The United States seafood trade deficit is almost 8 billion dollars per year.  This national trade deficit is second only to oil.  Government statistics project that the seafood demand in the United States will continue to increase over the coming decades.  Given that the oceans have reached their maximum sustainable yield, the increased seafood demand can only be satisfied by aquaculture production.  The increasing seafood demand will require a six-fold increase in either domestic aquaculture production or a commensurate increase in imports over the next 25 years, further increasing this countries seafood trade deficit.  The concept that a country can grow enough food to meet the needs of its population is the foundation of a national defense.  In this day and age, when the security of our food supply is more at risk than ever before, it is essential that we develop the production capability within our borders to meet his demand.  A safe and stable food supply is paramount to our nation’s existence. Recirculating aquaculture systems are one approach to production of a safe and sustainable seafood supply.

<>To help achieve the needs for this demand Mote Marine Laboratory's Marine Aquaculture Program (positioned within the Center for Aquaculture Research and Development) dedicates its work to developing the technologies needed to raise fish species of both high market and recreational demand.   This research investigates a variety of marine finfish and invertebrates including: common snook, red snapper, Florida pompano, queen conch, and hard corals.  Knowledge gained from this research will be used in both stock enhancement and food production.  Currently the Marine Aquaculture Program has four research locations: Mote Aquaculture Park and Mote's Main Laboratory in Sarasota County and the Tropical Research Laboratory and Conch Baby Farm in the Florida Keys. The Center for Aquaculture Research and Development is constructing new research facilities at Mote Aquaculture Park (MAP) in eastern Sarasota that will eventually replace the aquaculture research facilities located at Mote's main campus on City Island. As construction progresses, we are moving the research activities from City Island to MAP. We have already moved our snook maturation and spawning research,  pompano juvenile growout research, and queen conch growout trials to MAP. Live feeds and larval studies with snook and pompano, as well as the pompano maturation and spawning research is located at Mote's City Island campus. Coral culture research is located at the Tropical Research Laboratory and the conch diet studies are taking place at the Conch Baby Farm facility.

Common Snook Research	Coral Research	Red Snappper Research
Conch Research	Future Research Projects	Florida Pompano Research

                                                                                                                   
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