A New Hampshire Philanthropic Organization has donated $3 million to the University of New Hampshire’s Center for Sustainable Seafood Systems to support sustainable aquaculture education.
The donation will help the Center for Sustainable Seafood Systems develop an international multi-disciplinary program for students from different regions of the globe. The program will provide knowledge and techniques, in both science and engineering, to implement community-based seafood production.
The UNH Sustainable Seafood Center is a joint effort between the UNH College of Engineering and Physical Sciences and the UNH School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering that seeks to be a hub at the nexus of food security, climate change adaptation and ecological protection. The center said its work is critical as the waters in the Gulf of Maine’s are warming faster than almost anywhere on Earth beginning to lose its subarctic characteristics, a result of climate change and the relatively shallow depths that absorb heat quickly.
The program will include classroom and online classes, as well as hands-on experience at UNH’s Aquafort — an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) that allows multiple species to grow at the same time within a single floating structure.
The multi-disciplinary program will bring together UNH expertise from several areas including marine science, ocean engineering, business and sustainability. Each student will focus on designing an aquaculture approach for their community.
“We are very excited and appreciative for this opportunity to help feed people on a global level in a sustainable way,” said David Fredriksson, professor of ocean engineering and Director of the Center for Sustainable Seafood Systems. “While at the core this is about aquaculture, it also offers a unique learning experience as each student brings their own cultural strengths and community challenges. In the design approach, each student will need to address site specific climates and choose socially acceptable seafood products. We see this as an opportunity for scientific exchange from different cultures and regions.”
The donation was made by the Emily Landecker Foundation, a non-profit created in 2004 to support scientific, educational, and literary projects.
