Project Overview
Commodities
- Animals: other
Practices
- Animal Production: aquaculture
Proposal summary:
This project aims to develop the final stage of green sea urchin
aquaculture on our seaweed farm, from pre-harvest conditioning,
to harvest, to marketing of new unique high-value sea urchin
crops. To better understand seasonality of natural reproductive
cycles on our farm, we will sample urchins throughout the year to
determine gonad development, maturity, spawning, and roe quality,
and correlate with environmental data. Urchins will be fed an
optimal diet of mixed kelps to enhance uni, and individual
seaweed species will be tested to determine unique flavor
profiles that might be imparted before harvest. Sea urchins will
be harvested and held in seawater tanks at our facility where we
will test several different packing and shipping methods to
determine best post harvest and handling protocols. Seafood
markets and chefs will be consulted for feedback about their
interest in the product, which will help inform business plans
and an economic feasibility report on sea urchin aquaculture in
Maine. These business plans, reports, and farming techniques will
be shared with the wider aquaculture community as a new
diversification option.
Project objectives from proposal:
Objective 1:
Determine the patterns of reproduction and spawning of farmed
urchins and correlate with environmental variables to better
understand seasonality.
Objective 2:
Develop a feeding regime that will ensure consistent high quality
uni at harvest.
Objective 3:
Test three different specific seaweed species to determine unique
flavor profiles to customize finishing diets.
Objective 4:
Develop harvest, post harvest handling, and marketing strategies
for farmed sea urchins.