students checking oyster beds in the marsh

Shellfish Research Hatchery

Shellfish Research Hatchery Shellfish Research Hatchery

Located at UNCW’s Myrtle Grove campus, the mission of the Shellfish Research Hatchery is to conduct and facilitate research that will inform and contribute to North Carolina’s growing shellfish aquaculture industry through research, education and industry development.

About Us

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.

Outreach

One of the goals of UNCW's Shellfish Research Hatchery is to provide professional expertise and technical support to address important issues confronting North Carolina's shellfish resources.

In agreement with our mission statement, we establish outreach opportunities by communication with resource agencies, farmers, individuals in the industry and the public.

Through collaboration with shellfish farmers throughout the state, we are able to field test hatchery lines to fully explore performance under a range of environmental conditions.

Student applied learning plays a large role in the hatchery with many UNCW undergraduates spending a semester learning all aspects of hatchery operations.

Local high school students from Eugene Ashley High School's marine science academy have served as interns in the hatchery as well.