DURHAM, N.H. — Thanks to a $3 million gift, the University of New Hampshire’s Center for Sustainable Seafood Systems will expand its global reach by creating an educational program that will focus on community-based seafood production for students from around the world to implement aquaculture techniques specific to their culture and communities.

“We have deep concerns about climate change, the world we live in and how this could impact food availability for future generations,” said representatives from the Emily Landecker Foundation, who provided the gift. “We live in New England so we are keenly aware of the warming of the Gulf of Maine and how it is, and will continue to, affect local fisheries and other sources of food from the ocean. We have continued to be impressed by the work being done at the University of New Hampshire and their proven excellence in marine sciences and we are confident that they can help make a difference by arming people with the knowledge to create local sustainable seafood programs, in New England and around the world.”

The donation will help develop an international multi-disciplinary program for students from different regions of the globe to come together and gain knowledge and techniques, in both science and engineering, to implement community-based seafood production. The program will include classroom and online classes, as well as hands-on experience at UNH’s Aqaufort — an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) that allows multiple species grow at the same time within a single floating structure.

“UNH is a leader in innovative aquaculture practices that are designed to address today’s highly complex ocean and coastal challenges. This generous gift from the Emily Landecker Foundation will allow us to grow our sustainable seafood program to give communities, near and far, the tools to grow sustainable food options,” said UNH President Elizabeth Chilton.

The multi-disciplinary program will bring together UNH expertise from several areas including marine science, ocean engineering, business and sustainability. Each student will focus on designing an aquaculture approach for their community.

“We are very excited and appreciative for this opportunity to help feed people on a global level in a sustainable way,” said David Fredriksson, professor of ocean engineering and director of the Center for Sustainable Seafood Systems. “While at the core this is about aquaculture, it also offers a unique learning experience as each student brings their own cultural strengths and community challenges. In the design approach, each student will need to address site specific climates and choose socially acceptable seafood products. We see this as an opportunity for scientific exchange from different cultures and regions.”

Founded in 2022, thanks in part to a gift from the Emily Landecker Foundation, the UNH Sustainable Seafood Center is a joint effort between the UNH College of Engineering and Physical Sciences and the UNH School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering that seeks to be a hub at the nexus of food security, climate change adaptation and ecological protection. The center’s work is critical as the waters in the Gulf of Maine’s are warming faster than almost anywhere on Earth beginning to lose its subarctic characteristics, a result of climate change and the relatively shallow depths that absorb heat quickly. 

The University of New Hampshire inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation and world. More than 16,000 students from 50 states and 87 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top-ranked programs in business, engineering, law, health and human services, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. A Carnegie Classification R1 institution, UNH partners with NASA, NOAA, NSF, and NIH, and received over $250 million in competitive external funding in FY24 to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea and space.