Annual/Termination Reports:

[11/28/2023] [01/24/2025] [08/05/2025] [12/21/2025]

Report Information

Participants

In Person: Christina DeWitt (Oregon State University, Director Seafood Research and Education Center, Agriculture Experiment Station), Michael Ciaramella (Cornell University, Seafood Safety Specialist, Sea Grant), Denise Skonberg (University of Maine, Food Chemist, Agriculture Experiment Station), Evelyn Watts (Louisiana State University, Seafood Safety Specialist, Sea Grant and Agriculture Experiment Station), Keith Cox (Certified Quality Foods, Founder, University of Alaska-Juneau Adjunct Professor Fisheries Science), Pat Glaab (Silver Bay Seafoods, Director).

Virtual: Jung Kwon (Oregon State University, Nutritional Pharmacology, Agriculture Experiment Station/Extension), Cathy Lui (University of Maryland, Seafood Technology Specialist, Extension), Michael Qian (Oregon State University, Flavor Chemist, Agriculture Experiment Station), Hongda Chen (National Program Leader, NIFA Nanotechnology and Processing), Sam Chang (Mississippi State University, Director Mississippi Center for Food Safety and Post-Harvest Technology, Agriculture Experiment Station), Jacek Jazynski (West Virginia, Muscle Foods Safety, Agriculture Experiment Station), Jonathan Van Senten (Virginia Tech, Applied Economist, Agriculture Experiment Station), Quentin Fong (University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Seafood Marketing Specialist, Sea Grant), Razieh Farzad (University of Florida, Agriculture Experiment Station and Extension).

Brief Summary of Minutes

Accomplishments

<p>Short-term outcomes: New Multi-state project.</p><br /> <p>Outputs: Full proposal for new multi-state project.</p><br /> <p>Activities: Developed full proposal based on annual meeting inputs.&nbsp; Proposal was submitted for peer reviewed and approved.</p><br /> <p>Milestones: Announce first annual meeting by December 2023.</p>

Publications

<p>None yet, this is a newly approved project.</p>

Impact Statements

1. This is a new project, impacts will be collected prior to next meeting.

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Report Information

Participants

In person: Michael Ciaramella (Cornell University), Rosalee Hellberg (Chapman University), Razieh Farzad (University of Florida), Evelyn Watts (Louisianna State University), Luxin Wang (University of California-Davis).
Virtual: Wilmore Webley (University of Massachusetts Amherst), Cathy (Chengchu) Liu (University of Maryland), Denise Skonberg (University of Maine), Salina Parveen (University of Maryland Eastern Shore), Michael Qian (Oregon State University), Jacek Jaczynski (West Virginia University), Naim Montazeri (University of Florida)

Brief Summary of Minutes

The goals of this project include building resilience in aquatic food systems, advancing food safety, nutrition, and quality, and engaging stakeholders. Participants from various universities and institutions shared their research focuses, including aquaculture nutrition, cellular agriculture, seafood safety and quality, and the development of new technologies to improve the seafood supply chain. The meeting also explored potential collaborations in the seafood industry, addressing challenges faced by small and large processing companies, and the need for better resource utilization and new technologies

Discussed the objectives of a multi-state project focused on aquatic food systems, including building resilience, advancing food safety, nutrition, and quality, and engaging stakeholders. The project aims to create an umbrella of activity benefiting the industry and encompassing current work. DeWitt also outlined the project's organization and governance, including the role of the chairman and the administrative advisor. The discussion also covered the responsibilities of project participants, particularly those from land grant universities, and the process of submitting annual reports. The conversation ended with a discussion on the importance of multi-state projects in developing national networks to address critical research challenges facing stakeholders.

