Sign Up for Aquaculture Training Sessions

Interested in learning more about shellfish aquaculture? Maryland Sea Grant Extension is offering these and other training sessions this summer.

Pre-registration is not required but is requested. To register, contact Marsha Dicus at (410) 827-8056.

The instructor for each training session is shown.

• Risk Management for Shellfish Growers, Tuesday, June 13, 6-8 pm, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, Solomons, MD, and Thursday, June 15, 6-8 pm, Horn Point Laboratory, Cambridge, MD (Matt Parker).

Shellfish aquaculture is a risky business. Weather, disease and other factors can affect profitable production. We’ll show you how to minimize risk by a variety of methods including business types, liability and crop insurance, and other factors that provide you with information to help enhance the profitability of your shellfish business.

• Cultchless Seed Setting and Nursery Operations, Friday June 23, 10-11:30 and Aquaculture Field Production workshop at the Horn Point Laboratory Oyster Demonstration Farm, Cambridge, MD, 11:30am-1 pm (Don Meritt, Don Webster, Stacey Willey, Shannon Hood).

A workshop demonstrating production of individual seed that includes downwellers for setting larvae on microcultch and upwellers for nursery production until is large enough to plant.  Growers will learn to prepare and set up units and handle larvae for successful production, as well as aspects that can cause production problems.

Also of interest: the Maryland Aquaculture Coordinating Council will hold a regular meeting Thursday July 11, 6:30 pm, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Tawes Office Building, Annapolis, MD

University of Maryland Extension has conducted quality educational programs for aquaculture development for over four decades.  These have included outreach training for the production of finfish, shellfish and aquatic plants.  Our longest running programs have encouraged the production of oysters and clams, which are important resources for Maryland's economic growth, employment, and environment.

We partner with many agencies, institutions, and nongovernment organizations to support industry development. When state laws were revised to encourage shellfish aquaculture in 2009, a series of programs were put in place to form an “Oyster Team” to provide critical services to the industry.  The Oyster Aquaculture Education and Training Program was initiated by the University of Maryland Extension to provide educational products and services for technical training to spur industry growth.

Learn More

University of Maryland Extension - aquaculture webpage: https://extension.umd.edu/aquaculture

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/marylandaquaculture/

Horn Point Laboratory Oyster Hatchery: http://hatchery.hpl.umces.edu/

Maryland Sea Grant fisheries and aquaculture webpage