Land-based hatcheries, capable of providing healthy juvenile fish, are an essential component of offshore aquaculture. UNH biologists collaborate closely with Great Bay Aquaculture (GBA) in Portsmouth, N.H., to refine the science and business of incubating, hatching, and rearing young fingerlings to stock in offshore cages.
The culture of cod fingerlings has been a particular focus of this partnership. GBA is the only commercial hatchery that rears cod in the United States. While it is a good candidate for hatchery culture, cod also presents challenges. GBA, with support from UNH, has developing improved methods to screen the wild brood stock, disinfect the eggs, minimize hatchery stress, and vaccinate fish as a way to reduce need for antibiotic use in the future.
