Duration: 10/01/2026 to 09/30/2031

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

The United States produces far less seafood than it consumes, relying on imports to meet demand and leaving many coastal communities economically vulnerable and culturally disconnected from their local waters. This project aims to reverse that trend by enhancing U.S. aquaculture and capture fisheries through technology, market insights, and support for the rural seafood industry. This project seeks to (1) examine how advanced technology can cut costs, improve yields, and lower environmental impacts of US seafood production while supporting technology adoption; (2) evaluate markets and help US producers identify and capture premium niches—products differentiated by quality, origin, and sustainability—thus securing higher prices and reducing US dependence on low‑cost imports; and (3) strengthen rural economies by translating research into hands‑on training. The primary audience includes commercial fishers, aquaculture growers, support industry workers, rural residents, and consumers, who will benefit from higher-quality seafood, better prices, and greater industry resilience. By combining nationwide data analytics with in-depth case studies, we will produce actionable research and extension outputs that guide producers in adopting modern practices, help marketers pinpoint untapped markets, and equip rural programs with the skills they need; these outputs will help increase domestic production and build resilient coastal communities. 

Statement of Issues and Justification

Aquaculture and capture fisheries provide a significant source of protein and economic activity for people in the United States and other countries. U.S. commercial fisheries landings and value in 2023 were 8.5 billion pounds and $5.1 billion, a decrease of 9% relative to 2018 (National Marine Fisheries Service, 2020; National Marine Fisheries Service, 2025). Commercially important fisheries include salmon, lobsters, crabs, Alaska pollock, and sea scallops (National Marine Fisheries Service, 2024). While wild capture fisheries have decreased slightly over the past several years, the value of aquaculture production has increased substantially. United States aquaculture production in 2023 was valued at $1.9 billion, representing a 26% increase from the 2018 production value (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2024). US aquaculture production contributed $3.8 billion in output to the US economy in 2022 (Kumar et al., 2024). The most valuable aquaculture products are catfish, oysters, clams, trout, and crawfish. Between 2018 and 2023, the share of US seafood production from aquaculture by value increased from 21% to 27% (National Marine Fisheries Service, 2025; U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2024). The increasing role of aquaculture production is expected to continue, as consumer demand for seafood continues to rise.

At the same time, the U.S. is the world’s largest importer of seafood by value, with over 85% of total domestic consumption originating outside the country (NMFS, 2025). There is no doubt that the U.S. seafood market is dominated by imports. This situation has emerged because domestic seafood production - both wild-caught and aquaculture - has been unable to meet the increasing aggregate demand and per capita consumption of seafood (Shamshak et al., 2019). U.S. fishery stocks are essentially fully utilized and well-managed to avoid overfishing, which has resulted in relatively stable annual production of approximately 5 million metric tons (mt) since the late 1980s (Garlock et al., 2020a). As late as 1975, the U.S. was the world’s third-largest aquaculture producer; however, domestic production growth has not kept pace with global trends (FAO, 2018), with production peaking at just over 600,000 metric tons in 2004. Global aquaculture production has expanded rapidly since then, while U.S. aquaculture production declined to just over 400,000 mt in 2017 (Garlock et al., 2020a), before rebounding to approximately 478,000 mt in 2022 (FAO, 2024). Most of the increase in U.S. seafood demand since the 1980s has been met through imports, which have nearly tripled to just over 3 million metric tons in 2022 (National Marine Fisheries Service, 2024).

While low-cost foreign producers have captured significant market share in competitive, high-volume segments of the seafood market (Anderson et al., 2018), a shift in the tide that could benefit domestic producers may be on the horizon. Recent studies suggest that consumer demand exists for seafood that is differentiated by specific quality, production process, and origin attributes (Garlock et al., 2020b; Martino et al., 2023). There is also evidence that niche-oriented clusters with local suppliers can improve competitiveness in the domestic aquaculture industry in other countries (Asche, 2008). This type of industry structure can create new opportunities for the U.S. aquaculture sector. Hawaiian seafood producers, including both aquaculture and capture fisheries, have been able to more effectively compete with imports, as Hawaiian production accounts for approximately half of the state's seafood consumption (Loke et al., 2012). In Rhode Island oyster aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing seafood sector industries with an estimated net value of approximately $8.8 million (RI Coastal Resources Management Council, 2024), and in Florida, shellfish aquaculture has been highly successful and led to the growth of a network of complementary firms around the industry (Marcillo-Yepez et al., 2025).   There is growing recognition that local seafood production serves many purposes—beyond feeding communities, it supports culture, heritage, and non‑market economies (Leong et al., 2024). For example, in Hawaii, traditional fishponds have played a crucial role in food security for generations and are also culturally significant sites that facilitate the continuation of cultural practices (NOAA Fisheries, 2021). A streamlined permitting process was developed to encourage fishpond practitioners (Watson et al., 2016).  Wild capture fisheries in Hawaii also contribute to the local culture and cultural foods. During the COVID-19 pandemic, fishers partnered with food banks to support food security (Smith et al., 2022).

