John Nash

The North Carolina Sea Grant College Program integrates three university functions — research, education, and outreach — into a cohesive, innovative, program that addresses priorities of the state’s numerous coastal stakeholders. These stakeholders include but are not limited to: communities located along the 300 miles of oceanfront shoreline and those within the 20 counties designated by the Coastal Area Management Act; communities further inland and located in the watersheds that drain to the Atlantic Ocean; coastal and estuarine water- and landbased industries; and many others. North Carolina’s vast natural environmental resources including the 2.3 million acres of estuarine habitat are of important ecological, cultural, and economic significance for the entire state. North Carolina Sea Grant (NCSG) positions itself at this intersection of research, education, and outreach, working to ensure results are translated to actionable information in support of the varied stakeholders invested in the state’s coastal region. Taking discoveries, demonstrations, and experiential knowledge developed by experts and delivering those results to identified audiences is a model our program embodies. These efforts support improved understanding and appreciation of the watershed, near-shore, and coastal ocean environments and the sustainable use and development of their resources. We join other coastal and Great Lakes states in a national network of Sea Grant universities charged with meeting the needs of society in our home state, our regions, and the nation as a whole. In North Carolina, Sea Grant program activities began with an institutional planning and project grant in 1970. With the establishment of the 16-campus University of North Carolina system in 1972 and involvement of Duke University via a consortial arrangement, NCSG became the nation’s 12th recognized Sea Grant College in 1976. The UNC system has remained committed to Sea Grant throughout the program’s history, including state funding generously provided through North Carolina State University, supporting portions of cost-share match requirements for the federal award received from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

We established the Sea Grant StriperHub in 2020 to commercialize sustainable striped bass (Morone saxatilis) aquaculture. StriperHub initially involved collaboration of four Sea Grant College Programs (North Carolina, New York, Maryland, and New Hampshire) and the project involves diverse partnerships and stakeholders including farmers in North Carolina and along the Eastern Coast of the U.S. Additionally, we engaged in extensive outreach, technology transfer, and traditional extension to gather and provide information regarding striped bass aquaculture opportunities. This included working with state Sea Grant Programs, cooperative extension agents at Land Grant Universities, and agriculture departments within the region through StriperHub. The initial StriperHub proposal included the following objectives: 1.) Establish a Sea Grant Aquaculture Hub: A nexus to commercialize striped bass as a major aquaculture industry (The Sea Grant StriperHub); 2.) Demonstrate seed stock production, distribution, growout, and production economics of domestic striped bass aquaculture; 3.) Develop marketing strategies, market economics, permitting clarity, and business models for domestic striped bass aquaculture; and 4.) Establish communication, outreach, extension, and training to support domestic striped bass aquaculture development. Despite COVID-19 restrictions (2020-2021), the StriperHub had great success and the following is a summary of progress to date (for a review, see Andersen et al., 2021a; video presentation link https://coastalresilience.ncsu.edu/events/#&gid=1&pid=1

Seafood producers regularly face tremendous disruption, and yet the industry still has much potential to be realized with regards to revenue streams and public awareness. The majority of seafood consumers have little knowledge of product origin and seafood production practices despite their interest in supporting domestic and local producers. If seafood producers can leverage connections with the food and agriculture tourism economy, they will be better poised for sustained growth, or at least, stability. Tourism is the largest ocean economy sector by jobs and GDP in North Carolina and a significant job creator. This project will provide training, marketing assistance, and network building for N.C. commercial fishers and marine aquaculture producers who are wading into the tourism sector.

The North Carolina Sea Grant College Program integrates three university functions — research, education and outreach — into a cohesive, innovative, program that addresses priorities of the state’s numerous coastal communities. These include, but are not limited to: communities of individuals located along the 300 miles of oceanfront shoreline and those within the 20 counties designated by the Coastal Area Management Act; coastal and estuarine water- and land-based industries; the vast natural environmental resources including the 2.3 million acres of estuarine habitat that provide important ecological and cultural resources for the entire state. North Carolina Sea Grant (NCSG) positions itself at this intersection of research and outreach, working to ensure results are translated to actionable information in support of the varied stakeholders invested in North Carolina’s coast. Taking discoveries, demonstrations and experiential knowledge developed by experts and delivering those results to identified audiences is a model our program embodies. These efforts support improved understanding and appreciation of the near-shore and coastal ocean environment and the sustainable use and development of its resources. We join other coastal and Great Lakes states in a national network of Sea Grant universities charged with meeting the needs of society in our home state, our regions, and the nation as a whole.

