The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has secured a nearly $1.1 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to unlock reliable spawning techniques for a Native Hawaiian sea cucumber species, the warty sea cucumber (stichopus horrens).

The project aims to address a major barrier in developing sustainable aquaculture in Hawaiʻi and supporting traditional Hawaiian fishpond (loko iʻa) restoration efforts. It is a partnership between 东精影业’s (CTAHR) and (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant).

A growing global aquaculture market

Sea cucumbers, which are related to starfish, have a global market of nearly $1 billion, primarily as food and medicinal products. Overfishing has severely depleted them in the ocean. In Hawaiʻi, the lack of dependable methods for breeding local species has been the primary hurdle to commercial aquaculture of this marine animal.

“We plan to address key barriers to the controlled spawning of sea cucumbers in Hawaiʻi by focusing on protocols to induce egg development and spawning in captivity,” said lead principal investigator Andre P. Seale, a researcher and professor in CTAHR’s .

The project integrates 东精影业’s research and extension resources—which use university knowledge to create solutions in communities—with cultural and industry partners, including the Pacific American Foundation’s Waikalua Loko Iʻa fishpond and Kauaʻi Sea Farms. This combined effort is designed to rapidly advance research findings into reliable food production methods and conservation restocking.

This award builds on recent foundational research by the team that was published in . That work identified a protein that causes eggs to mature in the warty sea cucumber, providing the scientific framework for the current project.

A recently completed aquaculture facility, encompassing approximately 8,600 square feet and containing two recirculation systems used to house aquatic organisms in freshwater or saltwater, is now in operation at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

The Tuahine Aquaculture Research and Education Center (TAREC) was established as a partnership between the (CTAHR) and (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant).

“Ultimately, through a versatile and integrated system design capable of providing animals with a range of environmental conditions, the main goal of TAREC is to provide a platform for integrated research, extension and education activities that address aquaculture industry needs and funding agency priorities while supporting workforce development,” said CTAHR Professor Andre Seale, who spearheaded the project.

There are nearly 80 tanks and experimental aquaria ranging in capacity from 20–5,000 liters. The facility is currently housing tilapia broodstock and Native Hawaiian sea cucumbers for ongoing research projects. Seale and his students are also conducting a Hawaiʻi Sea Grant-funded study on striped mullet culture for Hawaiian fishpond restocking efforts.

“We have been thrilled to work with Dr. Seale over the past several years to help create a much needed aquaculture facility at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and look forward to our continued partnership on aquaculture research, outreach, and education activities,” Hawaiʻi Sea Grant Director Darren Lerner said.

Seale is also utilizing TAREC for experiential learning activities on aquaculture systems for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in his aquaculture production course. Future outreach and education activities include collaborating with Hawaiʻi Sea Grant on aquaculture training workshops for the community.

Funding for TAREC was provided by the 东精影业 Mānoa Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research, CTAHR, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Armando García-Ortega, an professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, is leading a significant change in fish farming. His research is making waves in the world of aquaculture by demonstrating that vegetarian diets can be used not only for herbivorous fish but also for those that typically consume other fish.

Replace traditional ingredients

This research is a breakthrough for sustainable seafood production. It shows that algal meals can replace traditional fish ingredients, reducing the need for overfishing. García-Ortega鈥檚 study is also the first to use algae meals, such as Schizochytrium and Arthrospira, to completely replace fish meal and oil in feeds for various fish species.

Additionally, García-Ortega is advocating for the use of locally sourced feed ingredients to lower the environmental impact of fish farming.

“In Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Islands, transporting feed or feed ingredients for fish farming increases the environmental costs of our food production,” explained García-Ortega. “By-products from the locally produced algae Spirulina and Haeamatococcus can be used to replace at least half of the ingredients in fish feeds. If planned adequately, seafood production by aquaculture can contribute to increasing food security in the islands.”

Increasing available feed

García-Ortega驶s work focuses on creating fish feeds using locally produced limu (seaweed) among other ingredients. “The aim is to increase the number of available feedstuffs to boost local production of animal feeds,” said García-Ortega. His innovative approach involves replacing traditional fish meal and fish oil with algae, yeast and insect meals.