The U.S. seafood industry's heavy dependency on imports is expected to remain. This produces both a degree of food security risk as well as a significant trade deficit. Disruptions to the global supply chain are no longer hypothetical, as we witnessed during the COVID-19 crisis (Engle et al., 2023; Uzmanoglu et al., 2024; Smith et al. 2022). Additionally, disease outbreaks in farms in exporting countries periodically disrupt supply chains (Shinn et al., 2018). Global and domestic supply chains were disrupted, causing significant chaos during the early stages of the pandemic, and food security risks became acute in regions such as Hawaii and Guam. Domestic producers are unable to take advantage of economies of scale due to complex regulatory systems in the US (Engle and Stone 2013; Abate et al., 2016; Anderson et al., 2019., Engle et al., 2025). 

The COVID-19 pandemic also highlighted a lack of diversity in many parts of the U.S. aquaculture industry. Focusing on high-value species is both desirable and preferable from a purely business and economic efficiency perspective, but this can create challenges when supply chains are disrupted. The Rhode Island aquaculture industry’s focus on oysters, which primarily serve the tourism and hospitality industries, is one such example. The industry has recently invested considerable effort in promoting the consumption of farmed oysters at home (Kelly, 2020), but the local market is relatively small compared to the scale of oyster production. This situation can create imbalances in local seafood markets if supply chain disruptions create an oversupply of local species and a concurrent shortage of imported seafood. It also highlights the importance of investing in diverse local aquaculture production that is resilient to external shocks.

Another important and interesting aspect of aquaculture is that it interacts with capture fisheries in many ways. One example is the provision of hatchery-raised fish and shellfish that are released into the wild to enhance or rebuild wild stock populations, thereby providing support for both commercial and recreational fisheries. The state of wild fish stocks and associated fishery regulations could influence the demand for farm-raised fish and shellfish. Capture fisheries also interact with aquaculture products in exchange markets, regulatory environments, and economic development activities (e.g., Knapp et al., 2007). The importance of the multifaceted relationship between aquaculture and capture fisheries underscores the need for reliable economic studies of these two critical resources, particularly as management, regulatory, and market demands evolve over time.

This proposal was developed based on the previous multistate project, W4004, which is scheduled to end in September 2026, and discussions among the members of the W4004 team. Some components from W4004 were retained, while other components are newly introduced; however, the focus will remain on studying the marketing, trade, and management issues found in various aquaculture and fishery resources. New tasks will be undertaken under the three interrelated areas: 1) enhancing U.S. seafood productivity and competitiveness; 2) improving U.S. seafood marketing and understanding of the global seafood trade; and 3) strengthening rural communities through aquaculture and fisheries. Conducting the proposed work within a multistate framework will facilitate the examination of important stakeholder issues by bringing together experts from across the country, thus avoiding duplication of effort in the design and implementation of research studies. In doing so, the project will continue to develop and maintain the human capital infrastructure established in the previous W4004 project and its predecessors, providing a scientific resource that can respond to emerging problems in this sector.

The successful impacts of completing this work would include providing U.S. seafood industry members with additional tools and information to compete in the global seafood marketplace. Impacts would be broad-reaching, affecting both capture fisheries and aquaculture-based seafood production, and would provide benefits related to both production and marketing. Additionally, success would include project results being disseminated widely, including reaching rural aquaculture and fisheries communities.    

The remainder of this section provides a brief description of the issues and justification for each of the main areas of research to be conducted under the project.

