grant.
Connecticut Sea Grant is part of a national network comprised of 34 university-based and consortium programs and The Sea Grant Collection housed at the NOAA Central Library. It is funded principally through NOAA, with matching funds from the State of Connecticut through the University of Connecticut.
Photo courtesy Connecticut Sea Grant