Accomplishments

<p>Short-term Outcomes: The group shared research focuses and then discussed potential research collaborations.&nbsp; It was decided that a survey would be provided to project participants on collaboration asking them to identify projects they would like to participate in a committe on to brainstorm prior to the next meeting.&nbsp; A second action item was it was noted that the USDA-ARS website has many food commodities listed with research and promotion programs, but nothing exists for seafood.&nbsp; This group wants to find out how it can help support seafood within USDA-ARS.</p><br /> <p>Output:&nbsp; The project provided a summary of research that is being conducted in Aquatic Foods across the nation.&nbsp; The project created a list of potential areas that collaborations or networks could be built around in aquatic foods.</p><br /> <p>Activities: Individual participants shared their current research and outreach efforts in aquatic food products and pressing industry needs.</p><br /> <p>Oregon State University: Research efforts highlighted included high-pressure processing (HPP) at very low-temperature to inactivate pathogens and viruses, while maintaining raw product characteristics.&nbsp; This research was focused on enhancing safety of product intended to be consumed raw.&nbsp; Additional research presented included investigations to determine the effect of&nbsp; shrimp quality and maturity on seafood processing effluent, the use of bioimpedance technology for real-time determination of quality and best management practices, upscaling of seafood by-products into functional protein, flavor chemistry of seafood, especially freshness of tuna fish and quality of caviar, and the health benefits of fish skin and macroalgae. Outreach efforts included the following trainings for stakeholders: Good Fishing Vessel practices, Seafood Quality workshops (species focused), Seafood HACCP, Seafood HACCP for fishing Vessel Operators, and Surimi School.&nbsp; Website resource include Seafood Network Information Center (seafood.oregonstate.edu). Pressing industry needs noted were rapid testing for harmful algae blooms (HAB) on farm, reducing effluent discharges from seafood processing, full resource utilization for waste minimization, chitin to chitosan environmentally friendly, scalable technologies, harvest vessel best practices for seafood quality and processing/distribution best practices for seaweed.&nbsp; Additional needs noted were research support for small processors.</p><br /> <p>University of Florida research focused on aquaculture nutrition and cellular agriculture. Work centers on alternative protein sources to replace fish meal in fish diets and the development of cell-based fish meal. It also focuses on using fish skin, a by product, as a scaffolding material.&nbsp; Challenges faced by the aquaculture industry in Florida, including regulatory issues and the need for rapid testing for toxins.</p><br /> <p>University of Maryland Eastern Shore: Research focuses on improving the safety and quality of seafood, poultry, meat, and fresh produce. Their research includes genotypic and phenotypic methods for tracking sources of food and waterborne pathogens, development of rapid molecular and immunological methods for detecting pathogens, and predictive models for growth and survival of food and waterborne pathogens.&nbsp; Research also includes antibiotic resistance, virulence properties, pathogenicity for Vibrio, Salmonella, Listeria and STEC.&nbsp; Aquaponics and Hydroponics are also a part of the research portfolio.</p><br /> <p>University of Massachusetts Amherst: Research focuses on understanding the pathogenesis of epitheliocystis, a disease affecting over 90 species of fish, including salmon which causes lesions on skin and in gills. Work is connected to this project because there is a need to understand how genetic and environmental conditions impact sources of pathogens (fish disease).&nbsp; These pathogens ultimately impact product quality, and contribute to resource losses along cold chain.&nbsp; Work includes cultivating and sequencing the Chlamydia-like organisms involved in the disease, understanding the disease process and its transmission in zebra fish. Work includes partnerships with the Richard Cronin Aquatic Resource Center.&nbsp; This disease also threatens the shellfish industry in Massachusetts.</p><br /> <p>Maryland Sea Grant Program: Research projects include Sustainable Aquaculture Systems Supporting Atlantic Salmon (SAS²), Smart Sustainable Shellfish Aquaculture Management, Refrigerated recirculating wet-storage technology for <em>Vibrio parahaemolyticus </em>control in oysters, Wild catfish market enhancement through improved cold chain management and packaging, HPP to enhance quality and shelf life of blue crab, Vision-guided robotic system for blue crab meat picking automation. Outreach includes Seafood HACCP training and education, service program for Maryland crabmeat quality assurance and inspection, consumer education on Health Benefits and Safe Handling of Seafood, Maryland Day Blue Catfish Cooking Show,</p><br /> <p>Chapman University: Research focused on food authentication and development and application of DNA-based detection methods for seafood.&nbsp; Currently conducting a meta-analysis for seafood mislabeling.