BIDDEFORD — Among the key issues facing the planet in the 21st century are how to properly feed populations, stabilizing coastlines and creating sustainable jobs in each nation going forward.

According to studies conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, aquaculture, or the process of farmed seafood, will be crucial for supporting America’s seafood production, rebuilding protected species and habitats, enhancing the coastal resilience of our shorelines, and fostering new jobs across the country in the future.

With that in mind, students at the University of New England will soon have the opportunity to work on aquaculture research on a global level, thanks to a new agreement between UNE and The Nature Conservancy.

Earlier this week, UNE President James Herbert and TNC Global Lead for Aquaculture Robert Jones agreed upon a partnership for collaboration on aquaculture research projects around the world.

This new agreement will provide UNE faculty and students with the opportunity to engage with one of the largest non-governmental organizations on the planet while pursuing a goal that is central to the missions of both UNE and TNC, that is sustainable, ecological aquaculture development.

“One of UNE’s greatest strengths is our ability to provide global educational and research experiences for both undergraduate and graduate students,” Herbert said. “This agreement expands those opportunities and confirms UNE’s commitment to innovation for a healthier planet.”

Jones said that the partnership will help prepare future generations to embrace aquaculture as a way to solve global problems.

“We create opportunities for students to work in real world settings and support our global and on-the-ground work,” he said. “Training the next generation to understand the importance of aquaculture in our food system and how to manage it sustainably is key to the health of our oceans.”

UNE NORTH Executive Director Dr. Barry Costa-Pierce said he’s excited about the new partnership and the opportunities it will create for UNE students and faculty.

“This partnership will not only strengthen UNE’s external ties to aquaculture research and education but also the growth of aquaculture programming between UNE’s marine science programs and UNE NORTH, the new UNE Institute for North Atlantic Studies,” Costa-Pierce said.

The common aim of TNC and UNE’s marine science programs to support the development of aquaculture as a food source for the planet will only be facilitated, said Costa-Pierce, through collaboration with UNE NORTH’s flagship program, a Professional Science master’s degree in Ocean Food Systems.

The new program is set to begin accepting students next summer and will allow students from Maine and Iceland to examine the entire value chain of ocean foods in fisheries and aquaculture and their interactions with marine businesses, governance, law, management and policy.

Costa-Pierce said that the program’s goal is to train the next generation of sustainability-minded leaders who will pioneer the sustainable development of North Atlantic/Arctic “farm to fork” and “port to plate” ocean food systems.

UNE marine science researcher Adam St. Gelais recently traveled to Belize, where The Nature Conservancy is involved with seaweed aquaculture on a community scale in much the same way that UNE is developing the industry in Maine.

Through this agreement, UNE and TNC will continue to collaborate not only in Belize, but elsewhere to assess the social-ecological benefits of seaweed farms.

Currently, the value of U.S. aquaculture production equals about 20 percent of the value of total U.S. seafood production. In 2017, the United States imported about 80 percent of its seafood, and nearly 50 percent of the imported seafood was produced through aquaculture.

Fish farming and aquaculture is now the fastest-growing food sector in the world and has the potential to address future global food security issues.

— Executive Editor Ed Pierce can be reached at 282-1535 ext. 326 or by email at editor@journaltribune.com