The Atlantic blue crab processing industry has been of significant culinary and economic importance in the United States for years, particularly in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Louisiana. These states accounted for nearly 80 percent of blue crab landings and value in 2017. The U.S. blue crab industry's biggest competitor is fresh crab meat from Venezuela. Historically, Venezuelan crab meat had a shelf life of five days maximum due to poor microbiological quality. Last year, Venezuelan processors began using high-pressure processing (HPP) to treat fresh crab meat, extending product shelf life to 21 days. Longer shelf life and lower product costs have given Venezuelan processors a competitive advantage over domestic producers. The overall goal of this project is to validate HPP for enhancing the shelf life of domestic blue crab meat. The NCSU portion of the project will be to assist in conducting a market analysis and ascertain buyer acceptance of HPP-treated U.S. blue crab meat.

The purpose of the research is to estimate the economic impacts of the commercial seafood industry in the North Carolina. The study will result in the collection and analysis of novel cost and supply chain data throughout the seafood harvesting, processing and distribution sectors, including consumer-facing businesses. In addition consumer demand for North Carolina seafood will be quantified. Finally the economic impact of the seafood industry will be estimated using methodological best practices.

The long-term goal of this project is to ?enhance food security by increasing productivity and profitability for producers and improving intermediate elements of the system to increase access and affordability for consumers,? as described in the RFP. This integrated research, extension, and academic project co-led by NC State University and NC A&T State University through the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) will work with a large grocery chain (Lowes Foods) and a military base (Fort Bragg), and within the existing large-scale wholesale distribution chain through which the vast majority of food travels, to determine the potential for conventional systems to join with emerging food hubs to address localized food system bottlenecks in a way that values sustainability and meets growing demand. We address short-term (e.g., GAPs certification, supply chain development) and long-term (e.g., military contract specifications) constraints, while also testing demand-side interventions to increase purchases of local foods across the socioeconomic spectrum. Research focuses on baseline assessments, economics and management, marketing, food access, and institutional change. Extension integration includes needs assessment, training and support, applied action-based research, consumer education, and resource development. Academic integration includes the development of a new course in the School of Management at NC State focusing on local food systems value chains, and developing value-chain career-ladder opportunities for apprentices, interns and service-learning students. This project will lead to nationally replicable models that have the potential to significantly increase consumer access to local foods.

The convenience of purchasing and preparing food is a major value point to consumers across all demographics. People are too time-starved to cook, yet they want food that is fresh and healthier than a typical fast-food meal. In December 2014, the monthly sales of restaurants exceeded grocery-store sales for the first time. Americans surveyed by the National Restaurant Association say they are not purchasing restaurant takeout or delivery as mush as they want. The 'fast-dinner' category is a rapidly growing market segment being served mainly by professional chefs, and a promising channel to drive more local seafood into commerce. The objective of this project is to assist three restaurant chefs to explore the appeal of seafood-meal concepts for the fast-dinner markets in their coastal regions, with particular attention on the required seafood-safety standards needed for each concept.

There is a growing demand for seafood in this country, particularly domestically produced products. Cape shark (Squalus acanthias), more likely known as spiny dogfish in North Carolina, is a fishery now fully rebuilt (sustainable) as determined by federal fishery managers. Yet, the domestic usage of the product is minimal, and likely non-existent in North Carolina and the Southeast U.S. Much of the processed product goes overseas to the European Union and becomes fish-and-chips. The bulk of Cape shark processing capacity is located in New England, as this is where over half of the fish are landed. North Carolina commercial fishermen traditionally have landed large quantities of Cape shark – only to be shipped to New England for processing and exportation to other markets. In 2014, North Carolina fishermen landed 5,650,285 pounds (whole weight) with an ex-vessel value (i.e., price to fishermen, unprocessed, uncut, etc.) totaling only $566,615. With an ex-vessel price at roughly $0.10 per pound and limited markets in the Southeast U.S, including North Carolina, there clearly is ample opportunity for local markets to develop should consumers be made aware of the product

The goal of this project is to introduce a technological resource that can help fisherman and/or dealers meet the product specifications of restaurant customers in their communities, thereby increasing the regional demand for local, wild-caught shrimp. We are focusing on the restaurant trade as that is where most seafood in this country is consumed (Anderson, 2013; Seafood Health Facts, 2012).