&nbsp; Food safety efforts include detection and inactivation of foodborne pathogens such as using UVC to inactivate <em>Listeria</em> in salmon residue on food contact surfaces. Outreach is focused on teaching K-12 students about food science and collaboration with federal agencies (USDA and FDA) on research projects.&nbsp; Better Process Control School is taught as well as working directly with industry on research and development projects.</p><br /> <p>Cornell: Program for aquatic foods is more focused on outreach. Outreach includes Seafood HACCP Training program and development of a hazards and controls guide for the seaweed industry.&nbsp; In addition, includes network building such as the NY Seafood Processing and Marketing Task Force, NY Seaweed Pocessing and Marketing Task Force, Annual Seafood Summit.&nbsp; Provide online seafood and seaweed technical assistance which includes nyseagrant.org/seafoodguides and /seaweedguides.&nbsp; Additional educational programs include &ldquo;Access to Capital&rdquo; and &ldquo;Traceability&rdquo;.&nbsp; Also now hosting the Seafood Health Facts website and nyseagrant.org/seafoodmarketing.&nbsp; Seafood topics of interest include development of accessible retail refrigerated seafoods (ROP, OTR packaging, extending shelf-life, and HPP applications for seafood, C. bot control).&nbsp; Other current issues include PFAS in seafood, Dry Aged seafood, and seafood economics and processing infrastructure/capacity.&nbsp; For seaweed, environmental contaminants, heavy metals and value-added processing technologies are all current issues.</p><br /> <p>Louisianna State University: Research focused on byproduct recovery, enhancing quality of seafood.&nbsp; Areas of research include bioactive compounds and gelatin extraction for pharmaceutical application.&nbsp; In the area of product development and sensory, LSU is looking at incorporation of fish bones into fried fish and enhancement of utilization of crawfish shells.&nbsp; In addition, incorporation of antimicrobials into a gelatin film to coat fish to extend shelf-life.&nbsp; Outreach includes developing market opportunities for small entrepreneurs in rural areas, providing micro-processing capacity for fishers through a seafood processing demonstration laboratory.&nbsp; In addition, the micro-processing facility is being utilized to host &ldquo;Field Days&rdquo; with various leadership groups across the state to expand awareness across the state.&nbsp; These include Nutrition and Community Health leaders, Agriculture Leadership Group (other ag groups learning about aquatic foods in Louisianna), and Agriculture and Natural Resource Agents.&nbsp; A more recent seafood &ldquo;Field Day&rdquo; was focused on byproduct development, underutilized species and product development.&nbsp; They are getting many requests for help with smoked seafood.&nbsp; They have a USDA-ARS grant to enhance market opportunities with catfish.&nbsp; They also have a USDA Rural Development Rural Business Development Grant they have recently received is entitled &ldquo;Beyond the Boat: Developing market opportunities for seafood entrepreneurs in Rural Louisiana.&nbsp; This grant is utilizing the meat separator on crab to create a flavor enhancer that can be utilized in chowder and crab cakes. From garfish, value added development is focused on sausage and smoked products from recovered meats and/or trim.&nbsp; From buffalo fish, smoked ribs and mince.&nbsp; They are also working with the Acadiana Regional Seafood Hub to develop a multi-use facility that will provide retain space, commercial kitchen, instruction and training, cold storage, packing, shipping and a drive-through window.&nbsp; They have refurbished part of processing facilities to create a training and demo kitchen.&nbsp; Current industry issues include the use of 10,000 OTR or oxygen permeable packaging and its ability to keep C. bot from forming.&nbsp; (It was noted in discussion that Dr. Alvin Lee and Illinois Institute of Technology are potential good resource for C. bot research support).&nbsp; Species substitution is an issue and country of origin, especially the latter for shrimp.&nbsp; The industry is interested in rapid field tests that can help them identify products in real time.</p><br /> <p>Industry stakeholder comments &ndash; An important trend for the industry is full utilization of the resource.&nbsp; Opportunities exist throughout the supply chain to better understand how products are impacted in terms of their ability to be fully utilized.&nbsp; This includes improving knowledge and understanding of impacts of harvest and handling prior to reaching the processing facility.&nbsp; How processing facilities can contribute to further improvements in retention of useful materials from the resource.&nbsp; New technologies to bring more value from the same raw materials to the market.&nbsp; Additional important trends are reducing water usage and increasing the efficiency of all the processing steps.&nbsp; Especially important is innovation that reduces need for extensive manual labor and, for safety, reduce human interactions with the product.</p><br /> <p>Milestones: To create collaborative project teams that work to address emerging issues that advance aquatic food product sustainability by 2025.&nbsp; Heightened awareness and visibility of&nbsp;aquatic food&nbsp;research at USDA-ARS.</p><br /> <p>&nbsp;</p>

