GOMESA Application Details

1. Title of Project: Marine Aquaculture Demonstration Center for Economic Development
2. Location of Project: Jackson County, Mississippi
3. Requesting Organization: University of Southern Mississippi
4a. Name: T. Michelle Shows
4b. Position
4c. Phone Number: 601-266-4119
4d. Fax Number
4e. Address Line 1: 118 College Drive, #5157
4e. Address Line 2
4e. City, State Zip: Hattiesburg, MS
4f. Email: ORA-Pam@usm.edu
5. FundingRequested: $3,163,823
Awarded Amount:: $0
6. Other State or Federal Funding Sources: No
7a. Amount of Additional Funds: $0
7b. Source of Additional Funds
8. Total Project Funds Amount: $3,163,823
9. Project Description/Overview: This program will facilitate development of small- to medium-sized aquaculture businesses that will, in turn, create a skilled workforce, build a resilient seafood industry, fortify production of safe, healthy, local seafood, and improve access to nutritional foods. By leveraging the financial assistance of GOMESA with the expertise, infrastructure, and relationships of the University of Southern Mississippi’s Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center (TCMAC), this proposed project will create a demonstration center to assist in research and development, provide mentoring, and support business management and training. Public-private partnerships will more quickly propel the U.S. marine aquaculture industry forward than standalone programs and will increase the ability of both government and non-government agencies to facilitate industry development and address priorities as outlined in the Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth. Aquaculture requires a substantial up-front capital investment, and although aquaculture is the fastest growing food sector of food production, return significantly lags investment, and proven business models for marine aquaculture production are lacking. Developing marine aquaculture businesses need support for addressing the technological issues that constrain the development of hatchery and production systems, the biological issues that constrain the viability of culture for commercially valuable species, the economic issues that impede effective sales, marketing, and business planning, the regulatory issues that impede cohesive policy, permitting, and seafood safety regulations, and outreach/education issues that affect the public's perception of farmed seafood. Results, driven by nature of design, will allow this demonstration center to test best production methods and generate the financial and technical information necessary for making informed business decisions. The Marine Aquaculture Demonstration Center will: 1) Provide access to infrastructure and expertise to assist the private sector in testing production technologies on a medium- to large-scale, 2) Provide marketing and business mentoring, including evaluating investment and regulatory risks for commercial scale production, 3) Support technology transfer and commercialization, and 4) Provide workforce training.
10. Project Goals/Objectives: Objective 1: Partner with private businesses and entrepreneurs to address constraints that impede the development of marine aquaculture. a). Species-centric partnerships aimed at optimizing production for marine finfish species. TCMAC will vet and engage up to 2 industry partners to optimize technological, biological, economic, and regulatory constraints on commercial scale production of select marine finfish species native to the Gulf of Mexico. Where appropriate, the Center will assist with site selection, facility design, infrastructure development, operating procedures, financial documentation, and business development. b). Technology-centric partnerships aimed at creating and demonstrating new aquaculture technologies. TCMAC will vet and engage up to 4 companies to develop or demonstrate specific technological advances in marine aquaculture. The Center will work with the Gulf Blue Navigator and other contacts to identify and evaluate companies with technology needing demonstration, testing, or assistance with product development. These partnerships will leverage the Center's research expertise and infrastructure to assist in development, demonstration, and evaluation of the technology. Where appropriate, TCMAC can facilitate commercialization through assistance in fabrication of prototypes, support services for business start-up, and technology transfer. Partners will provide funding match. Objective 2: Provide workforce training and hands-on aquaculture training opportunities. a). TCMAC will create certificate-based training programs that address topics of industry concern including technological and biological issues, hatchery techniques, reproduction and larval rearing, biosecurity, disease, life support systems design and engineering, data analysis, regulatory compliance, and business entrepreneurship. b). TCMAC will work with industry, government agencies, and non-profits to develop a workforce training curriculum, and the focus will be diversified to include multi-species management, new technologies, and production systems offerings. c). Internships, high-school externships, and graduate student programing also will be supported as part of this program.
11. Which of the following authorized uses set forth in the GOMESA Act does this project fall under?

(A) Projects and activities for the purpose of coastal protection, including conservation, coastal restoration, hurricane protection, and infrastructure directly affected by coastal wetlands losses

(B) Mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife, or natural resources.: Yes: To alleviate the pressure on overexploited stocks and the pressure to overfish stocks, aquaculture production must increase. Wild capture fisheries production has remained stagnant since the late 1980's and aquaculture has grown from supplying 10% of the demand for fisheries products in the late 1980's to supplying over 50% today. The demand for seafood products is expected to grow more than 20% over the next 20 years. This increased seafood demand cannot be met by increasing wild harvest as most stocks are being fished at or above the maximum sustainable yield.

(C) Implementation of a federally-approved marine, coastal, or conservation management plan.: Yes: This project addresses goals outlined in the federally approved "Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Comprehensive Plan, Restoring the Gulf Coast's Ecosystem and Economy." Specifically, this project addresses Goal 4, Enhance Community Resilience and Goal 5, Restore and Revitalize the Gulf Economy. Declines in resources, environmental challenges and declining jobs not only impact the economy but also the cultural heritage of the maritime industry on the MS Gulf Coast. Aquaculture is a mechanism to impart resiliency and sustainability in the economy by diversifying seafood supply, creating jobs and continuing the traditions of the maritime sector.

