UH joins national effort to strengthen U.S. seafood supply

News admin June 10, 2026 0 Comments

UH joins national effort to strengthen U.S. seafood supply

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The University of Hawaii is helping strengthen the country’s seafood supply and expand sustainable aquaculture.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the creation of the Cooperative Institute Fostering Aquaculture Research and Markets, or CIFARM, with an initial $13.5 million investment for its first year.

CIFARM is a five-year cooperative institute that aims to use researchers to unlock the potential of U.S. aquaculture.

The University of New Hampshire will host the national institution, with UH participating as one of five core consortium members.

Associate Professor Chatham Callan, from the UH Hilo Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center, or PACRC, is leading the Hawaii research.

“Being selected as a core member of CIFARM is a testament to the decades of world-class aquaculture research happening right here in Hawaii,” Callan said. “Through our partnerships with Native Hawaiian communities, we draw on a tradition of ocean stewardship and fishpond engineering that stretches back centuries.

Scientists will research and test solutions through engineering, technology development, artificial intelligence, environmental observations and forecasting, and marine aquaculture demonstration projects.

Co-investigators for Hawaii will be Professor Maria Haws, of PACRC, and Associate Research Professor Erik Franklin, of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology at UH Manoa, and Hawaii Sea Grant Associate Director for Extension Darren Okimoto, as well as several other UH faculty partners.

“This partnership underscores the University of Hawaii’s vital role in advancing sustainable aquaculture systems that directly impact our global food supply,” said Norman Arancon, director of the UH Hilo College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management. “We have always championed practical, impactful science. Through CIFARM, our researchers and students will be at the forefront of a $13.5 million national effort.”

CIFARM aims to solve some of the critical challenges affecting American seafood producers and consumers while reducing the nation’s reliance on imported seafood.

Americans consume more than $24 billion of imported seafood each year, with about half estimated to be farmed overseas, according to CIFARM.

“By focusing on cutting-edge tech, environmental forecasting and real-world marine demonstration projects, we are actively building the blueprint for a more resilient, self-sufficient seafood industry,” Callan said.

CIFARM aims to bolster national food security, create jobs, and uplift coastal economies by making scientific advances that can grow the nation’s domestic seafood industry.

The Hawaii team will also partner with USAPI researchers, including University of Guam Sea Grant and the Marine & Environmental Research Institute in FSM to extend CIFARM’s reach throughout the Pacific.

In addition to University of New Hampshire and UH, the program includes Hawaii Sea Grant, New Hampshire Sea Grant, the University of Miami, Florida Sea Grant, the University of Southern Mississippi, the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute, and California Sea Grant.