Publications

Impact Statements

1. Impact Statement for W1197: Advancing Aquatic Food Product Sustainability Overview The multi-state Hatch project W1197, initiated in 2024, addresses critical challenges in advancing aquatic food product sustainability by improving quality, utilization, and safety. This collaborative effort engages researchers and stakeholders from across the U.S., representing diverse expertise in seafood safety, aquaculture nutrition, byproduct utilization, and innovative technologies. The project is poised to make significant economic, environmental, and social contributions to the aquatic food sector. Key Achievements Collaborative Framework: The project established a robust network among land-grant universities and other institutions to address stakeholder-identified challenges, such as resource utilization, safety, and environmental sustainability. Stakeholder Engagement: Industry collaboration emphasized critical needs, including innovations for full resource utilization, reducing water use, increasing processing efficiency, and minimizing labor through automation. Research Highlights Food Safety: Development of rapid molecular methods for pathogen detection and innovative packaging solutions to mitigate contamination risks. Resource Utilization: Upscaling seafood by-products into high-value products (e.g., functional proteins, flavor enhancers, and bioactive compounds). Technology Development: Investigations into bioimpedance technology for real-time seafood quality assessment and the use of high-pressure processing for pathogen inactivation without compromising product quality. Intended Impacts Economic Benefits: By creating innovative solutions for byproduct utilization and quality improvement, the project is expected to enhance profitability across the aquatic food supply chain. For example, converting seafood by-products into consumer-ready products like smoked ribs and flavor enhancers opens new market opportunities. Environmental Sustainability: Research on processing wastewater management and scalable chitin-to-chitosan conversion technologies addresses key environmental concerns, reducing waste and improving resource efficiency. Social Contributions: Training programs and consumer education initiatives aim to increase awareness about seafood safety, handling practices, and sustainability, benefiting both the industry and consumers. Long-Term Vision The project seeks to advance a sustainable bio-circular economy for aquatic foods by: Extending product quality and shelf life through supply chain best practices. Developing solutions to mitigate contaminants (e.g., PFAS, heavy metals) and address emerging toxins. Enhancing processing technologies to adapt to environmental changes and reduce manual labor. By leveraging interdisciplinary expertise, W1197 aims to position the U.S. aquatic food industry as a global leader in sustainability, safety, and innovation, driving economic growth while fostering environmental stewardship.

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Report Information

Participants

In-person: Sam Chang (Mississippi State University), Alexander Chouljenko (North Carolina State University), Michael Ciaramella (Cornell University), Christina DeWitt (Oregon State University), Eugene Evans (New York Departmen1/1t of Agriculture), Razieh Farzad (University of Florida), M.P. (Michael) Hayes (Louisiana State University), Angela Hunt (Oregon State University), Taozhu Sun (Virginia Tech), Evelyn Watts (Louisianna State University), Doug Guillory (Riceland Crawfish), Jason Guidry (Guidry’s Catfish and Ocean Select).
Virtual: Gulsun Akdemir (University of Maine), Cathy (Chengchu) Liu (University of Maryland), Denise Skonberg (University of Maine), Michael Qian (Oregon State University), Jim Vinyard (University of Alaska), Wilmore Webley (University of Massachusetts Amherst).

Brief Summary of Minutes

Meeting Purpose: Evelyn explained that the project aims to advise on aquatic food product sustainability, focusing on improving quality, utilization, and safety. The project meets annually to discuss progress and future plans.

Project History: Evelyn provided a brief history of the project, mentioning that it started three years ago in Newport, OR, and had a meeting last year in California. The focus this year is to work on the topic ideas developed in previous meetings.

Collaboration Importance: Evelyn emphasized the importance of collaboration among participants, including identifying potential projects and collaborators from their networks and universities.

Funding Sources: Evelyn mentioned the need to identify potential funding sources, including local, state, and nationwide grants, to support the projects discussed.

Participant Introductions: Participants shared their names, affiliations, and areas of expertise. This helped in understanding the diverse backgrounds and expertise present in the meeting. Participants included professors, extension specialists, and researchers from various universities and organizations, each with specific expertise in areas such as seafood safety, water quality, microbiology, and food science. There were also participants from regulatory agency and local industry partners.

Breakout Room Instructions: Evelyn explained the breakout room process, assigning leads to each room and outlining the main objectives, which included identifying potential projects, collaborators, and funding sources. Each group was assigned a lead. The topics for each breakout room included best practices across the supply chain, promoting seafood consumption, bio circular economy, and collaboration with small businesses.

Breakout Session Summaries: Each breakout lead provided an overview of their group's discussion and outcomes. All leads will send a brief summary of their session discussions to Evelyn for inclusion in the final report. (Wilmore, Michael C., Razieh, Christina)

Future Meetings and Leadership: The group decided to nominate Michael C. as the chairman for the upcoming year, with the next meeting to be held in New York. Exact date and location will be determined based on participants post meeting survey. They also discussed the importance of having a leader for each project to ensure progress.

Nomination for 2026 Chari of the Project: Michael Ciaramella.

Evelyn W., representative of LSU, nominated Michael C., representative of Cornell, for the position of 2026 Chair for the Project (Multi-state Hatch project: W1197 Advancing Aquatic Food Product Sustainability: Improving Quality, Utilization and Safety). Michael C. accepted the nomination. Sam Chang, representing the University of Mississippi, seconded the nomination. There were no additional nominations. The vote was unanimous with no opposition.

Location of next meeting: During Aquatic Food Conference in New York (Date and Locations TBD).

