The Shellfish Research Hatchery is a 12,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility for the propagation of the early life stages of marine bivalves.
The facility was constructed in partnership with, and using state funds allocated to, the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries following recommendations resulting from a two-year study by a multi-agency planning committee established through legislation by the NC General Assembly.
The Shellfish Research Hatchery has been in year-round operations since 2011.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure includes a microalgal culture facility designed to produce about 4,000 liters per day and a seawater system capable of delivering 100 gallons per minute of filtered, temperature-controlled seawater. Additional resources include wet and dry support labs, a quarantine hatchery for work on non-local species and an approximately two-acre aquaculture demonstration site for research on grow-out strategies.
Current Projects
Current projects involve the selective breeding of oysters, research on the performance advantages derived from triploidy, and crop diversification through the development of culture practices for bay scallops, pen shells and sunray Venus clams.
