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2020 Applied Shellfish Farming Course

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It is that time of the year again, when Roger Williams University’s Center for Economic and Environmental Development will be offering our Applied Shellfish Farming course for business start-ups in the region (and beyond). This non-credit course consists of 15 evening lectures (6:30 to 9:00 PM) over the next four months (starting on 21 January) that cover the range of information you may need to help with starting or improving your farm.

The course can be attended in person at the RWU campus in Bristol, RI or on-line through a weekly live webinar-type format available on the Internet. Each class will also be recorded for later viewing, if needed.

The course will be taught by Dale Leavitt, Matt Griffin and Rob Hudson, with a few outside speakers to cover specialized topics.

If you plan on attending the course in person, or if you plan on taking the course via the Internet, please drop a note to “appliedshellfishfarming@gmail.com” and we will get back in touch with you with more details on how to sign up for and tune in to the course.

Happy New Year,

The Applied Shellfish Farming Team

Dale Leavitt: Professor – Marine Biology & Aquaculture Extension Specialist
Matt Griffin: CEED Research Associate & Adjunct Professor
Rob Hudson: Shellfish Hatchery Manager  & Adjunct Professor

Narragansett Bay Recovers from Algal Bloom, Shellfish Safe

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By Meredith Haas, January 7, 2017
An unprecedented algal bloom that spanned from Long Island to Maine triggered a shellfishing ban in Narragansett Bay for most of October. After it ended and shellfish beds reopened, fishermen, shellfish farmers, and environmental managers convened at a public meeting in December to try to understand what caused the bloom and what to do about future events.

Monitors found elevated counts of a type of plankton that was responsible for the bloom outside of Newport Harbor at the end of September, said Angelo Liberti, chief of water resources at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), at the meeting held to share information that DEM and the state health department collected during the bloom, and to discuss future monitoring and testing efforts.

Liberti was referring to Pseudo-nitzschia, a genus of plankton that can produce domoic acid, a neurotoxin that, if ingested in dangerous amounts, can cause illnesses ranging from gastrointestinal problems and lethargy to short-term memory loss…..

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

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Registration open for the Applied Shellfish Farming Course at RWU

Aquaculture

The Roger Williams University Center for Economic and Environmental Development is now enrolling students for Applied Shellfish Farming, a non-credit course offered during the winter/spring semester that teaches both aspiring shellfish farmers and aquaculture professionals the ins and outs of commercially growing oysters, quahogs, scallops and mussels.

The 15-week program, led by Dale Leavitt, aquaculture extension specialist and Professor of Marine Biology at Roger Williams University, is designed to aid new and experienced shellfish farmers to start or grow their shellfish farming enterprise in Rhode Island and other areas of Southern New England.

Topics in the course include: an overview of shellfish farming, shellfish biology, farm site selection, the permitting process and regulatory aspects of securing and maintaining a lease, an overview of shellfish nursery and grow-out systems, risk management strategies, other technical aspects of shellfish farming, and business and marketing management advice. Dr. Leavitt complements the class with mentoring and site visits, remains in contact with many participants, and advises shellfish farmers nationwide.

CRMC considers the course an unofficial requirement for prospective shellfish farmers. Aspects of the course are also required for individuals wishing to apply for a Recreational Aquaculture Permit in Rhode Island (For more information about the Recreational Aquaculture Permit, contact Dale Leavitt or Rob Hudson at appliedshellfishfarming@gmail.com).

The course will be held at the University’s Bristol campus on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., the course is also offered as an on-line webinar, available to anyone with Internet access.

Pre-registration is preferred by contacting Dale Leavitt or Rob Hudson at appliedshellfishfarming@gmail.com .

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Webinar—Understanding the 5% Rule for the Coastal Salt Ponds

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WEBINAR: Wednesday, November 30, 2016 from 4:00-5:00PM

“Understanding the 5% Rule for the Coastal Salt Ponds” – Participate in this free, interactive Webinar, from your computer at home! Learn from those who were involved in shaping the 5% Rule for aquaculture in Rhode Island’s coastal salt ponds. The rule states that no more than 5 percent of the salt pond area can be used for aquaculture. Hear the details about the science, policy, and decision-making that was involved to set the rule.
Presented by retired URI Professor David Bengston. Prof. Bengston was a member of the working group that convened in 2007 to determine the 5% Rule.

Prof. Bengston will explain the original process with the goal of giving webinar participants a clear understanding of why the rule exists. The intention is to allow an open forum of knowledge and experience sharing so as to be better informed about what the rule is and is not.

The recorded webinar and a summary document will be posted online at:
https://appliedshellfishfarming.org/aquaculture-education-for-the-public/

For more information, please contact Azure@crc.uri.edu