Accomplishments

<p><strong>Short-term outcomes:</strong> Participants split into four breakout groups to discuss potential collaboration and identification of funding.</p><br /> <p><strong>Output:&nbsp;</strong>This project identified opportunities for collaboration on research and outreach initiatives, as well as potential funding sources; including local, state, and national grant to support the proposed activities.</p><br /> <p><strong>Activities:</strong> Individuals in each breakout group shared their current research/outreach focus areas on aquatic foods, and discussed potential areas for collaboration, potential projects, and sources of funding.</p><br /> <ul><br /> <li><strong>Best Practices Across Supply Chain: </strong>Wilmore, Taozhu, and Michael Q. discussed digital monitoring, predictive maintenance, and climate-proofing the aquaculture value chain. They emphasized the importance of supply chain control, transparency, and resilience to climate change.</li><br /> <li><strong>Digital Monitoring: </strong>The group discussed the importance of digital monitoring and predictive maintenance in the supply chain, from acquiring fish to delivery to consumers. This includes transportation and temperature recording to ensure product quality.</li><br /> <li><strong>Supply Chain Transparency: </strong>The group emphasized the need for transparency in the supply chain, suggesting the use of QR codes to provide consumers with detailed information about the product's origin and handling.</li><br /> <li><strong>Climate-Proofing: </strong>The group discussed strategies for climate-proofing the aquaculture value chain, including seasonal management, dynamic stocking calendars, and temperature-controlled facilities to buffer against climate extremes.</li><br /> <li><strong>Resilient Species: </strong>The group highlighted the importance of selective breeding for heat tolerance and diversifying species to enhance resilience and reduce dependency on a single product.</li><br /> <li><strong>Funding Sources: </strong>Potential funding sources discussed included NOAA fisheries and aquaculture grants, NSF smart manufacturing initiatives, and USDA grants. Collaborations with AI and material science experts were also suggested.</li><br /> <li><strong>Promoting Seafood Consumption: </strong>Michael C., MP Hayes, and Cathy developed a comprehensive plan to address PFAS and heavy metals in aquatic foods. They outlined six projects, starting with developing testing methods and ending with extensive outreach and education programs.</li><br /> <li><strong>Testing Methods: </strong>The group proposed developing matrix-dependent validated testing methods for PFAS and other contaminants in aquatic foods, assessing existing methods, and identifying gaps to develop new methods.</li><br /> <li><strong>Contaminant Distribution: </strong>The group planned to explore the distribution of PFAS and heavy metals in various seafood commodities, considering geography, species, and water quality impacts on contamination levels.</li><br /> <li><strong>Public Health Implications: </strong>The group aimed to study the implications of contamination on public health, comparing across commodities and providing data for regulatory agencies to develop thresholds and standards.</li><br /> <li><strong>Source Tracing: </strong>The group intended to trace and understand the sources of contamination, which could help in developing effective mitigation strategies.</li><br /> <li><strong>Mitigation Strategies: </strong>The group discussed developing mitigation strategies for removing contaminants from the environment and food, including processing methods, harvest area closures, and consumption advisories.</li><br /> <li><strong>Outreach and Education: </strong>The final project involved extensive outreach and education programs, including workshops, guidance documents, and resources for consumers and industry on seafood safety and contamination mitigation.</li><br /> <li><strong>Collaborators and Funding:</strong> The project involves a range of faculty members and engages various stakeholder networks. Participants include research and extension groups, associations such as alligator farmers, oyster farmers, fishing associations, shrimp processors associations, and state regulatory agencies responsible for establishing standards. Data collection efforts are designed to support the development of food safety standards and thresholds. Potential funding sources identified included USDA equipment grant program, SIRF, NOAA SG, other USDA opportunities, and industry.</li><br /> <li><strong>Bio Circular Economy: </strong>Razieh, Denisse, Angee, Sam, and Evelyn&rsquo;s group focused on the challenges and opportunities in using byproducts for higher value products like collagen. They discussed the need for better industry coordination, economic data, and pilot studies to demonstrate the feasibility of these projects.</li><br /> <li><strong>Industry Coordination: </strong>The group identified the need for better industry coordination and supply chain integration to effectively use byproducts for higher value products like collagen.</li><br /> <li><strong>Economic Data: </strong>The group discussed the lack of clear economic data on the collagen market, specifically for seafood sources, and the need to gather this data to support industry decisions.</li><br /> <li><strong>Regulatory Barriers: </strong>The group highlighted technical and regulatory barriers for producing medical-grade collagen and the need to address these challenges to facilitate market entry.</li><br /> <li><strong>Pilot Studies: </strong>The group emphasized the importance of conducting pilot studies to demonstrate the feasibility and return on investment for seafood processors to add steps for collagen extraction.</li><br /> <li><strong>Collaborators and Funding: </strong>Potential collaborators included economists, social scientists, and medical researchers for clinical trials. Funding sources discussed included USDA, NIH, and industry associations.</li><br /> <li><strong>Collaboration with Small Businesses: </strong>Christina, Jim, and Alexander's group discussed how to support small businesses and entrepreneurs with their research challenges. They explored funding opportunities like the Sustainable Agriculture Research Education (SARE) funds and local economic development funds.</li><br /> <li><strong>Small Business Support: </strong>The group discussed the need to support small businesses and entrepreneurs with their research challenges, focusing on short-term projects that can provide quick solutions.</li><br /> <li><strong>SARE Funds: </strong>The group explored the potential of Sustainable Agriculture Research Education (SARE) funds to support projects involving small producers, processors, and harvesters in the seafood industry, including value-added.</li><br /> <li><strong>Economic Development Funds: </strong>The group discussed leveraging local and state economic development funds to support small businesses in the seafood industry, emphasizing the need for better knowledge and relationships to access these funds.</li><br /> <li><strong>Specialty Crop Grants:</strong> Leverage or create a grant program similar to Specialty Crop Grants specifically for seafood. Seafood is as diverse as specialty crops but lacks large commodity commissions. How to initiate efforts that would support local and regional development for the seafood industry through such a program.</li><br /> <li><strong>Future Actions: </strong>The group proposed inviting SARE leads to future meetings to discuss funding opportunities and conduct training on accessing local economic development funds.</li><br /> </ul><br /> <p><strong>Action Items: </strong></p><br /> <ul><br /> <li><strong>Breakout Session Summaries: </strong>Send a brief summary of the breakout session discussions to Evelyn for inclusion in the final report. (Wilmore, Michael C., Razieh, Christina)</li><br /> <li><strong>Final Report Preparation: </strong>Compile the final report based on the breakout session summaries and meeting notes. (Evelyn, Christina, Michael C.)</li><br /> <li><strong>Virtual Meeting Scheduling: </strong>Conduct a poll to determine availability for a virtual meeting in October to discuss project leads and next steps. (Evelyn)</li><br /> <li><strong>Regional SARE Discussion: </strong>Initiate discussions with regional SARE leads about funding opportunities for seafood industry projects. Bring in leads of each regional SARE for next hatch project meeting. (Evelyn, Christina, Michael C.)</li><br /> <li><strong>Economic Development Funds Training: </strong>Organize a training session to understand how to access local economic development funds for stakeholder benefit. (Evelyn, Christina, Michael C.)</li><br /> <li><strong>Next Meeting Planning: </strong>Plan the next Hatch meeting to be held in conjunction with the Aquatic Foods Conference in New York. (Michael C., Evelyn)</li><br /> </ul><br /> <p>&nbsp;</p>

