Aquaculture
Marine Extension personnel address aquaculture sustainability as it relates to several species and their environments. Louisiana Sea Grant’s coastal aquaculture audiences are primarily small businesses, cultivating or supporting production of mollusks, shellfish, crustaceans, finfish and reptiles.
Emphasis is given to water quality, coastal pond and impoundment management, specific species such as crawfish, and technology development. Through workshops, newsletters and personal contacts, Sea Grant agents and specialists communicate research findings to the aquaculture community and the concerns of aquaculturists to university researchers.
Oyster Research Lab
Louisiana Sea Grant’s Oyster Lab and the Michael C. Voisin Oyster Hatchery on Grand Isle has both research and commercial-scale larval rearing capabilities. It is the largest oyster research lab along the United States’ Gulf coast, based on larval rearing capacity.
More about the Oyster Research Lab >
Alternative Oyster Culture (AOC) Program
AOC is when oysters are grown in floating cages or in bottom-placed cages attached to pylons. This method allows the cages to be raised and lowered to protect oysters from predators, fouling and the burial effects of disasters like hurricanes.
Aquaculture Internship Pilot Program
The Louisiana Sea Grant Aquaculture Internship Pilot Program supports Louisiana’s commercial aquaculture industry by growing the workforce and equipping new professionals with practical training in business development and seafood processing.
More about the Aquaculture Internship Pilot Program >
Shrimp Farming in Louisiana
Shrimp farming is typically practiced in large coastal ponds in tropical regions. Nonetheless, there have been some marginal successes with small-scale shrimp farming in certain parts of the U.S., Europe and elsewhere. Two types of shrimp have been utilized in small-scale farming operations in the U.S.: the Pacific white-legged shrimp (P. vannamei, a marine species) and the freshwater Malaysian prawn.