Enhancing U.S. Seafood Productivity and Competitiveness

Between 1986 and 2023, the global value of seafood trade increased eightfold, from $23 billion to $185 billion (FAO, 2024). Seafood is the most traded animal protein source globally. In an era where global aquaculture output is rising year after year, U.S. wild capture fisheries and aquaculture production must become more efficient and productive to remain competitive. Increasing imports to the U.S. has resulted in declining real dockside and farmgate prices for U.S. fishermen and fish farmers, respectively, eroding the economic activity associated with these industries and their supporting industries. To compete, U.S. fishermen and fish farmers must increase productivity, adopt new production and marketing methods, and embrace new technologies, including AI.

As a technology-driven economy, the U.S. has competitive advantages that are not effectively being applied to seafood production. Cutting-edge research in broodstock genetics, larval rearing protocols, and feed conversion optimization can reduce production costs while enhancing the quality of the finished product. The improved utilization of world-class U.S. aquaculture diagnostic services can provide fish farmers with a competitive advantage over foreign producers. Artificial intelligence-driven monitoring—encompassing real-time disease detection, feed analytics, and adaptive harvesting windows—provides a clear pathway to higher productivity, reduced environmental footprints, and stronger price positions in both domestic and export markets.

To increase U.S. competitiveness in the global seafood market, producers need to adopt more efficient technologies and production practices to maximize their profitability. Thus, information on the economic benefits and feasibility of new production strategies and technology adoption is needed to increase competitiveness and ensure the viability of the U.S. aquaculture and fisheries industries.

Improving U.S. Seafood Marketing and Understanding of the Global Seafood Trade

Beyond improving production and cost efficiency, U.S. seafood producers must develop new products and markets that appeal to consumers, enabling them to capture price premiums and market share. The global seafood market is undergoing rapid changes, and new marketing channels are transforming the process of moving seafood from the farm or vessel to the dinner plate. Understanding the global seafood trade—examining tariff structures, supply chain logistics, trade flows, and other factors influencing seafood trade—can reveal opportunities where American seafood can command premium prices. Employing AI with an understanding of the global seafood trade can enable U.S. seafood producers to develop products that capture high-margin markets and shift away from markets dominated by low-cost imports.

In addition to developing new products and markets, US producers can also improve profitability by effectively differentiating their offerings and capturing price premiums associated with desired product attributes such as product quality, product origin, health-promoting qualities, and environmental friendliness. U.S. seafood producers require information on consumer preferences and effective marketing strategies to differentiate their products and secure premium prices. 

Strengthening Rural Communities through Aquaculture and Fisheries

Wild capture fisheries and fish farming represent key economic drivers for many rural communities in the U.S. These industries create important jobs not only directly through fishing and fish farming, but also through support industries such as equipment and vessel maintenance, processing, transportation, and marketing. Beyond the economic benefits, these industries provide cultural benefits by allowing both Native Peoples and non-native historical fishing/farming communities to continue ‘working the water.’ Rural communities that rely on fishing and aquaculture face economic fragility due to intense global competition, changing land use, and climate change, which is exacerbated by the limited size and variety of industries located in these smaller economies.

Improving the economic vibrancy and viability of these rural communities requires understanding the economic and cultural importance of commercial fishing and aquaculture. This focus area builds on the other two focus areas by ensuring that the team’s work on both seafood productivity and competitiveness, and seafood marketing and trade benefits rural communities engaging with the seafood industry. A major component of this focus area will be providing extension programming of research findings to rural communities.

We plan to investigate conditions that enable, as well as impediments to, expanding and diversifying U.S. seafood production in ways that ensure long-term economic and community viability. The proposed project would combine national-level analyses of consumers' preferences, trends, and production challenges and opportunities with a series of in-depth local case studies that investigate the same questions at the local scale. These studies aim to identify specific innovations and local success stories, with the goal of finding ways to expand and replicate these successes. National studies will provide critical baseline knowledge, while the local case studies will focus on identifying effective policies, strategies, and knowledge that can be transferred to other areas.

Related, Current and Previous Work

This section provides a brief overview of the activities and accomplishments of the previous W4004 multistate project, as they relate to the new proposed objectives. The work outlined will be a continued focus of the W5004 project.

