NEC1004: The Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
NEC1004: The Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center
Duration: 10/01/2001 to 09/30/2006
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
Congress recognized the opportunity for making significant progress in aquaculture research and development in 1980 by passage of the National Aquaculture Act (P.L. 96-362). Congress amended the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (P.L. 95-113) in Title XIV of the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 (P.L. 97-98) by granting authority to the Secretary of Agriculture to establish aquaculture research, development, and demonstration centers in the United States, in association with colleges and universities, state departments of agriculture, federal facilities, and non-profit private research institutions.
The intent of this legislation was to support aquaculture research, development, demonstration, and extension education in ways to enhance viable and profitable U.S. aquaculture. This would, in turn, benefit consumers, producers, service industries, and the American economy.
In response, the NRAC was created to provide goods and services to the Northeast region of the U. S. The headquarters of the Center is located at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. Presently, all states in the NE region participate in the Center.
Objectives
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Encourage cooperative activities in aquaculture teaching, research and extension that have regional or national application.
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Complement and strengthen existing research and educational partnerships with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other public institutions.
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Implement teaching, research, and extension programs by building on existing institutional mechanisms and linkages in the public and private sectors.
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Support aquaculture research, development, demonstration, and extension education.
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Procedures and Activities
Expected Outcomes and Impacts
- Directly enhance the viability and profitability U.S. aquaculture producers and their service industries through the development and delivery of new technologies.
- Indirectly benefit consumers and the American economy through improved products and services to the aquaculture industry.
Projected Participation
View Appendix E: ParticipationEducational Plan
Direct participation by NE Cooperative Extension specialists and agents will be supplemented by extensive information on the Center's home page.
Organization/Governance
The Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Centers (NRAC) Board of Directors (representing the region's aquaculture industries, academic institutions and government agencies) provides overall direction and management of NRAC. The Aquaculture Center is administered by an Executive Director.
Research and education priorities are established for the Center by a Technical-Industry Advisory Council (TIAC) consisting of a Technical Committee and an Industry Committee. The Technical Committee includes key aquaculture researchers and extension agents in the region, while the Industry Committee represents principal commercial aquaculture interests in the Northeast. The TIAC is also responsible for annual reviews of progress of NRAC-supported projects. NRAC also provides coordination of interregional and national programs through the National Coordinating Council for Aquaculture (NCC).
Literature Cited