NOAA to fund aquaculture research
The purpose of this funding announcement is to identify demonstration projects and research to deveop sustainable marine aquaculture in the United States. Funded through the National Marine Aquaculture Initiative, NOAA will entertain initial preliminary proposals by October 18, 2007. Full proposals are to be submitted by January 24, 2008.
The funding competition will consider aquaculture research and demonstration projects in near shore, open water, or terrestrial environments across a range of scientific disciplines. The funding priorities are:
- Site-specific commercial/pilot scale demonstration projects to establish technical and economical feasibility with special emphasis on hatchery development, land based, near shore and offshore production systems;
- Studies to assess environmental impacts of current marine aquaculture production systems and species including fish and shellfish;
- Nutrition research involving alternative protein based diets and influence of diet on product quality;
- Development of environmental models and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools to aide site selection for new facilities;
- Development of disease diagnostics and controls;
- Development of hands-on training programs in marine hatchery operations and management; and
- Development of synthesis research papers for the following topics:
-
- Environmental impacts of marine production systems;
- Alternative protein feeds and potential impacts;
- Disease transmission from aquaculture to wild stocks and vice versa;
- Status of ecologically acceptable treatments and preventives;
- Genetic technologies and environmental risk analysis
It is anticipated that the agency will make approximately 20 awards, including up to four pilot-scale demonstration projects at or near the $ 1,ooo,ooo level, and the remainder of projects at or about the $ 200,000 level.