Enhancing U.S. Seafood Productivity and Competitiveness

Across the globe, the use of aquaculture for stock enhancement is a common strategy to mitigate natural variability in wild capture fisheries and support increased production. In the federal waters of the U.S., this approach is challenged by several technical, economic, and regulatory issues. Work funded by the National Science Foundation and industry partners, conducted by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, explored the economic feasibility of hatchery-supported stock enhancement for Atlantic surfclam. The study found potential viability at large volumes of production, although it also identified considerable risk (Gilsinan et al. 2024). Additionally, a recently funded Sea Grant project involving W5004 team members is supporting a large interdisciplinary team to work with regulators and industry to explore legal and policy avenues to facilitate aquaculture-based stock enhancement in federal waters for Atlantic surfclam and Atlantic sea scallop.

Another project involving multiple W4004 members is examining cost-effective production strategies for shellfish aquaculture. Shellfish aquaculture has been noted to have high and variable labor requirements; however, there is limited available information that can be used to quantify the economic tradeoffs associated with different production methods or inform labor-related policy development. Researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the University of Florida have collaborated with the bivalve aquaculture industry to gain a deeper understanding of labor requirements, economic trade-offs, and policy solutions necessary to support industry growth. The work, funded through a USDA award, has quantified production costs for various methods used to grow eastern oysters and hard clams, two important shellfish species cultivated in the US. Furthermore, through an extensive set of stakeholder interviews with farm managers and employees, several workforce challenges and potential solutions have emerged. Outputs from this work include several manuscripts in preparation and an industry-focused website to facilitate labor tracking and efficiency benchmarking (set to be released in the summer of 2026). The W5004 project will involve further dissemination of project findings and working with industry to continue improving production efficiency. 

Shortages of fishmeal and fish oil have increased aquafeed costs to the point where they frequently exceed 50% of a farm's operational costs.  Alternatives to fish meal and fish oil are desperately needed.  W4004 members at the University of Arizona have been working to test and promote several of these more sustainable alternatives, including insect meals, algae oils, single-cell proteins, fermented agricultural by-products, and poultry by-products.  Published research, popular press, and partnerships with environmental NGO’s have led to the F3 –Future of Fish Feeds Initiative that also provides prize monies for competitions in this field. This work would be a continued focus of the W5004 team.

The US is a world leader in the development and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) throughout its economy; however, the application of AI tools to US seafood production has been limited to date. Employing AI to improve the productivity and cost-effectiveness of US aquaculture and capture fisheries production can improve the competitiveness of US seafood production. W4004 team members from the University of Florida have recently begun working on a Sea Grant funded project to increase the use of AI in high-tech recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) production. The team is working with computer scientists from the University of Florida to help the US’s largest, and one of the world’s largest, RAS-based salmon producers. The industry partner on the project gathers over 32,000 data points per hour at their operation, every hour of every day. The goal of the project is to utilize AI to analyze the data and improve their production processes. This type of collaborative research, employing technological expertise in aquaculture production, can improve the competitiveness of US production.      

Improving U.S. Seafood Marketing and Understanding of the Global Seafood Trade

Underutilized, emerging, and invasive species can provide viable avenues for developing new seafood products and markets. Funded through a NOAA Saltonstall-Kennedy award, researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science examined market barriers to producer participation in an emerging fishery for invasive blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay (Scheld et al. 2024; White et al. 2025). Through the same award, they also investigated consumer perceptions and preferences for invasive blue catfish under various information treatments (Scheld et al., 2024). General findings suggest that increased ex-vessel prices resulting from increased consumer demand or improved product yields would lead to substantial increases in producer participation and significant market expansion. Consumer preferences were strongly influenced by the information provided on blue catfish, irrespective of the type of information (e.g., product-oriented, environmentally oriented, etc.), suggesting that marketing efforts aimed at improving consumer awareness would yield broad-based demand increases. On-going work, funded through the North Carolina Commercial Fishing Resource Fund, is investigating the development of short food supply chains to improve price transmission from final demand to the harvest sector while also further exploring consumer preferences using consumer tasting panels.

Analyzing the relationship between domestic and imported seafood is vital to understanding the global seafood trade. Funded by NOAA Fisheries, University of Florida W4004 team members studied market integration between US Gulf of America wild-caught and imported reef fish (groupers and snappers) (Moor et al., 2025). The research found that not only domestic groupers and snapper species compete in the same market, but also that imported groupers and snappers shared a common price determination process and are market substitutes. Market integration between domestic wild-caught and imported seafood has important implications for domestic fisheries managed using rights-based individual transferable quota (ITQ) systems. ITQ management is expected to increase dockside prices by allowing fishermen to better match fish supply to consumer demand; however, market integration with imported species can limit price improvements for domestic fishermen and limit the ability of ITQ prices to provide fishery managers with information on the health of domestic fish stocks. 

