Smarter Pest Management for Soybean
Taynara Possebom
2024-2027 FFAR Fellows
FFAR » Sustainable American Aquaculture
Development Contact
Lauren Hershey
lhershey@foundationfar.org
Concluded Grant Program
Roughly one billion people worldwide rely on fish and shellfish as their primary source of animal protein. Shellfish are an excellent source of essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals. However, the demand for fish continues to outstrip supply.
Fish and shellfish can be farmed, known as aquaculture, or harvested from the wild. Wild harvesting can significantly harm the wild population. Currently, about 90 percent of seafood Americans consume is imported and half of that imported seafood is farmed. The other 45 percent is wild-caught. Imported seafood constitutes one of the largest trade deficits in the U.S. economy and presents an opportunity to increase the production of domestic aquaculture.
Furthermore, scientific research on aquaculture is significantly underfunded compared to other agricultural commodities. We see an opportunity to develop sustainable U.S. production practices and ramp up the availability of various fish and shellfish species. This pioneering research can provide millions of Americans with nutritious foods while improving the local economies of communities nationwide.
Shellfish, including mussels, clams and scallops, provide environmental benefits, including filtering water and increasing biodiversity. This research seeks to understand shellfish genetics and breeding to help researchers increase production and improve water quality.
Raising shellfish eggs and larvae is not well understood and yet critical for aquaculture production. Many biological and environmental factors influence egg quality and time of spawning. Similarly, larvae survival is another challenge. This research aims to better understand the early life-cycle stages to ensure a robust supply of eggs and larvae for commercial stocking.
Investing is the production of new species is risky without a comprehensive assessment of potential costs, market demand, yields and other factors that influence commercial feasibility. The lack of comprehensive financial assessments is a current barrier to U.S. aquaculture production. This research funds socio-economic and market-based research for new species and production systems.
Year Awarded 2018
FFAR award amount $945,735
Total award amount $2,978,942
Location West Des Moines, IA
Matching Funders Ichthus Unlimited, LLC, Texas A&M, Spanish Institute of Oceanography, Illinois Soybean Foundation, San Diego Port
Grantee Institution Ichthus Unlimited LLC
Year Awarded 2018
FFAR award amount $300,000
Total award amount $600,000
Location Brunswick, ME
Matching Funders Coastal Enterprises, Inc.
Grantee Institution Coastal Enterprises Inc.
Year Awarded 2018
FFAR award amount $275,792
Total award amount $553,072
Location Corvallis, OR
Matching Funders Oregon State University, Hubbs Sea World Research Institute, Reed Mariculture
Grantee Institution Oregon State University
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President and CEO U.S. Dairy Export Council