Aquaculture & Water
Quality
Aquaculture, the husbandry or controlled cultivation of aquatic
plants and animals, is a growing science and industry in the United States
and around the world. Delaware Sea Grant serves as a primary source for information
on all aspects of aquaculture, fisheries, and water quality in Delaware.
The Aquaculture Resource Center, established at the UD Lewes campus in 1992
with a small grant from the Delaware Department of Agriculture, is operated
by the Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service. The center's holdings include an
electronically cataloged collection of technical and extension publications,
computer software, videos, trade magazines, and periodicals. Additionally,
the center's Web site receives over
250,000 visits annually and is part of the Sea Grant National Aquaculture
Information System (NAIS).
The Marine Advisory Service also is conducting applied research
and demonstration work with the Delaware Center
for the Inland Bays to evaluate the performance of aquaculture methods
for shellfish, water quality, and habitat management in eutrophic coastal
estuaries. Delaware is undergoing a period of unprecedented population growth
and development in southernmost Sussex County. Water-quality problems have
resulted in fish kills, toxic algal blooms, habitat loss, and other environmental
problems.
The Delaware Aquaculture Resource
Center (DARC) serves as a primary source for information
on all aspects of aquaculture in Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic
region. The center maintains a "gray literature" library
collection of more than 1,500 aquaculture publications consisting
of technical literature and other valuable reference materials.
It also provides access to local, regional, national, and international
sources of aquaculture information via the Resource Center Home
Page on the World Wide Web.
Delaware Aquaculture
Association
Delaware's proximity to northeast markets plus its established
agricultural and transport infrastructure for production, processing,
and product distribution offer significant potential for aquaculture
to contribute to Delaware's future economic growth. Successful
operation of an aquaculture business requires the integration of
specialized technical (animal husbandry, system design, and management)
and business skills (planning, finance, and marketing). A producer
of aquatic products must also comply with state regulatory and
environmental policies. Current and prospective aquaculturists
must have access to up-to-date, accurate information and training.
 Shellfish
Culture and Water Quality
Delaware Center for the Inland
Bays | 1999
Field Season|
2000
Field Season
Because filter-feeding bivalve molluscs are ideally suited to maintain
or improve water quality, the diversity and abundance of molluscan
shellfish populations are often cited as indicators of the environmental
quality and overall health of coastal ecosystems. Nutrient input from
commercial and residential development, municipal, agricultural activities,
and other non-point sources has led to increased eutrophication and
reduced water quality in Delaware's Inland Bays (Rehoboth, Indian River,
and Little Assawoman). The distribution of shellfish populations throughout
the estuary is affected by hydrography, inconsistent recruitment, recreational
and commercial fishing activities, water quality, and other related
factors. The use of aquaculture technologies can make an important
contribution to the conservation, enhancement, restoration, and management
of wild shellfish stocks. Improvement of estuarine water quality, fish
and shellfish habitat, and the economic stability of coastal communities
are additional potential benefits.
Project Web Page
This study represents the first comprehensive assessment of
federal policy with respect to the development of aquaculture in
federal waters. Researched and written by an interdisciplinary
team, the report addresses the gaps and deficiencies of current
federal policy with respect to the siting and operation of aquaculture
facilities in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The report
was developed in consultation with an advisory committee representing
the full range of stakeholder interests and draws on experiences
with marine aquaculture policy in U.S. coastal states and eight
other nations.
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Regional Aquaculture Development
Mid-Atlantic
Aquaculture | Northeastern
Regional Aquaculture Center (NRAC)
As the aquaculture
industry in the Northeast region continues
to develop, it is confronted with difficult
economic conditions and numerous political,
regulatory, and technical constraints.
Many of these constraints are regional
in nature. A shared priority of Sea
Grant and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Regional Aquaculture Centers is the
active involvement of the Sea Grant
Marine Advisory Service and Cooperative
Extension to transfer useful information
to aquaculturists and serve as a liaison
between industry, researchers, state
regulatory agencies, and the public.
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 Recent
Aquaculture Publications
The Delaware Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service works with the
Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center and other agencies to
develop publications useful to fish farmers in the region. For
information on some of our current fact sheets, please see these
pages in our Sea Grant publications catalog.
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Delaware
Aquaculture Resource Center
