Aboard a tall ship, UMaine brings aquaculture expertise to innovation hub from Mexico

Two researchers from the University of Maine’s Aquaculture Research Institute sailed aboard a Norwegian tall ship as part of One Ocean Expedition and worked with a regenerative aquaculture innovation hub out of La Paz, Mexico. 

UMaine’s representatives — Damian Brady, professor of oceanography in the School of Marine Sciences and Aquaculture Research Institute (ARI) affiliate, and Meggan Dwyer, associate director of ARI — were the only aquaculture delegates from the Northeastern U.S. on board the tall ship.

They explored collaboration with Innovaciones Alumbra — a consortium of organizations based in Baja California Sur, greater Mexico and the American Southwest — and its newly launched Center for Applied Aquaculture Innovation in La Paz. CAAI is a hub for regenerative, community centered, warm water aquaculture.

UMaine’s strengths in cold water aquaculture, workforce development and coastal resilience in the Gulf of Maine — including the upcoming Sustainable Aquaculture Workforce and Innovation Center (SAWIC), the Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory, the shellfish hatchery at the Darling Marine Center and the Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research — complement CAAI’s mission. By collaborating together, the two hubs can share infrastructure, curriculum and real-time data.

“We see tremendous potential in connecting Maine’s cold water systems with the warm water innovations happening in La Paz,” Brady said. “By pairing these two innovation centers and leveraging common platforms such as Innovasea technologies, we can design joint research projects, student exchanges and decision-support tools that help aquaculture producers in both regions adapt to a changing ocean.”

Damian Brady on the deck of the tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl in the Gulf of California during the One Ocean Expedition. Courtesy of Victor Garcia.

A key opportunity as part of this collaboration is in linking similar monitoring and decision-support systems across regions, including recirculating aquaculture technologies from the company Innovasea, based in Belfast. Comparable platforms and shared data streams would allow virtual joint courses, side-by-side analyses of farm conditions and coordinated research projects, even when partners are thousands of miles apart.

During the research cruise, UMaine researchers and partners from Innovaciones Alumbra also discussed regenerative aquaculture policy; the use of satellite imagery and mapping tools to help farmers select and manage sites; shared challenges facing coastal communities in Maine and Mexico; and opportunities for student exchanges, joint courses and collaborative research.

“Maine’s coastal communities are deeply connected to the future of our oceans,” said Deborah Bouchard, director of ARI. “Through this collaboration, UMaine is helping shape global conversations about regenerative aquaculture while creating new international learning and research opportunities for our students, faculty and partners across the state.”

Building a transnational network

The emerging partnership builds on several UMaine ARI initiatives that position UMaine as a primary gateway for students, communities and industry partners to engage in a transnational, regenerative aquaculture network. 

SAWIC will be a new facility located in Orono to train Maine’s aquaculture workforce and support blue economy innovation. The Darling Marine Center shellfish hatchery is undergoing renovation, and the AquEOUS program now offers research experiences for undergraduates integrating marine and land-based aquaculture with cultural and ecological knowledge.

To support activities and expand AquEOUS into an international exchange, UMaine has received funding to pilot an initial bidirectional program between UMaine and La Paz–based partners. 

This pilot will focus on creating opportunities for Mexican students to come to Maine for 10 weeks and for UMaine students to visit Mexico, encouraging projects that explicitly link warm and cold water aquaculture systems. These activities will lay the groundwork for a sustained AquEOUS exchange that weaves together scientific training, Indigenous and local knowledge and cross-cultural learning in support of resilient aquaculture futures in both regions.

Contact: Meggan Dwyer; meggan.dwyer@maine.edu and Corinne Noufi; corinne.noufi@maine.edu