Regional Aquaculture Centers: Extension Programs

Regional Aquaculture Centers North Central Northeastern Southern Western Tropical & Subtropical

To support aquaculture research, development, demonstration, and extension education to enhance viable and profitable U.S. aquaculture which will benefit consumers, producers, service industries, and the American economy. Mission of the RACs

Development of the Centers : Centers organized and began operation Reauthorization of the RAC Program –1990, 1996, and 2002 Farm Bills

Sources: USDC/NOAA/NMFS Current Fisheries Statistics No. 2001, September 2002 U.S. Foreign Trade in Fishery Products

Regional Center Appropriations Authorized at $7.5 million Initial funding at $3.75 million Increased to $4 million in 1992 Budget recision in 2001 of 0.22% ($3,991,200) Budget of $3.996 million for FY2002 and $4.5 million for FY2003

Key Features of the Centers Projects responsive to industry needs and designed to impact commercial development Programs organized to take advantage of the best aquaculture science, education skills, and facilities to achieve region-wide cooperation Projects are peer-reviewed for technical and industrial merit

RAC Organizational Structure BOARD OF DIRECTORS ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER INDUSTRY ADVISORY COUNCIL TECHNICAL COMMITTEE

North Central Regional Aquaculture Center (NCRAC)

Eat almost 1 billion pounds/year but produce <2% Great diversity of species being cultured Over 1,000 producers; but just a few per state accounting for most of the production Food fish, baitfish, fish for stocking recreational and ornamental water bodies including fee-fishing operations as well as aquatic plants grown for food, wetland mitigation, and water gardening NCRAC Aquaculture

Extension Econ/Marketing Yellow Perch Hybrid Bass Walleye Sunfish Salmonids Crayfish Baitfish Wastes/Effluents Tilapia INAD/NADA Coordinator Aquaculture Drugs White Papers NCRAC Projects

Extension 8$521, % Econ/Marketing 4$302, % Yellow Perch 8$1,433, % Hybrid Bass 7$976, % Walleye 7$927, % Sunfish 5$853, % Salmonids 4$637, % Crayfish 1$49, % Baitfish 1$61, % Wastes/Effluents 3$448, % Tilapia 2$268, % INAD/NADA Coordinator 1$55, % Aquaculture Drugs 3$36, % White Papers 2$22, %

NCRAC-Extension Limited number of extension specialists –Increase number of extension contacts –Networking between all NCRAC communities –Non-tradition approaches Researchers Natural resource agencies Dept. of Agriculture contacts Other fish farmers FFA programs

Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture (CTSA)

The CTSA Region Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Guam Republic of Belau =CTSA American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Republic of the Marshall Islands Hawaii

CTSA Aquaculture Finfish Ornamentals Marine sponges Clams Oysters

CTSA-Extension PRAISE - Pacific Regional Aquaculture Information Service for Education Service program serving the U.S. affiliated Pacific Web site ( accessed 5,700 times per month 24-hour turn-around time

Southern Regional Aquaculture Center (SRAC)

Major species – channel catfish Other species – ornamentals, baitfish, hybrid striped bass Alligators Crawfish SRAC Aquaculture

Genetics 1% Health 3% Extension 18% Nutrition and Feeding 34% Production, Water Quality, and Environment 25% Environment 25% Product Quality 18% Marketing and Economics 4% SRAC Expenditures - Subject

SRAC Extension Publications, Videos, and Computer Software –A continuing project funded at ~$70 K annually –170 SRAC fact sheets (on web and CD) –19 videos –200+ scientific papers –200+ scientific presentations –40+ master’s or doctoral theses

Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center (NRAC)

NRAC Aquaculture Characterized by diversity of products –Numerous finfish Salmon and oysters –Aquatic plants & crustaceans

NRAC Expenditures: Subject

NRAC - Extension Training –Extension agents –Leadership of both agents and industry contacts Publications Demonstration projects Workshops –Fish health –Business management –Effluents/nutrition/financing/legal issues Marketing

Western Regional Aquaculture Center (WRAC)

WRAC Aquaculture Diverse –Cold and warm water species –Marine and fresh water species –Finfish, invertebrates, plants –Most significant production oysters and trout

WRAC Project Funding Timeline IHNV Control $260,400 over 3 yrs. Sturgeon Broodstock $395,000 over 4 yrs. Pacific Oyster Cross-Breeding $393,300 over 4 yrs. Solids Removal $329,153 over 4 yrs. High Performance Feeds $279,044 over 4 yrs. Disease Interactions $128,975 over 3 yrs. Molluscan Shellfish Ecology $400,000 over 4 yrs. Phosphorous Discharge $202,033 up to 2-4 yrs. Sturgeon Broodstock $100,000 up to 1-2 yrs. Pacific Oyster Cross-Breeding $100,000 up to 1-4 yrs. Recirculation Aquaculture $59,645 up to 1-4 yrs. Sturgeon Caviar $57,000 up to 1-4 yrs

WRAC Project Expenditures by Subject ( )

WRAC-Extension Integration of extension and research projects Outreach programs made by both extension and researchers “rapid response” funds Workshops participants are from both industry and regulatory agencies

AquaNIC ( 8,000 files (publications, photographs, slide sets, videos, directories, etc.) Links to over 1,000 aquaculture Web sites 600 links from other Web sites 5,000 “hits” per month by people from over 80 countries

Scientific contributions Graduate education Internet presence –NRAC - me.html –NCRAC - –SRAC - –WRAC - –CTSA - Bang for the buck Ingrained Other Contributions