Strengthening Rural Communities through Aquaculture and Fisheries

Rural communities are key production centers for the US aquaculture and fisheries industries and ensuring that research programming reaches these production centers was vital to the success of the W4004 project and is a cornerstone of the proposed W5004 project. As part of the W4004 project, commercial fishers from rural coastal areas of the Gulf of America were provided with financial training. Working with several commercial fishing organizations, a University of Florida W4004 extension economist provided in-person training to deckhands on both personal finance and financing the transition from deckhand to captain, as well as training to captains on valuing fishing quotas. Additionally, the same economist collaborated with a team of researchers from around the US on a USDA RMA-funded project, providing rural shellfish growers with in-person training on risk assessment and management. These trainings benefited rural coastal communities by providing aquaculture and fisheries industry members with training beyond the harvesting aspects of their businesses that are important to their economic viability. A major goal of the proposed W5004 project is to expand these projects to more rural communities across the US.

Most professionals in fisheries and aquaculture are white males. Training programs focused on bringing more women, African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, and other underrepresented groups are sorely needed.  Through a grant from the USDA's Hispanic Serving Institution program, W4004 members at the University of Arizona, along with colleagues at New Mexico State University, are providing stipends, work-study opportunities, and summer internships to students, enabling them to receive academic and industry training in fisheries and aquaculture.  Partners include high school FFA programs, community colleges in Arizona and New Mexico, state, Native American, and Federal fish hatcheries, as well as the private sector.

Objectives

1. Enhancing U.S. Seafood Productivity and Competitiveness
   Comments: Develop and analyze products and production methods that enhance U.S. seafood industry competitiveness and develop tools and trainings that disseminate findings to industry.
2. Improving U.S. Seafood Marketing and Understanding of the Global Seafood Trade
   Comments: Research the global seafood trade and evaluate different products and markets where U.S. producers can succeed.
3. Strengthening Rural Communities through Aquaculture and Fisheries
   Comments: Analyze and measure the importance of aquaculture and fisheries to rural communities and ensure that research outputs and lessons learned are delivered to and employed by rural industry members.

Methods

Each objective above will be addressed by project participants through team research and extension projects. Methods associated with each objective are provided below.  

Objective 1: Enhancing U.S. Seafood Productivity and Competitiveness  

US fisheries and aquaculture producers often struggle to compete in the global marketplace due to competitive disadvantages. These disadvantages include higher labor and land costs, as well as stricter environmental regulations (Engle & Stone, 2013; Engle & van Senten, 2023; Engle et al., 2019; Engle et al., 2025; Garlock et al., 2020a). While these impediments have limited the growth of seafood production, particularly aquaculture, in many developed nations, Norway, which has some of the world’s highest labor costs and strictest environmental regulations, has remained one of the world’s largest aquaculture producers, even as other developed nations have fallen behind. Norway’s success has been due to the aquaculture industry's focus on technological advancement to reduce labor costs (Ropicki et al., 2024). Norwegian aquaculture and fisheries have employed a capital- and knowledge-intensive approach to production, enabling them to overcome their disadvantages and compete effectively in the global marketplace. Their success can serve as a model for US seafood production.   

While the US economy’s success is based on employing knowledge and capital-intensive strategies, US fisheries and aquaculture have been slow to embrace these competitive advantages and have continued to utilize traditional, low-technology, labor-intensive production methods. Improving production efficiency and lowering costs can enhance the competitiveness of US seafood producers, including both aquaculture and fisheries. Examining and evaluating methods to achieve this is a major aim of the proposed project.  