One of García-Ortega鈥檚 most notable studies, published in 2016, explored replacing fish meal and fish oil with soybean protein and algae in the diets of giant groupers. This research has become one of the most cited papers in its field. The study found that using 40% soy and algae in the diet of giant groupers produced similar growth to diets with fish-based ingredients.

“We reported for the first time carnivorous marine fish can be farmed with feeds containing algal meals and produce the same fish growth and nutritional quality as the unsustainable practice of feeding fish with other fish,” said García-Ortega. “We basically propose to feed vegetarian diets not only to carnivorous fish, but to all farmed fish.”

–By Susan Enright

The is part of a new consortium funded by a federal grant of nearly $1 million to address critical economic and marketing gaps in the country鈥檚 aquaculture industry. Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic life, such as fish and shellfish, in controlled environments like ponds or tanks. The multi-state and island project will emphasize building bridges across a range of geographic regions between researchers, industry leaders, and state extension services.

“With record production of $90 million in 2023, aquaculture is now one of the largest contributors in agricultural production in Hawaiʻi, yet key information for planning and decision-making is lacking,” said Maria Haws, an aquaculture professor at 东精影业 Hilo. Haws is based at the university鈥檚 (PACRC) in Keaukaha, Hilo Bay.

According to Haws, the gap in key information is due to the highly diverse nature of production methods, systems, and species that are cultured in Hawaiʻi. Aquaculture spans from breeding shrimp in land-based systems to farming hamachi (kāhala) in open-ocean cages. However, current studies fail to capture the economic dynamics of these diverse regions.

“Hawaiʻi and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands have relatively weak capacity for aquaculture economics since there are no dedicated aquaculture economists, although some economic specialists contribute to research in this area,” Haws said. “Results from this work, as well as the relationships developed through the consortium, will help compensate for this.”

Hawaiʻi expertise

PACRC will lead the Hawaiʻi component of the project and develop educational materials, online tools for industry and other users, and assist with farm economic studies.

Diverse collaboration

Project collaborators are a geographically diverse group of economists and extension specialists with backgrounds in freshwater, coastal, marine, and recirculating aquaculture systems. Led by Virginia Tech, a public land-grant research university, the group also draws expertise from institutions across the nation such as Mississippi State University, Texas A&M University, University of Maryland, University of Alaska, Morgan State University, Maine Aquaculture Association, University of Guam and University of Puerto Rico at Mayag眉ez, to address challenges facing the domestic aquaculture industry.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sea Grant is providing funding for the establishment of the Aquaculture Economics and Markets Collaborative over the next two years.

—By Susan Enright

Aquaculture economics pioneer Eugene Y.C. Shang died on February 20, 2023, surrounded by his family in Sacramento, California. Shang was an emeritus professor of agricultural and resource economics at the University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa鈥檚 (CTAHR).

Shang first joined 东精影业 in 1964 with the Economic Research Center. In 1974, he moved to the to better pursue his interest in fisheries and marine economics. He later transferred to CTAHR鈥檚 former Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics in 1980 and retired in 1995.

“Dr. Shang is considered the “father of aquaculture economics” and we are indebted to him for the visionary path he paved in this area,” said PingSun Leung, emeritus professor from the .

“Dr. Shang was a giant in the emerging field of global aquaculture economics and the preeminent authority on the subject in the Pacific Region,” added John Corbin, former program manager of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 Aquaculture Development Program. “Though his expertise was in great demand by organizations outside of Hawaiʻi, he always found the time to work with the State aquaculture program to help us better understand the local costs of production and market dynamics. His unassuming and friendly manner in sharing his extensive knowledge with colleagues and students made him a much sought after advisor and a pleasure to work with on projects.”

Shang published the first textbook in aquaculture economics in 1981. As a pioneer, educator and researcher in this field, he was well-known and well-regarded in Hawaiʻi, as well as nationally and internationally. He was highly sought after by international agencies, such as the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Asian Development Bank, United Nations Development Program and International Development Research Center of Canada.

In 1993, Shang founded the International Association of Aquaculture Economics and Management (IAAEM) and served as its president until his retirement. IAAEM is the only international organization devoted entirely to the promotion of socioeconomic research and education in aquaculture. It also publishes its own journal, Aquaculture Economics and Management, which honored Shang鈥檚 pioneering work in a .

