Program Overview

Maryland Sea Grant College is developing a network of "aquaculture educators" in Maryland in partnership with local school systems. By partnering with local school systems like Carroll County Public Schools that have current model aquaculture programs, the use of aquaculture as a "tool for teaching science" is expanding throughout the state. The Aquaculture in Action program consists of some fundamental pieces that are key to its success:

One-week workshops that support teachers with an aquaculture companion manual and materials and equipment for the construction of a 260-gallon recirculating aquaculture system. Visit workshops for more details. Also view the photo gallery from the first workshop held during the summer of 1998.
A one-of-a-kind web based component that gives teachers and students the ability to enter project data related to their research in the classroom and communicate with one another about projects and ideas.
Support throughout the school year including the coordination of obtaining native fish for culture and the release of fish at the end of the school year at approved locations in Maryland.

Fish Release Days

Teachers and students release striped bass into the Chesapeake Bay at the end of the school year as well as some other species into locally stocked ponds with permission of the MD DNR. Recently, the National Aquarium in Baltimore has been hosting the striped bass release day at their wetland restoration site at Fort McHenry National Park in Baltimore City.

Visit the photogalleries:

1999 at Sandy Point
2000 at Sandy Point
2005 at Ft. McHenry

Program Overview

Fish Release Days

Further Reading