Photo Story: Training Future Seafood Farmers

Everyone in the aquaculture industry was once a pre-teen! This summer, NOAA and Washington Sea Grant introduced 50 Seattle-area middle schoolers to seafood farming career paths through an aquaculture-themed science workshop - the first-ever NOAA Aquaculture Science Camp. Over 3 days, students learned about shellfish and seaweed biology, took water quality measurements, conducted beach surveys, and learned about the science of fish farming. The camp was held at the Puget Sound Skills Center-a high school program equipping students for maritime careers.

Youth workforce development not only inspires future seafood industry leaders, it shapes current seafood consumers. More than 85 percent of the seafood Americans eat is imported from other countries. The best way to grow appreciation for local seafood is to learn about it. Digging for clams and meeting seafood farmers in person set the stage for students to have conversations about aquaculture around the dinner table. We suspect they may also advocate for more American-farmed seafood on their plates!

We captured scenes from this aquaculture-themed camp in July of 2025. Embark on a visual voyage with NOAA and Sea Grant experts at the first-ever NOAA Aquaculture Science Camp.

Diving into Kelp Ecology

Seaweed farmer Mike Spranger of Pacific Sea Farms rigs a model kelp line made of fabric and clothespins to teach students about the kelp farming industry. Unlike farming on land, kelp farms don't require freshwater or fertilizer; kelp absorbs everything it needs from the ocean. This, in addition to the localized deacidification effects of seaweed, makes kelp farming very sustainable. This student, dressed as a mermaid, agrees it's a magical crop.

Studying Shellfish Farming Methods

Students touch live geoducks (pronounced "gooey-duck") and other local Washington-farmed shellfish, such as Pacific oysters, blue mussels, and Manila clams. Washington produces more farmed shellfish than any other state. Students learned about shellfish ecology and farming methods. The geoduck even spat water into the face of one lucky student!

Examining Oyster Anatomy

Two future master shuckers sever the adductor muscle of a Pacific oyster during their first-ever dissection. While it's delicious to slurp an oyster whole, picking apart their anatomy reveals important insights about oyster biology and ecology. From gills that extract oxygen to tentacles that sense ocean conditions, oysters are powerhouse filter feeders that improve water quality. Other pre-teens may have been squeamish, but every single one of the 50 students enthusiastically dissected their oysters!

Exploring the Intertidal Environment

The best way to learn about Washington's marine environments suited to shellfish aquaculture is to splash around a tidal flat. With a four-foot negative tide in the afternoon, students had the amazing opportunity to observe marine life in their natural habitats. Students found purple and orange ochre stars, living sand dollars, mossy kelp crabs, potentially-finger pinching red rock crabs, as well as giant moon snails and their plastic-like egg casings. Understanding what animals call tidal flats home is critical to developing sustainable aquaculture methods.

Analyzing Water Quality

The health and safety of seafood depends on the health and safety of its environment. In our water quality session, students observed Pacific oysters filtering algae from a tank of seawater, learned how to measure water clarity, or turbidity, using miniature Secchi disks, and identified over 10 types of phytoplankton under microscopes. They also heard from safety experts about the extensive testing that occurs between shellfish harvest, sale, and consumption, ensuring that farmed shellfish is safe to eat.

Learning Beach Survey Techniques

Conducting thorough farm surveys is a crucial part of aquaculture operations. On this sunny day, students practiced beach surveying techniques by studying shellfish. Each bin on the beach contains a set number of clams, oysters, or mussels buried in sand. Students measured the distance between bins, dug for shellfish, identified them by species, and marked their detailed observations on their survey sheet.

Building an Aquaculture Business Plan

For their final project, students developed a business plan and model for their very own aquaculture farm! Students received $150,000 "fish bucks," identified a site for their farm, selected from a variety of farmed species, purchased gear, and calculated anticipated revenue in fierce competition for the most profitable farm. These students chose to farm mussels on long lines, represented by black beans on packing tape, and tissue paper kelp. They even included wild fish species, representing how aquaculture farms can be habitat building blocks.

Aquaculture Ambassadors

Experts from NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture, NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center, and Washington Sea Grant worked together with Gear Up, Seattle MESA, and the Puget Sound Skills Center for this first-of-its-kind aquaculture workforce development program. It built on the legacy of Washington Sea Grant's NOAA Science Camp and Tides Out programs, which have trained thousands of scientific leaders. Inspiring the next generation of aquaculture growers and consumers is critical to developing a robust and resilient U.S. aquaculture industry.