Projects under this task will utilize the W5004 team’s skills in economic and financial analysis, combined with physical science researchers from other fields (such as aquaculture and engineering), to evaluate new technologies and production strategies in fisheries and aquaculture. Potential avenues for such analysis include enterprise budgeting combined with stochastic risk modeling to analyze production techniques and strategies. As an example, researchers at the University of Florida recently submitted a proposal with aquaculture researchers at the University of Florida’s Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory (TAL) to examine both production protocols and the economic feasibility of growing common freshwater ornamental (aquarium) species using Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) for production. The U.S. ornamental aquaculture industry currently relies on outdoor pond-based production of these species; however, increasing occurrences of environmental hazards, including tropical storms and extreme hot and cold weather events, have sparked growing interest in raising the fish in controlled environments. The proposed project would involve TAL aquaculture researchers developing best practices for RAS-based production and the W5004 team members examining the economic feasibility of commercial production based on TAL findings. Several W4004 projects employed similar approaches to investigate the effects of new technologies and changing environmental conditions on aquaculture production (Liu and Asche, 2025; Moor et al., 2022, 2023). In the fisheries space, potential similar projects would examine the return on investment of potential cost-saving strategies (e.g., efforts to improve vessel fuel efficiency and implementation of labor-saving technologies). 

Working with fishermen and fish farmers, we will assess the cost-effectiveness of current strategies and explore both best practices currently employed and new avenues to enhance production practices. The previously mentioned USDA-funded W4004 project, which collaborates with shellfish growers to benchmark labor requirements associated with various production strategies, is utilizing grower input on weekly labor usage and costs across different tasks and production strategies throughout an entire year. The data gathered from these sentinel farms is being analyzed to determine current best practices across different production strategies and to develop an industry-focused website that will enable growers to track their labor costs relative to benchmarks, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency. Stakeholder interviews also revealed broad workforce challenges and labor concerns that the research team plans to examine and improve as part of the W5004 project.   

The salmon RAS AI project mentioned in the ‘Related, Current and Previous Work’ section is a new project that will be completed during the W5004 time period. While the project will involve working directly with a single aquaculture producer and may lead to producer-specific production improvements that involve confidential, proprietary information, we plan to collaborate with the producer to quantify the economic benefits achieved. This information will be used to inform other producers of the benefits of utilizing AI to monitor and analyze their production practices. It is hoped that this initiative will lead to additional external funding, enabling collaboration with other industry members and AI specialists, and thereby increase the adoption of this cutting-edge technology in U.S. aquaculture production.  

As well as including economists and social scientists, the W5004 team also includes a leading aquaculture pathology researcher (Arun Dhar – University of Arizona) whose research specializes in diagnosing and dealing with infectious diseases in shrimp aquaculture. Dr. Dhar and other U.S.-based aquaculture pathology researchers have led the U.S. to become a leader in aquaculture diagnostic testing, representing a potential competitive advantage for U.S. aquaculture growers. In addition to the direct benefits of Dr. Dhar’s aquaculture diagnostics research, the W5004 team hopes to amplify his work by calculating the potential economic benefits associated with advanced aquaculture diagnostics for growers and sharing these results through extension programming.   

Objective 2: Improving U.S. Seafood Marketing and Understanding of the Global Seafood Trade   

The objective encompasses a suite of research projects aimed at mapping and expanding the market potential for U.S. seafood. Across these projects, we will assess domestic demand and test marketing strategies, highlighting various product attributes, including local production, product nutrition, and sustainability. We will conduct case studies to identify pathways for improving the marketability of domestically produced seafood. These studies often involve surveys of seafood retailers and consumers, or the evaluation of seafood preferences through transaction data (e.g., analysis of retail scanner data). The W5004 team has extensive experience with both of these techniques having previously used survey and/or internet search data to examine a number of issues associated with seafood demand, including: willingness to pay to prevent seafood fraud (Ropicki et al., 2010), public interest in aquatic foods (Garlock et al., 2025), how menu descriptions of oysters affect price (Botta et al., 2023), and motivations behind choosing ecolabeled seafood (Bronnmann et al., 2021); while also using transaction data to examine U.S. seafood retail sales (Love et al., 2022), examining the impact of COVID on seafood availability (Anderson et al., 2023), and evaluating whether ecolabel price premiums are captured by producers or other entities in the supply chain (Asche et al., 2026). 

