Shellfish hatchery
In 2022, the 91原创, Delaware State University, and Delaware Sea Grant established a pilot scale shellfish hatchery on the 91原创 Lewes Campus.聽 This is the first official shellfish hatchery in Delaware with the purpose of supplying seed and spat on shell to Delaware shellfish farmers, researchers, and restoration efforts. 聽
The hatchery is located in an existing building across the lot from the Pollution Ecology Lab next door to the MERR Institute.聽 Known fondly by 91原创 staff and students as 鈥渢he shed鈥, the small building is outfitted with a seawater intake that was used for various projects for decades but was in disrepair after years of saltwater exposure. In 2022, the State funded 91原创 and Delaware Sea Grant staff an award to renovate the building and transform it from the 鈥渟hed鈥 to a fully functional, small scale shellfish hatchery.
The hatchery consists of a filtered seawater system, raw seawater intake, five 600L larval tanks, an algae growout system, and a broodstock holding system. Just outside the building sits a nursery with four remote set tanks to produce spat on shell, and two upweller/downweller tanks to hold seed.
What can the hatchery produce?
At optimal capacity, the pilot scale hatchery is capable of producing up to 50 million eyed larvae per season and is targeting 1 million seed oysters yearly to be transferred to Inland Bays shellfish growers. While supporting Delaware鈥檚 shellfish aquaculture industry, the pilot hatchery also serves as a blueprint for a potential industrial scale facility, as well as demonstration/education space for students, teachers, interns, and early career professionals.
Next steps
Water quality in Inland Bays suffers from excess nutrients and coastal aquaculture businesses lack resilience. A new聽Fisheries & Aquaculture Innovation Center (FAIC)聽will address specific value chain areas, including water quality, economic development, education pathways, higher education advanced degree research and workforce development.
Plans to expand the pilot scale hatchery to a larger聽scale operation will increase production and serve more communities.聽To learn more, contact Dr. Ed Hale at ehale@udel.edu or聽(302) 645-4060.聽
Support the Fisheries and Aquaculture Innovation Fund
Your gift will help expand the pilot-scale hatchery聽to a large-scale operation, increase shellfish production, improve聽water quality, and contribute to student research, learning and workforce development opportunities.聽