Publications

Impact Statements

1. The multi-state Hatch project W1197, launched in 2024, is driving transformative change in the aquatic food sector by addressing critical challenges in sustainability, safety, and resource utilization. Through a robust national collaboration among land-grant universities, researchers, and industry stakeholders, the project is advancing innovative solutions that promise significant economic, environmental, and social benefits. Key achievements include the development of rapid pathogen detection methods, climate-resilient aquaculture practices, and technologies for real-time quality assessment. The project has also made strides in upscaling seafood byproducts into high-value products, such as functional proteins and collagen, contributing to a bio-circular economy. Stakeholder engagement has been central, with industry partners identifying priorities like automation, water conservation, and full resource utilization. The project’s intended impacts are far-reaching: - Economic: Enhancing profitability through value-added products and improved processing efficiency. - Environmental: Reducing waste and improving sustainability via wastewater management and chitin conversion technologies. - Social: Empowering consumers and industry through education on seafood safety and sustainable practices. In addition, collaborative breakout sessions have expanded the project’s scope by identifying strategic opportunities for innovation and funding. These include initiatives to improve supply chain transparency, address contaminants like PFAS and heavy metals, and support small businesses through targeted grants and training. The proposal to create a seafood-specific grant program modeled after Specialty Crop Grants reflects a growing commitment to regional development and equity in funding access. Looking ahead, W1197 aims to position the U.S. aquatic food industry as a global leader in sustainability and innovation. By extending shelf life, mitigating emerging toxins, and adapting technologies to environmental change, the project lays the foundation for a resilient, efficient, and consumer-conscious seafood system.

