Summary
Non Technical Summary
There are a number of limitations that still affect the expansion and profitability of aquaculture in the North Central Region, which will be addressed in projects funded by the Center. These limitations include, in part, limited extension/education products, species selection, regulations, economics, animal health, marketing and alternative feedstuffs for cultured animals. The purpose of the North Central Regional Aquaculture Center (NCRAC) is to conduct viable research, extension, and demonstration projects which will overcome these limitations. The projects funded by the Center are competitively solicited and reported annually to USDA-NIFA. Expected outcomes and anticipated benefits for each of the Center-funded projects are presented in the annual reports, and those reports, as well as the project proposals, are posted on the Center's website at www.ncrac.org. Updated information on current aquaculture issues are communicated using social media and regional listserv.
Objectives & Deliverables
Goals / Objectives
To fund the North Central Regional Aquaculture Center (NCRAC) programs for aquaculture research, development, and demonstration; for the enhancement of viable and profitable commercial aquaculture production in the United States for the benefit of producers, consumers, and the American economy; and to utilize the Regional Center in a national program of cooperative and collaborative research, extension, and developmental activities among public and private institutions having demonstrated capabilities in support of commercial aquaculture in the United States. Projects funded by NCRAC should lower the cost, increase production or production efficiency, or increase the profitability for those commercially producing aquatic products in the 12-state North Central Region.
Challenges
Project Methods
The North Central Regional Aquaculture Center (NCRAC) is an administrative center that consists of a Director, a Board of Directors, an Industry Advisory Council, and a Technical Committee that consists of research and extension contacts. The Board of Directors, based on input from the Industry Advisory Council working in conjunction with the Technical Committee, selects priority areas in research, extension, industry development and emerging issues for which projects to be funded by the Center will be developed. Those projects are developed through a competitive-solicitation process, extensively peer reviewed, and ultimately approved by the Center's Board of Directors before being submitted in a Plan of Work to USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) leadership for their approval. Upon approval by NIFA, the Center issues subcontracts to the funded participants for all of the projects contained in the Plan of Work. Progress made on projects in the Plan of Work is included in the annual progress report for the Center that is submitted to NIFA. The annual report includes a project summary, description of progress in meeting stated regional goals and objectives for each funded project, work planned for the coming year, outcomes and impacts of the funded projects, and a cumulative listing of all publications, manuscripts, papers presented, and other outputs for all funded projects. Investigators funded by NCRAC also present their updates at the annual NCRAC Conference and the biennial North Central Regional Aquaculture Conference co-hosted with various state aquaculture associations throughout the region.
Principle Investigator(s)
Planned Completion date: 14/09/2029
Effort: $934,421.00
Project Status
ACTIVE
Principal Investigator(s)
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Researcher Organisations
Recipient Organization IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY 2229 Lincoln Way AMES,IA 50011
United Kingdom