One current example is a research project involving team members from Auburn University, Mississippi State University, and the University of Florida evaluating restaurant and supermarket demand for aquaculture species important to the Gulf of America region. The project has employed surveys of restaurants and supermarkets to examine their seafood purchasing patterns and their attitudes and beliefs regarding locally grown seafood products. Another recent example involves the previously mentioned VIMS study on developing a commercial fishery for and marketing the invasive blue catfish (Scheld et al., 2024; White et al, 2025). That study examined marketing issues from multiple angles by surveying commercial fishermen on what was needed to grow the fishery, interviewing processors, and surveying seafood consumers to evaluate issues associated with blue catfish demand.   

Beyond focusing on marketing to U.S. seafood consumers, this objective also includes improving understanding of the global seafood trade. Seafood accounts for 15% of total global animal protein consumption, and 3.2 billion people, over 40% of the world’s population, get at least 20% of their animal protein from seafood (FAO, 2024). Due to this, seafood is one of the most widely traded food categories globally. While the U.S. seafood industry focuses on capturing market share domestically and reducing the country's reliance on imported seafood, understanding the mechanics of the global seafood trade is crucial to the U.S. industry. The W5004 research team will work to enhance the understanding of the global seafood trade, including supply chain logistics, trade flows, tariff structures, and other factors that influence seafood trade through economic analyses and case studies examining successes and failures associated with other countries seafood production (Straume et al., 2025), and what lessons can be applied to the US seafood industry associated with each.  

Objective 3: Strengthening Rural Communities through Aquaculture and Fisheries  

U.S. aquaculture and fisheries industry members are often located in rural areas. While access to urban markets is vital, rural areas provide fishermen and fish farmers with affordable coastal access, shoreside services, and land as needed. Ensuring that these rural communities benefit from the W5004 work on enhancing U.S. seafood productivity and competitiveness (Objective 1) and improving U.S. seafood marketing (Objective 2) is Objective 3. 

Extension programming and outreach activities are the major methods associated with this objective. In addition to ensuring that we disseminate results to rural fisheries and aquaculture-focused communities, the project focuses on listening to and responding to the needs of these communities, allowing them to inform the work associated with the other objectives. A recent W4004 project included risk management training for shellfish aquaculture growers in the Southeastern U.S. Through this training, W4004 team members at the University of Florida learned that many of Florida’s rural clam growers were interested in purchasing hurricane event coverage through the USDA Shellfish Crop Insurance Program but wanted more information on how the new program would have performed in previous years. W4004 team members assessed the costs and payouts that would have been realized if the insurance had been available over the past ten years. The results of the analysis were shared with Florida growers through extension programming, led by a shellfish aquaculture extension specialist in the state. As part of the W5004 project, the team plans to expand the programming to include online presentations and perform similar analyses for all other states where the insurance is offered.      

The W5004 team includes several members with extension appointments and researchers at Land and Sea Grant institutions, who, although they do not have official extension appointments, often incorporate extension and outreach activities into their research projects. The W5004 team will target seafood industry members, fisheries and aquaculture regulatory agencies, and other fisheries and aquaculture extension personnel with appropriate extension programming and outreach. In addition to in-person programming with audiences in team members' home states, efforts to reach audiences more broadly will include online training sessions and presentations, as well as train-the-trainer events with Land and Sea Grant extension personnel nationwide. 

The methods employed across all three project objectives rely on the multi-state framework of the project and collaboration across regions. Many of the projects directly cross state boundaries and require researchers from institutions across the country. The shellfish labor project previously mentioned interviewed and surveyed growers from multiple states, requiring researchers from across the country to complete. Similarly, the study on retail demand for aquaculture species in the Gulf region required researchers from multiple states. Even for projects currently focused on a single state, such as the AI project in Florida, broadening the research in the future to include additional aquaculture producers will rely on the reach of the entire W5004 network. Many of the issues faced by U.S. fisheries and aquaculture producers are national in nature, and collaboration within the multi-state framework is vital for developing and widely sharing solutions to these issues.    

