The Sea Grant Aquaculture Leadership Academy will continue for the next two years with Minnesota Sea Grant and Texas Sea Grant at the helm.
The leaders will include Fisheries and Aquaculture Extension Educator Julia Grenn and Extension Program Leader and Aquaculture Extension Educator Amy Schrank, both of Minnesota Sea Grant, and Aquaculture Specialist Mario Marquez, Extension Director Christine Hale and Coastal and Marine Extension Agent Amy Nowlin, all of Texas Sea Grant.
The first Sea Grant aquaculture academy class took place on the East Coast in 2024, and a second cohort went through training in 2025. New Hampshire Sea Grant led those academy sessions in collaboration with North Carolina Sea Grant. In August of 2025, another request for proposals was released to Sea Grant programs interested in running the academy for the next two years.
“After a merit review competition, Minnesota Sea Grant and Texas Sea Grant were selected to conduct the second phase of the Sea Grant Aquaculture Leadership Academy,” National Sea Grant Aquaculture Liaison LaDon Swann said. “Participants in the 2026 and 2027 academy will have the opportunity to learn important leadership skills that they will be able to use throughout their careers. Participants will also be able to gain hands-on experiences at aquaculture facilities in the Great Lakes and Gulf of America regions.”
The academy team will develop virtual and in-person curriculum for up to 60 new and mid-career professionals from across the Sea Grant network, Land Grant network and federal aquaculture extension staff. Programming will be a combination of tours, hands-on activities, panels, discussions and presentations about topics important to the aquaculture industry.
“The aquaculture academy gives early- and mid-career extension professionals across the country a chance to connect, see how aquaculture operates in different regions and build relationships that strengthen the Sea Grant aquaculture network,” Grenn said. “When extension professionals are well connected, well trained and understand the national scope of the industry, it benefits aquaculture in both the short and long term.”
In-person training will include weeklong sessions in Minnesota, where participants will learn about land-based finfish culture, and in Texas, where the focus will be on saltwater aquaculture production.
“Partnerships are important to the success of this academy,” Texas Sea Grant Extension Director Chris Hale said. “Aquaculture industry partners from a variety of sectors will be involved throughout the entire program. For example, farmers will lead tours, provide guest lectures and offer input as the team adapts programming to ensure relevance and applicability. Also, an industry-focused advisory group will guide decisions in developing educational content.”
The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium is administering this $350,000 award in consultation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Sea Grant Office as part of the National Sea Grant Aquaculture Liaison project.
Read about past aquaculture academy experiences:
- Professionals keep learning at Sea Grant Aquaculture Leadership Academy by LaDon Swann
- Net gains: What I learned in Week 1 of the Sea Grant Aquaculture Academy by Taylor Kilgore
For more information about the academy, contact Grenn at [email protected].
Meet the author
Melissa Schneider
Communications Coordinator
Melissa Schneider coordinates public information, educational media and communication services for Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant. Some of MASGC's communications projects include our website, social... Read more
Phone: 228-818-8838
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