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The
Issue:
The
United
States
faces
a seafood
deficit
amounting
to
$7
billion
annually.
We
import
more
than
60
percent
of
the
fish
and
shellfish
we
consume.
Marine
aquaculture
has
the
potential
to
provide
up
to
25
percent
of
our
seafood
within
the
next
20
years,
and
provides
the
seed
for
rebuilding
some
fishery
stocks.
Sea
Grant:
Sea
Grant
research
and
outreach
efforts
focusing
on
systems
development,
genetics,
physiology,
endocrinology,
among
many
others,
have
contributed
to
the
creation
of
several
new
aquaculture-based
industries.
These
industries
include
the
Gulf
of
Mexico
and
South
Atlantic
soft
shell
crab
industry,
the
Pacific
Northwest
oyster
and
clam
industry,
the
hybrid
striped
bass
industry,
and
the
Mid-Atlantic
hard
clam
industry.
In
addition,
Sea
Grant
investments
have
helped
to
establish
new
businesses
throughout
the
United
States,
and
have
provided
improved
technologies
to
these
businesses.
The
combined
impact
of
Sea
Grant-developed
technology
amounts
to
at
least
$100
million
annually
and
supports
thousands
of
jobs
in
the
U.S.
The
future
potential
far
exceeds
this
amount.
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