Measurement of Progress and Results

Outputs

Outcomes or Projected Impacts

• Quantifying and sharing profit-enhancing production strategies and technologies for U.S. seafood producers (fisheries and aquaculture). The W5004 project objective of ‘enhancing U.S. seafood productivity and competitiveness’ requires the W5004 team provide potential pathways to increase producer profitability through analysis that quantifies improved practices and strategies. This impact can be measured by research (quantifying the benefits of new approaches and strategies) and extension (sharing those approaches and strategies and their potential impacts) outputs, both publications and presentations.
• Adoption of production strategies and technologies that improve the profitability and productivity of U.S. seafood producers (fisheries and aquaculture). Evaluating and identifying new production strategies that enhance U.S. seafood productivity and competitiveness is crucial, but to achieve the W5004 objective, we need U.S. seafood industry members to adopt the identified practices and strategies. We will measure this impact by assessing the adoption of profit-enhancing strategies and practices identified through our research and user input, focusing on the benefits associated with their implementation.
• Quantifying and sharing improved marketing strategies available to U.S. seafood producers (fisheries and aquaculture). The W5004 project objective of ‘improving U.S. seafood marketing and understanding of the global seafood trade’ requires the W5004 team to develop new insights into the global seafood trade and U.S. seafood markets. This impact can be measured by research and extension outputs, both publications and presentations.
• Adoption of new marketing strategies by U.S. seafood producers (fisheries and aquaculture). Evaluating and identifying new marketing strategies that benefit U.S. seafood producers, as well as increasing understanding of the global seafood trade, are valuable goals. However, for the W5004 project to be successful, our research must lead to behavior change among U.S. seafood producers. We will measure this impact by quantifying new marketing approaches employed by extension audiences (U.S. seafood producers) and user input on the benefits associated with their adoption.
• Communicating the results of W5004 research with rural communities and ensuring those communities benefit from the research The measurement of this impact will be accomplished by evaluating how the other impacts outlined are received and implemented by rural communities. The W5004 team will monitor the percentage of extension programming occurring in USDA Food and Nutrition Service-designated rural areas (https://www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp/rural-designation). Similarly, the location of adopters of new production and marketing strategies will be monitored for rural/urban classification. This impact will be considered to have occurred if over 50% of extension programming and strategy adoption occurs within rural designated areas.

Milestones

(2027):Convene a meeting of the research team either at the Aquaculture America 2027 conference or the biennial NAAFE Forum (North American Association of Fisheries Economists) to plan for collaborative grant proposals for projects outlined above and applying for research grants.

(2028):Convene a meeting of the research team at Aquaculture 2028 and hold a special session at the event highlighting research focused on Objectives 1 and 2. Develop manuscripts and submit them to the Aquaculture Economics & Management special issue based on conference presentations.

(2029):Refinement of research questions and topics will be discussed at the annual meeting and changes will be made if necessary.

(2029):Hold a special session at the NAAFE Forum 2029 to present the results of selected W5004 research projects.

Projected Participation

View Appendix E: Participation

Outreach Plan

Mechanisms used to communicate the results of this multistate project to interested parties will include refereed and peer-reviewed publications, social media, online and in person presentations to industry, pamphlets, fact sheets, workshops, and presentations at professional meetings. 

For our participating institutions with Sea Grant programs, we will partner with the Sea Grant to disseminate our findings and engage with the communities. Additionally, we will develop presentations directly targeted at key stakeholder groups, such as fisheries and aquaculture industry groups, with a focus on ensuring that rural communities are included. Where applicable, such as with decision support tools developed, we will conduct “train-the-trainer” events for both Land Grant and Sea Grant extension personnel to increase the reach of our programming. 

There are also opportunities to partner with Sea Grant in region-specific activities. For example, the University of Hawaii at Manoa participants will partner with the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program on outreach activities to disseminate information through the Pacific Aquaculture & Coastal Resources Center. The University of Guam participants will partner with the University of Guam Sea Grant Program in activities such as developing curriculum and resources for farm tours and fact sheets, as well as training aquaculture educators, extension professionals, and student research assistants.

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science will share project results with relevant management and policy-making organizations within the state through Virginia Sea Grant, as well as entities such as Virginia Marine Resources Commission and Virginia State Assembly. The University of Florida W5004 member team, which includes the Florida Sea Grant marine economics extension specialist and several affiliated faculty, will engage the Florida Sea Grant network in disseminating project findings. 

We will also utilize traditional Cooperative Extension Service channels to disseminate project results and actively seek to participate in and solicit feedback at fisheries and aquaculture industry meetings. 

Organization/Governance

Once approved, the initial participants in the project will convene a meeting to elect a new chair, vice-chair, and secretary for the technical committee. These three individuals will be responsible for planning the annual meeting of the project and for coordinating progress reports on the project. The team will also seek to recruit new members throughout the duration of the project. 

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Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions