Fisheries & Aquaculture
Virginia Sea Grant aims to maintain sustainable and thriving commercial and recreational fisheries and aquaculture production in Virginia through cutting-edge research and “boots on the boat” extension work. Extension staff specialize in commercial wild-caught fisheries, aquaculture, and recreational fisheries.
half a billion dollars? that's a lot of clams ...and oysters, and crabs, and catfish, and flounder...
Virginia is the third-largest producer of seafood in the United States, and our seafood industry has an annual economic impact of more than half a billion dollars. Virginia Sea Grant extension supports the seafood industry through extension work on topics like food safety and aquaculture, and research that preserves the health of our coastal resources.
- The Fishery Resource Grant Program addresses the needs and challenges of Virginia’s seafood and aquaculture industries in collaboration with industry partners.
- Research to improve water quality forecasting and understand the cause and effects of harmful algal blooms and coastal acidification on finfish and shellfish.
- Hosting the Virginia Aquaculture Conference featuring industry-focused speakers, a trade show, and networking opportunities.
- An introductory guide to oyster aquaculture for people interested in starting their own aquaculture operations.
- The Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program tracks popular recreational catches in collaboration with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.
The Virginia Coastal Policy Center, in collaboration with other Virginia Sea Grant extension partners, created an introductory guide to oyster aquaculture for people interested in starting their own aquaculture operations.
