Fisheries and Aquaculture

Nothing speaks to the bounty of the Chesapeake Bay quite so much as its seafood. Whether it’s crabs, oysters, or striped bass, the Bay’s fisheries have held an important place in the culture and history of Maryland.

But many of those fisheries, and the people who work in them, are experiencing a host of modern challenges. Those include:

• Declining fish populations
• Natural diseases, such as the oyster pathogens MSX and Dermo
• Disappearing habitats for fish and shellfish

What Extension Can Do For You

Maryland Sea Grant’s Extension specialists work with policymakers, watermen, and the seafood industry to ensure the long-term success of Maryland’s historic fisheries. We help regulators and policymakers to craft fisheries regulations and legislation that are based on the best science available.

We also strive to ensure that Maryland’s fisheries remain healthy and profitable. We’ve helped to restore oysters to beds across a range of Chesapeake tributaries. And we’ve also provided Marylanders with the training and tools they need to begin careers in aquaculture.

Our work falls into these main categories:

• Oyster aquaculture and restoration: Work to restore natural oyster beds and the Bay’s wild oyster population, raise oysters in hatcheries, and help entrepreneurs obtain financing and technical assistance to develop commercial aquaculture operations.
• Other shellfish aquaculture: Technical support for aquaculture of hard clams and oysters.
• Blue crab industry: Economic analyses about the fishery.
• Finfish aquaculture: Fact sheets on fish-pond management, disease control, and costs.

Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management: Learn about an evolving approach that moves beyond traditional single species to consider interconnections among fish, habitats, and people. Maryland Sea Grant is encouraging this approach in the Chesapeake Bay.

10-Year NOAA Sea Grant Aquaculture Vision: The Sea Grant Association produced a 10-year plan for the development of America's aquaculture industry, with specific recommendations on aquaculture priorities for consideration by the National Sea Grant College Program.