Partnership between UD, DSU, Sea Grant aims to provide local seed for local aquaculturists
From going out to leased aquaculture sites in Rehoboth Bay to sitting through hours-long meetings, I’ve covered the state’s fledgling aquaculture program fairly extensively over the past few years. It’s an interesting subject on a number of different fronts, and I want it to succeed.
I’m not the only one, which is why the University of Delaware, Delaware State University and Delaware Sea Grant have been working together to build out a shellfish hatchery off Pilottown Road in Lewes for the past year or so. A successful hatchery would benefit local aquaculturists in at least two ways – oyster seed, or spat, grown in Delaware is not required to go through the same testing as spat coming from out of state; it will reduce the bottleneck in the supply chain.