“I was shocked and sad to receive news of Dr. Shang’s departure a few hours after he passed away in the morning of the Presidential Day,” said Cheng-Sheng Lee, executive director of the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture. “He definitely will be missed by colleagues and friends. As a senior to me from Taiwan, he is my colleague, friend and mentor. He has been a role model to me as well as other researchers. He is soft spoken, calm and a most respectful researcher by many colleagues and students as well. He taught me that ‘Nothing is impossible.’”

Messages to Shang鈥檚 family may be sent to his daughter Ellen at eshang@sbcglobal.net.

Improving the reproduction of kampachi (also known as longfin yellowtail or Almaco Jack) and Pacific white shrimp in Hawaiʻi is the focus of a University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa驶s (CTAHR), 东精影业 (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) and Hawaiʻi Pacific University鈥檚 (HPU) Oceanic Institute (OI) research partnership.

Nearly $1 million in funding from a (NOAA) Sea Grant will address the key barriers of kampachi production by focusing on improving egg quality, fecundity (ability to produce many offspring) and juvenile development. Nearly $250,000 will fund a second project that will use a genomic approach to improve the reproduction performance of shrimp, including laboratory experiments to assess and improve their genetic traits.

Kampachi are among the most valuable finfish groups for offshore aquaculture development. Yet, they are notoriously difficult to rear and harvest on a large commercial scale. At the same time, despite the shrimp industry鈥檚 massive volume and the U.S. being a leader in shrimp genetics research, programs on genetic improvement have given little attention to shrimp egg and larvae production.

“Through an integrated collaboration among university research, extension efforts and industry partners, the results obtained through this proposed work will result in the facilitation and expansion of commercial development of these and related species,” said Andre P. Seale of CTAHR鈥檚 and principal investigator of the kampachi study. “By addressing production constraints, this combined HPU and 东精影业 effort will contribute to increasing commercial production in Hawaiʻi.”

“This is a critical time for aquaculture, food security and our ability to feed humans sustainability around the world,” added Bradley (Kai) Fox of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant. “We are very fortunate to be able to collaborate with researchers at OI to push cutting-edge technologies with global relevance forward, while at the same time recognizing, appreciating and learning from our host culture here in Hawaiʻi, where aquaculture has been practiced and refined for a thousand years.”

The funding is part of a nearly $14 million federal funding investment by NOAA Sea Grant to select Sea Grant programs around the country, including Hawaiʻi Sea Grant, to strengthen U.S. aquaculture.

Equipped with a four-year, $924,280 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture鈥檚 National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa (CTAHR) Researcher Cheng-Sheng Lee seeks to find how aquaculture can contribute to food security and what projects could potentially improve Hawaiʻi鈥檚 international competitiveness in aquaculture.

“Our task is to enhance viable and profitable aquaculture development in Hawaiʻi and U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia,” said Lee, executive director of the (CTSA), under the . “First, we鈥檒l work with the industry to identify the bottlenecks for further expansion of food production from our water resources. Then, we鈥檒l identify research teams to tackle the issue and provide solutions to the industry to improve their operations.”

NIFA鈥檚 Regional Aquaculture Centers support aquaculture research, development, demonstration and extension education to enhance viable and profitable U.S. aquaculture to benefit consumers, producers, service industries and the American economy.

The CTSA, which is jointly administered by CTAHR and the Oceanic Institute of Hawaiʻi Pacific University, supports research and extension activities that develop and transfer new and adapted technology to industry in Hawaiʻi and the American Insular Pacific. Each project is reviewed by a panel of experts to ensure its approach is scientifically sound and its results will directly or indirectly enhance economic opportunities for aquaculture producers in the CTSA region.

“We are looking forward to working with our industry and researchers to contribute to our food security and economy in Hawaiʻi and the U.S. affiliated Pacific Islands,” said Lee.

One of the several ways that growth hormone (GH) relates to the growth physiology of teleost fishes (a large group of ray-finned fishes such as tilapia) is that it helps them absorb nutrients. In a new study from the University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa鈥檚 of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, alumni Cody Petro-Sakuma and Jason Breves, Research Specialist Fritzie Celino-Brady and Associate Researcher Andre Seale investigated the effects of GH on the gene expression of nutrient transporters in Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus). The paper appeared in the journal .