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Report Information

Participants

Erin M. Arneson (University of Georgia), Michael Ciaramella (Cornell University), Christina DeWitt (Oregon State University), Shawn Donkin (Oregon State University), Razieh Farzad (University of Florida), Michael Hayes (Louisiana State University), Angee Hunt (Oregon State University), Jacek Jaczynski (West Virginia University), Jung Kwon, Chengchu (Kathy) Liu (University of Maryland), Naim Montazeri (University of Florida), Denise Skonberg (University of Maine), Taozhu Sun (Virginia Tech), Jim Vinyard (University of Alaska), Wilmore Webley (University of Massachusetts Amherst), and Evelyn Watts (Louisiana State University).

Brief Summary of Minutes

Review of June Meeting Outcomes and Key Focus Areas

• Best practices across the aquatic supply chain (digital monitoring, predictive maintenance, transparency, climate resilience).


• Promoting seafood consumption and safety (validated testing for PFAS/contaminants, distribution analyses, public health implications, source tracing, mitigation, outreach).


• Advancing the biocircular economy with seafood byproducts (collagen; coordination, market analysis, regulatory pathways).


• Supporting small seafood businesses (solution-driven applied projects; access to Sustainable Agriculture Reseawrch Education (SARE), economic development funds, specialty crop–like models).

Discussion of Current and Upcoming Funding Opportunities

• NE SARE call reopened; submission expected in December; webinar available.


• Seafood Industry Research Fund (SIRF) call: up to $60,000; indirect costs (IDC) not covered by SIRF and may be restricted by some universities.


• USDA calls: several opened with short timelines; plan to target next cycle as needed; consider seed, new investigator, and equipment tracks.


• Eligibility nuances: “farmer” and “agriculture product” definitions; NAICS-based eligibility under USDA Rural Development typically includes seafood processors as small businesses.


• USDA Regional Aquaculture Centers (RACs): up to ~$300,000; requires collaboration and extension engagement; IDC constraints noted at some institutions.


• EPA Region 6 pollution prevention funding: one more cycle anticipated; opportunity for technical assistance to seafood processors.


• Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP): suitable for multi-state outreach/food safety initiatives; proposals planned related to seaweed.

Collaboration Tools and Information Sharing

• Create a Microsoft Teams channel with shared folders to post funding links, deadlines, and updates.


• Build a collaborator/expertise database: Excel sheet with names, emails, specialties, appointment types; collect short bios and two-page CVs; include current and past projects.

Planning for Next Hatch Meeting and Aquatic Foods Conference

• Proposed Hatch meeting date: Monday, May 19 (half-day) followed by the Aquatic Foods Conference (full day) and a tour of the Fulton Fish Market.


• Location plan: Long Beach, NY (Alegria hotel under consideration; exploring cost mitigation and alternate venues if needed).


• Estimated registration: ~$275 (AFC), ~$175 (Hatch); potential small fee for market tour.


• Encourage submission of abstracts for invited/technical presentations to broaden participation.


• Coordination: post details via NIMS to enable travel authorization by experiment station directors.

Engagement with SARE and USDA NIFA Representatives

• Invite regional SARE leads to the next meeting to discuss seafood eligibility, terminology, and fit with SARE calls.


• Invite NIFA liaisons (Jodi Williams and Shushan Zeng) for an agenda spot and Q&A on program inclusion and workshop funding options.


• Aim for at least local (NY) SARE participation in person, with other regions joining virtually.

Training and Support for Grant Access

• Offer training for seafood businesses on grant writing and navigating local/state economic development funds.


• Consider parallel education for economic development agencies where priorities limit fund accessibility.

Other Conferences and Opportunities

• Pacific Fisheries Technologist Conference: February 22–25, San Pedro, CA; encourage abstracts and student presentations.


• USDA workshop funds: may be requestable outside regular grant cycles (submit ~150 days before workshop); confirm current guidance with NIFA.

Action Items / Follow-up Tasks

• Funding Opportunities Sharing System: Create a Microsoft Teams channel and folders for funding links, deadlines, and documents. (Lead: Evelyn)


• Collaborator and Expertise Database: Set up folder for CVs/bios and an Excel sheet capturing names, emails, specialties, appointment types, current/past projects. (Lead: Evelyn)


• Regional SARE Leads Engagement: Invite regional SARE leads to the next Hatch project meeting to discuss opportunities and eligibility. (Leads: Christina, Michael Ciaramella, Evelyn)


• USDA NIFA Representatives Participation: Invite Jody Williams and Shushan Zeng and allocate Q&A time. (Lead: Shawn)


• Aquatic Foods Conference Planning: Share finalized dates, location, hotel, and registration details with Shawn for NIMS posting. (Lead: Michael Ciaramella)


