Thanks to a $5 million gift, the University of New Hampshire will transform and expand its existing open ocean aquaculture site into the UNH Sustainable Seafood Field Laboratory. This first-of-its-kind field lab will provide the critical data needed to monitor local environment conditions and the aquaculture system’s impact on natural fisheries.
The gift, made through the Emily Landecker Foundation, was inspired by UNH’s proven excellence in marine sciences. “UNH is uniquely positioned to develop one of the nation’s top sustainable seafood systems programs with its tremendous research and academic strengths in oceanography, ocean engineering and marine biology. Marine bioresources have the promise to play a key role in food production worldwide and we feel fortunate to be able to help the university begin this endeavor by funding a sustainable seafood lab,” said foundation representatives.
“We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing and generous support of the Emily Landecker Foundation,” said Diane Foster, director of the School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering. “There is an urgent need for sustainable seafood systems that can help feed communities around the world as they adapt to our changing climate. This gift will allow us to advance research involving the interplay of natural and farmed seafood systems and identify solutions for low environmental impact aquaculture systems.”
