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The Seafood Engine and our partners are making headlines for groundbreaking work to drive technological innovation, strengthen regional economies, and translate research into results. This coalition of leading universities, industry partners, and community organizations is helping shape the future of the seafood industry. These are the stories of the Seafood Engine and the industries we serve.
- Ocean State Media: $15M grant aims to protect New England’s ‘legacy’ seafood industry The seafood industry has long been an economic driver in Rhode Island, but it’s facing a number of challenges — including rising costs, warming waters and an aging workforce. In an effort to combat these obstacles, the National Science Foundation has awarded a $15 million grant to the University of Rhode Island and several regional partners.
- The New Bedford Light: $15 million federal grant will fund fishing tech projects The goal of the U.S. National Science Foundation funding, awarded in late July, is to help commercial fishermen catch better, healthier fish and bolster the region’s seafood industry from harvest to processing.
- National Fishermen: NSF awards $15M to launch New England Seafood Engine A new federally backed initiative aimed at strengthening the U.S. seafood industry is bringing $15 million to New England, with commercial fishermen expected to play a central role in developing new technologies for the sector.
- WPRI: URI cuts ribbon on ocean robotics lab The two-story facility features a high-bay staging area with a 4500-cubic-foot freshwater tank and a 10-ton crane.
- UMass Dartmouth: Collaborative fisheries research at School for Marine Science and Technology At UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST), scientists work alongside fishermen to develop new technologies and research that supports healthy fisheries.
- RI News: $15M Award to Strengthen Rhode Island, New England Seafood Industry A four-state New England collaboration that includes Rhode Island has received an initial $15 million National Science Foundation award to strengthen the region’s commercial fishing, aquaculture and seafood-processing industries through new technology.
- CAI: New England seafood collaborative awarded $15 million to modernize regional industry The NSF Seafood Engine in New England is a collaboration of seafood industry, tech sector, government, and research partners across Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island – including the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance.
- WEAREAQUACULTURE New England “seafood engine” secures $15m NSF award The regional partnership will use technologies including artificial intelligence, robotics and advanced sensors to support fisheries, aquaculture and the wider seafood supply chain.
- FOX 22: UMaine experts aim to bring New England seafood industry sustainability through cutting-edge research Fishing is one of the oldest commercial activities in New England, and experts with the University of Maine are working to ensure its future remains sustainable.
- Northeastern Global News: Northeastern researchers want to help keep New England seafood from going to China and back The NSF Seafood Engine in New England is a collaboration of the seafood industry, tech sector, government and research partners.
- NOAA: NOAA strengthens commitment to aquaculture through new cooperative institute NOAA announced the University of New Hampshire as host institution for the new NOAA Cooperative Institute Fostering Aquaculture Research and Markets (CIFARM) to expand NOAA’s impact and strengthen efforts to boost American seafood competitiveness.
- National Fisherman: USDA launches first-ever Office of Seafood. Commercial fishing groups across the United States praised the creation of the new Office of Seafood within the Department of Agriculture.
- National Fisherman: Lobstermen’s knowledge offers critical insight into the Gulf of Maine Maine’s lobster fishery brought in more than half a billion dollars in revenue last year, but the long-term health of the fishery remains under pressure as warming waters reshape the Gulf of Maine ecosystem, according to reporting from Northeastern Global News.
- Aquademia: How workforce development is shaping the future of seafood. From early career experiences in fisheries to building training pathways for aquaculture professionals, Sea Grant fisheries and aquaculture specialist Azure Cygler highlights why people are central to sustainable seafood systems.
- Rhody Today: Aquaculture training course to cover best practices and business strategies For the second year, Rhode Island Sea Grant will offer an intermediate-level aquaculture training course titled “Beyond the Basics for Businesses and Practitioners.”
- SeaMaine – Seafood Economic Accelerator for Maine: Cooperative Seafood Logistics and Cold Storage Needs Assessment Across Coastal Maine By synthesizing testimony from 40 stakeholder interviews with analysis of cold chain, processing, transportation, regulatory, cultural, and financial barriers, this report identifies specific initiatives, proposed regional locations, and the organizational steps required to build a modern, efficient, and climate-ready seafood supply chain across coastal Maine.
- National Fisherman: $1.2M awarded to boost Massachusetts commercial fisheries “Massachusetts is home to a nation-leading seafood industry and thriving blue economy. Investing in the strength and resilience of our commercial fishing industry is crucial to sustain our local economies and coastal culture,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) secretary Rebecca Tepper. “We are proud to support our commercial fishers, who provide us with healthy, delicious seafood, all while finding ways to advance innovative research.”
- CAI: Can robots improve New England’s commercial fishery? Imagine a troller headed out to sea in search of its catch. Logbooks and experience tell the captain where to look. But ocean conditions are changing, and so is fish behavior. Historical knowledge is not as helpful as it once was. Today’s fishermen need more information, according to Melissa Sanderson.
- New Hampshire Chronicle: AquaFort fish project aims to produce more local fish, help local fishermen The AquaFort is a community-based seafood system we developed at UNH, which grows steelhead trout. For about five years, the team has raised thousands of steelhead trout in two netted pens.
- Bartholomewtown URI’s Dr. Brennan Phillips Talks His Work in Oceanographic Research Bill Bartholomew and Dr. Brennan Phillips discuss the types of technological innovation being developed at URI.
- Rhody Today: URI part of finalist team selected by National Science Foundation in Regional Innovation Engines competition Aquaculture/Fisheries Professor Marta Gomez-Chiarri is leading efforts at the University of Rhode Island to help position New England as a national leader in the seafood industry, hoping to secure final funding through the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines program. URI joins a consortium of regional partners, collectively known as NSPIRE, selected as finalists in the national competition.
- WGBH: Four Things to Know A group of fisheries, researchers, government workers and technology businesses are finalists for a National Science Foundation program. The group, one of 15 finalists for the prize, calls itself the New England Seafood Partnership for Innovations, Research and Engagement, or NSPIRE for short.
- CAI: Regional collaborative NSPIRE aims to revolutionize New England seafood industry A collaboration between New England fisheries groups, universities, research institutions, government agencies, blue tech businesses, and others is working to level-up the region’s seafood industry. The New England Seafood Partnership for Innovations, Research and Engagement (NSPIRE) is in the running for a big boost from the National Science Foundation.
- CapeCod.com: Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance pushing for supply improvements The collaboration is called the New England Seafood Partnership for Innovations, Research and Engagement (NSPIRE) engine aiming to strategically improve the fishing industry. The application is led by the Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS).
- UNH TODAY: UNH Contributes to Two Teams Chosen as Finalists for NSF Innovation Program The New England Seafood Partnership for Innovations, Research and Engagement (NSPIRE), led by the Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, aims to bring disruptive technological innovation to the seafood supply chain in New England to increase the volume, quality, consistency, variety and value of seafood products.
- Gulf of Maine Research Institute: NSPIRE: Bringing Technological Innovation to Fisheries and Seafood NSPIRE, led by the Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS), will address the economic, environmental, and policy challenges threatening New England’s seafood industry through technological innovation that strengthens boat-to-plate initiatives and collaborative science across the supply chain.
- NSF News: NSF advances 29 semifinalists in the second NSF Regional Innovation Engines competition NSF announces the list of teams that will advance to the next stage of its major initiative aiming to advance critical technologies and grow regional economies nationwide.
NSF Seafood Engine Core Partners
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