The researchers surgically removed the tilapia鈥檚 pituitary gland and gave it hormone replacement. Their goal was to assess whether GH directs the gene expression of molecular targets involved in nutrient transport, such as the GH receptor, peptide transporters, an amino acid transporter, glucose transporters and others. The researchers also checked where the effects of GH on the gene expression of these targets showed up in the intestine.

The tilapia without the pituitary showed diminished expression of most of the genes tested, and GH replacement was effective at restoring the expression of GH receptor, the peptide transporters and one of the glucose transporters. The authors鈥� findings indicate that “GH supports growth, at least in part, by stimulating the gene expression of its cognate receptor and key nutrient transporters in the intestine.” The authors further conclude that the identification of such GH targets may contribute to the development of strategies for enhancing the growth of domesticated fishes.

“Using the tilapia as a model species, the paper shows that the growth-promoting effects of growth hormone also occur via the stimulation of specific nutrient transporters in the intestine,” explained Seale. “Ultimately, beyond furthering our understanding on how growth and metabolism is regulated, there is great interest in improving efficiency in aquaculture, which includes improving nutrient utilization, increasing growth, and reducing feed, operation costs and time to market.”

More than 170 guests, including representatives from 10 Pacific Northwest tribes and many more from across the globe, gathered in Heʻeia, Oʻahu, hosted by local stewardship organizations Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi and Paepae o Heʻeia, to learn about Native Hawaiian aquaculture practices in February. The has been a long-time partner and supporter of the Hui Mālama Loko Iʻa and Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo, the backbone organization that coordinates and facilitates the Hui.

This event was part of an annual gathering of fishpond practitioners from across the Hawaiian Islands through the Hui Mālama Loko Iʻa, a collective of kiaʻi loko (fishpond practitioners) who seek to leverage their shared skills, knowledge and resources to address common goals.

The 2020 Gathering included a full day of restoring the rock wall and learning about the history and function of Heʻeia Fishpond, as well as a visit to the upper forested lands of the Heʻeia ahupuaʻa, the source of the vital freshwater that feeds Heʻeia wetlands, taro patches and the fishpond.

The final day was spent visiting and engaging in collaborative restoration work at several other fishponds around Oʻahu including Waikalua Loko, Loko Ea, Paʻaiau, Kapapapuhi and Pāhonu. Throughout the gathering, participants shared stories and made first-time connections.

As a result of the gathering, cross-Pacific partnerships grew in exponential ways, with new ideas and discoveries shared between students, fisheries managers, biologists and elders from Alaska, Hawaiʻi, Oregon, Washington, Canada, New Zealand and beyond.

—By Cindy Knapman

Winning student videos about aquaculture in Hawaiʻi were showcased recently at the Aquaculture America 2020 conference at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center. The competition inviting high school students from around the state to submit a short video addressing the theme, “Hawaiʻi Aquaculture: A Tradition of Navigating with Innovation, Technology, and Culture,” was organized by the (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant).

Cash prizes were awarded to the top three videos. First place received $1,000, second place $500 and third place $250.

• First place: Leigh Antoinette Medina, Kayley Lau and Mary-Rose Mitchell from Moanalua High School, “Kualoa’s History of Aquaculture”
• Second place: Jack Vedder from Kaiser High School, “”
• Third place: Lyrah Panarigan from Moanalua High School, “”

Maya Walton, program leader with Hawaiʻi Sea Grant and lead organizer of the video competition noted, “This was a great opportunity for high school students to make an impression on a global audience since aquaculture researchers and professionals from across the United States and the world traveled to Hawaiʻi to attend the conference.”

The students’ films were showcased at the conference, and scored by a panel of judges comprised of professionals working in various aquaculture-related industries throughout Hawaiʻi.

Students were required to compose their videos using only original work, and all genres such as documentary, animation, short interview, historical and others were accepted. The entries could focus on: traditional aquaculture in Hawaiʻi; how aquaculture contributes to a sustainable food supply in Hawaiʻi; the connection between science and aquaculture; and the importance of indigenous or local knowledge in aquaculture.