NC Shellfish Siting Tool

The tool provides information that helps shellfish growers determine site feasibility and identify potential risks and long-term suitability for particular areas.

This project, created and maintained by UNCW, is a data visualization tool providing information on data specifically related to shellfish aquaculture including salinity, bottom type, depth soundings, shellfish growing area classifications, boat access areas, surrounding land cover and current shellfish growing operations.

Use the Siting Tool

For more information about the tool, layers or data, please contact Troy Alphin by phone 910.962.2395 or email alphint@uncw.edu.

Promote shellfish aquaculture and expand the industry in North Carolina by:

• Increase access to, and knowledge of, publicly available datasets
• Reduce time involved in selecting an aquaculture site location
• Help streamline the shellfish bottom lease site selection process by providing an overview of likely sites in a shellfish growing area

Shellfish aquaculture in North Carolina is a small, yet traditionally important industry to coastal communities, providing locally grown clams and oysters and supplemental income. Despite an increase in seafood demand and efforts by individual growers, acreage under lease and total number of leases has remained relatively constant in recent years.

According to the 2007 USDA census of agriculture, 85 farms reported sales of cultured product, yet production from North Carolina represented only 1.1 percent of the total value for all shellfish produced along the East Coast. While no single issue appears to have limited the growth of the industry, current growers and other stakeholders have cited several obstacles in obtaining a lease:

1. Lack of knowledge about the industry
2. Lack of information regarding feasible site locations
3. Trouble identifying growing areas with long-term suitability
4. Regional and local restrictions on water body use independent of water quality and bottom-lease criteria (moratoriums)
5. Uncertain operational and start-up costs that may inhibit or interfere with the ability to secure a loan
6. Potential conflicts with other user groups and enforcement rules

This program seeks to increase shellfish aquaculture in North Carolina coastal waters by providing potential growers with greater access to critical datasets, addressing issues 2, 3, and 4.

Online business training for shellfish growers

UNCW’s Benthic Ecology Lab has partnered with the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) to create an asynchronous, online training program, “Shellfish Mariculture Propel”. This self-driven training program will introduce you to complex business and financial planning concepts.  In addition to the training, you will also get access to additional tools to assist you with business and farm planning. To learn more, or join the class at no cost, follow the link below. 

Shellfish Mariculture Propel

• Shellfish Lease and Franchise Program
• NC Shellfish Sanitation
• NC Shellfish Closure Maps
• NC Shellfish Closure Proclamations

Troy Alphin

Senior Research Associate
Email: alphint@uncw.edu
Phone: 910.962.2395
Fax: 910.962.2410

Martin Posey

Professor
Email: poseym@uncw.edu
Phone: 910.962.3610

Jessica Carlton

Research Assistant
Email: carltonj@uncw.edu
Phone: 910.962.2325
Fax: 910.965.2410

Mailing Address

Benthic Ecology Laboratory
UNCW Center for Marine Science
5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane
Wilmington, NC 28409