(D) Mitigation of the impact of Outer Continental Shelf activities through funding of onshore infrastructure projects.: Yes: The dependence of key aquaculture species on inshore habitats make them potentially vulnerable to depletion following impacts from environmental stressors such as pollution derived from outer continental shelf activities. This project could contribute to mitigating damage of the resources from impacts of outer continental shelf activities by providing a fishery independent source of fingerlings cultured in a safe, controlled environment to support a restoration program while mitigating interruptions to the supply of healthy seafood to meet local demand, a process that mitigates revenue losses of coastal communities promoting financial stability and economic growth.

12. Project Timetable/Milestones: Demonstration Timeline: Objectives 1. Demonstration of Partnerships (Year 1, Quarter 2 - Year 3, Quarter 4) a) Species Centric Finfish 1 demo: (Year 1, Quarter 2 - Year 2, Quarter 3) Species Centric Finfish 2 demo: (Year 2, Quarter 3 - Year 3, Quarter 4) b) Technology Centric Cohort 1: (Year 1, Quarter 3 - Year 2, Quarter 2) Technology Centric Cohort 2: (Year 2, Quarter 3 - Year 3, Quarter 2) 2. Workforce Development (Year 1, Quarter 1 - Year 3, Quarter 4) a) Curriculum Development: (Year 1, Quarter 1 - Year 2 Quarter 2) b) Class/ hands-on training: (Year 2, Quarter 2 - Year 2 Quarter 3) Class/ hands-on training: (Year 3, Quarter 2 - Year 3, Quarter 3) c) Internships/externships: (Year 1, Quarters 2 & 3, Year 2, Quarters 2 & 3, Year 3, Quarters 2 & 3)
13. Project Timing: Short-term
14. Current status of architectural/engineering plans & specifications for this project (if applicable):: Other N/A Funds Not Budgeted

15. In what way does this project meet the goals and objectives of the Department of Marine Resources, which includes enhancing, protecting and conserving the marine interest of Mississippi for present and future generations?: Mississippi's marine resources have suffered from the impacts of freshwater flooding, hurricanes, harmful algal blooms, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. These disasters have reduced the abundance of some key commercial fisheries resources and have reduced jobs in the seafood industry. Between 2004 and 2014, core maritime industries including fresh and frozen seafood processing, fish and seafood merchant wholesalers, and seafood markets saw job declines of 54%, 10%, and 33%, respectively. Although the same report was unable to capture information on the fishing industry, commercial license sales in Mississippi between 2004 and 2014 decreased by 270. Additionally, commercial landings from 2004 to 2014 for Mississippi's key commercial species including shrimp, crab, oyster, red drum, flounder, and spotted sea trout decreased by 7.5 million pounds according to National Marine Fisheries Service Annual Commercial Landings database. Declines in resources, environmental challenges, and declining jobs impact both the economy and the cultural heritage of the maritime industry on the MS Gulf Coast. Aquaculture is a mechanism that imparts resiliency and sustainability in the economy by diversifying and increasing the supply of safe, healthy, locally-produced seafood, creating jobs, and continuing the traditions of the maritime sector. Additionally, marine resources are protected, enhanced, and conserved by alleviating pressure on overexploited stocks and the pressure to overfish stocks through increased aquaculture production that supplies the market. Wild capture fisheries production has remained stagnant since the late 1980's, and aquaculture has grown from supplying 10% of the demand for fisheries products in the late 1980's to supplying over 50% today. The demand for seafood products is expected to grow to more than 20% over the next 20 years. This increased seafood demand cannot be met by increasing wild harvest as most stocks are being fished at or above the maximum sustainable yield. Diversification of seafood products through aquaculture can help build a resilient industry and increase seafood production to meet the growing demand for safe, healthy, locally-produced food. The economic success of aquaculture in other regions such as New England where $150 million worth of seafood is farmed annually has created a recognition in their coastal community that aquaculture presents a sustainable business option. Mississippi has the infrastructure such as processing plants, seafood markets, and working waterfronts that would help support aquaculture operations and supply a reliable, consistent product to meet demand and improve access to nutritional foods. Aquaculture operations also spur development of related businesses such as feed suppliers, equipment companies, and repair shops in these communities. In addition, aquaculture operations facilitate technology development because the industry often requires a variety of advanced "blue economy" technologies such as remote sensing, unmanned systems, and artificial intelligence.

16. Estimated Years To Completion: 3
17. Estimated Completion Date: 6/30/2028

Budget:

Salaries,Wages, Fringe: $860,121
Travel: $21,000
Architecture & Engineering: $0
Legal: $0
Consulting: $0
Construction: $0
Site Work: $0
Equipment: $542,500
Indirects: $0
Other: $1,740,202
Total: $3,163,823


Internal Project Number: 1321
Application Submission Date: 07/01/2024
Fiscal Year: 2026
Project Status
Application Status: Submitted
Meets Criteria
Internal Notes:

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