• Meeting Report Distribution: Share this meeting report with Mike and Christina for review and group distribution. (Lead: Evelyn)

Accomplishments

<p><strong>Short‑term </strong><strong>outcomes</strong></p><br /> <ul><br /> <li>The group reaffirmed the four priority areas established in June&mdash;best practices across the aquatic supply chain, promoting seafood consumption and safety, advancing the biocircular economy through byproduct utilization, and supporting small seafood businesses&mdash;and aligned them with concrete 2026 work streams.</li><br /> <li>A consolidated funding scan was captured (NE SARE reopened; SIRF call with no IDC; several USDA tracks opening/closing quickly; EPA Region 6 pollution‑prevention cycle anticipated; FSOP suitable for multi‑state outreach; RACs supporting aquaculture with strong extension components).</li><br /> <li>The team agreed to stand up a Microsoft Teams channel with shared folders and a collaborator database (Excel list of names, emails, specialties, appointment types) augmented with short bios, two‑page CVs, and current/past projects to streamline teaming and proposal development.</li><br /> <li>Planning advanced for the next Hatch meeting to be held with the Aquatic Foods Conference in Long Beach, NY (target May 19 for the Hatch half‑day; AFC full day; Fulton Fish Market tour; preliminary registration estimates and hotel options discussed).</li><br /> <li>A strategy was set to invite SARE regional leads and USDA NIFA liaisons (Jody/Jodi Williams and Steve Zang/Zeng) for an agenda slot and Q&amp;A on seafood eligibility, terminology, and workshop funding pathways.</li><br /> </ul><br /> <p><strong>Output</strong></p><br /> <ul><br /> <li>Named action items and leads captured to operationalize collaboration infrastructure, partner engagement, and conference logistics (e.g., Teams setup and folders&mdash;Evelyn; SARE invitations&mdash;Christina/Michael C./Evelyn; NIFA reps and NIMS posting&mdash;Shawn; AFC/Hatch details&mdash;Michael C.; report distribution&mdash;Evelyn).</li><br /> <li>A working agenda concept for the May Hatch/AFC sequence was shared (Hatch half‑day program; agency/regulatory updates; invitations for abstracts; market tour planning).</li><br /> <li>A shared understanding of terminology challenges (&ldquo;farmer,&rdquo; &ldquo;agricultural product,&rdquo; NAICS‑based eligibility) and their implications for proposal fit was documented for follow‑up with SARE/NIFA.</li><br /> </ul><br /> <p><strong>Activities</strong></p><br /> <ul><br /> <li>Round‑the‑room introductions documented expertise across research, extension, and teaching, enabling faster formation of cross‑institution teams for upcoming calls.</li><br /> <li>Funding intelligence exchange captured current calls, timelines, constraints, and strategies (seed/new‑investigator/equipment tracks, workshop funds, technical assistance models).</li><br /> <li>Training concepts for seafood businesses (grant writing, navigating local/state economic development funds) and options to educate economic‑development agencies were surfaced for program design.</li><br /> </ul><br /> <p><strong>Milestones</strong></p><br /> <ul><br /> <li><strong>Participant Expertise Database</strong><br /> Gather short bios and CVs, compile an Excel database of participant details, and upload all materials to the Teams channel.</li><br /> <li><strong>Microsoft Teams Collaboration Setup</strong><br /> Create a Teams channel with shared folders for funding opportunities and project documents; maintain updates regularly.</li><br /> <li><strong>Funding Intelligence and Proposal Planning</strong><br /> Consolidate funding opportunities, form working groups for priority proposals, and initiate multi-state submissions.</li><br /> <li><strong>Training and Capacity Building</strong><br /> Develop and deliver grant-writing and economic development training for seafood businesses; include education for local agencies.</li><br /> <li><strong>Hatch Meeting and Aquatic Foods Conference</strong><br /> Finalize venue and registration details, circulate call for abstracts, confirm agenda and speakers, and conduct the event.</li><br /> <li><strong>Engagement with SARE and USDA NIFA</strong><br /> Invite regional SARE leads and USDA NIFA representatives, confirm participation, and host Q&amp;A sessions during the Hatch meeting.</li><br /> </ul>

Publications

Impact Statements

1. The October 21 session advanced coordination across research, extension, and industry around four priority areas—supply chain best practices, seafood safety, byproduct valorization, and small-business support. Concrete next steps include establishing collaboration infrastructure (Teams, shared databases), engaging SARE and NIFA liaisons to clarify eligibility and workshop funding, and finalizing plans for a combined Hatch/AFC event that will accelerate proposal development and cross-state partnerships.

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