Advancing the Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative

FUNDED BY: THE NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM

TRAVEL FUNDS AVAILABLE

TO ATTEND AQUACULTURE EVENT

The Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative is providing reimbursement funds for students, current or potential producers and speakers from historically excluded or underrepresented groups to attend and/or present at local aquaculture events.

THE BACKGROUND

Advancing the Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative (GLAC 2.0) is designed to continue and build on the successes achieved during the establishment of a previously funded, national hub – the Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative. As such, GLAC 2.0 is building upon the initial collaborative and involves Sea Grant programs from Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois/Indiana, Ohio, New York, Lake Champlain and the National Sea Grant Law Center (NSGLC).

In addition to the successes from the first iteration of GLAC, we have uncovered gaps that our collaborative is well positioned to fill. These information gaps include the need for:

1) continued connections among the state Sea Grant programs and GLAC advisory groups to promote extension and collaborate to obtain available funding for research activities.

2) stronger connections between GLAC and the aquaculture industry, state aquaculture associations, and regional/national aquaculture groups. This effort will look to promote aquaculture literacy and support underrepresented producers, students, and conference speakers at aquaculture meetings. 

3) a better understanding of aquaculture among state regulatory agencies, policy makers and legislators who need to understand the fundamentals of sustainable aquaculture in their state to make good decisions.

4) a regional synthesis of the policies and regulations pertaining to aquaculture in the Great Lakes region to understand and potentially overcome barriers from both the producer and regulatory agency perspectives.

5) stronger connections between the aquaculture and commercial fishing industries in the region to effectively address food system and supply chain challenges.

THE PROJECT

Our overall goal is to increase aquaculture literacy, strengthen the Great Lakes Aquaculture network, and work with aquaculture producers to continue developing an environmentally responsible, competitive, and sustainable aquaculture industry in the Great Lakes region that benefits communities.

OBJECTIVES:

• Continue to improve network leadership by maintaining collaboration among the Great Lakes Sea Grant programs, our GLAC state and regional advisory groups, and using their feedback to pursue funding to develop and coordinate aquaculture research in Great Lakes states.

• Facilitate collaboration between producers and state aquaculture associations, link these state groups to national and regional aquaculture organizations, and support underrepresented producer, student, and conference speaker attendance at state aquaculture association meetings.

• Focus our education and aquaculture literacy efforts towards state agencies, policy makers, and legislators. We will target our efforts on educational materials about aquaculture, the potential for successful aquaculture and aquaponics businesses in both rural and urban underserved areas, and opportunities for these groups to engage with and support the aquaculture industry in their state.

• Synthesize the existing aquaculture laws, regulations, policies in place within the Great Lakes states and ground-truth these policies to determine how agencies interpret and implement these rules.

• Develop collaborations among private, state, and tribal organizations including aquaculture producers, commercial fishers, and seafood processors in the Great Lakes region to address food system and supply chain challenges.

PARTNERS AND CONTACTS

Minnesota Sea Grant (Project Lead)

• Amy Schrank, Fisheries and Aquaculture Extension Educator, Minnesota Sea Grant, University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Duluth, aschrank@umn.edu, 612-301-1526
• Donald Schreiner, Fisheries Specialist, Minnesota Sea Grant, University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Duluth, schr0941@d.umn.edu, 218-726-7375
• Marie Thoms, Communication Manager, University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota Sea Grant, methoms@d.umn.edu, office: 218-726-8710

Wisconsin Sea Grant

• Emma Hauser, Aquaculture Outreach & Education Specialist UWSP NADF, ehauser@uwsp.edu, 715-779-3262;
• Titus Seilheimer, Fisheries Outreach Specialist, tseilheimer@aqua.wisc.edu, 920-683-4697

Michigan Sea Grant

• Lauren Jescovitch, Extension Educator, jescovit@msu.edu, 570-687-6818
• Elliot Nelson, Extension Educator, Michigan Sea Grant, Elliotne@msu.edu, 906-322-0353

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

• Stuart Carlton, Assistant Director, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, carltons@purdue.edu, 765-494-3726
• Amy Shambach, Aquaculture Marketing Outreach Associate, ashambac@purdue.edu, 765-496-4085

Lake Champlain Sea Grant

• Theodore Willis, Aquaculture Education Specialist, theodore.willis@uwm.edu, 207-894-4537

Ohio Sea Grant

• Nicole Wright, Aquaculture Extension Educator, wright.1128@osu.edu, 614-292-8949

National Sea Grant Law Center

• Stephanie Otts, Director, sshowalt@olemiss.edu, 662-915-771

New York Sea Grant

• Barry Udelson, Aquaculture Specialist, (631) 632-8730 bu25@cornell.edu