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Resources are available to help the shellfish aquaculture industry and others develop preparedness plans and strengthen response to different scenarios. Information is current on the date posted. Access websites below for up-to-date information. May 14, 2020 Online Selling of Agriculture Products Webinar Tactical tools, new research from Center for Rural Enterprise Engagement (CREE), and platforms for setting up e-commerce for businesses will be provided through a webinar to be held on Thursday, May 21 at 3 pm EDT. Register for free now at https://bit.ly/2yST82I. A recording will be made  available after the webinar. A new blog post on the CREE online learning

The Gulf of Mexico Oyster Genetics and Breeding Research Consortium is seeking your help. The consortium is coordinating the SALT (Selection of Aquaculture Lines with Improved Traits) project to develop lines of eastern oyster bred for improved performance in the Gulf of Mexico. These lines will be made available to industry operating in the Gulf region. Your input is being sought to define project objectives through the following survey. The survey takes only a few minutes to complete and growers’ feedback will be of great value in developing this important resource for oyster aquaculture. Please return responses to Heather King, heather.king@usm.edu (email). If you

Total sales of U.S. aquaculture products in 2018 was $1.5 billion, an increase of 10.5% from 2013, according to the 2018 Census of Aquaculture released in December by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. In 2018, there were 2,932 aquaculture farms with sales in the United States, down 5% from 2013. In Florida the total number of farms that reported aquaculture sales was 325, accounting for 11% of farms in the U.S. However, the number of Florida farms was down by 17% from the previous census in which 393 farms were reported.

The 4th Annual Oyster South Symposium is being held on February 21-23, 2020 in Wilmington, North Carolina. Sponsored by Oyster South, Inc. (a non-profit dedicated to advancing oyster aquaculture in the southern US), this event brings together producers, gear suppliers, distributors, chefs, food writers, vendors, researchers, students and managers from the southeast region to discuss pressing issues and relevant, practical research on oyster aquaculture. Registration is now open and includes admission to all informational sessions (all day Friday and Saturday), all breaks, lunch on Friday & Saturday, the ‘Shuck and Tell’ on Friday night at Wrightsville Beach Brewery, a new awards