FAU Harbor Branch Partners with Renowned Aquafeed Company
FAU Harbor Branch recently entered into a partnership with Zeigler Bros., Inc. to collaborate on the development of high quality and more sustainable shrimp feeds.
Members of Harbor Branch's Aquaculture research team with representatives from Zeigler Bros., Inc. at the Zeigler Aquaculture Research Center at Harbor Branch.
Fish farming researchers at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) are now lending their knowledge and experience to a world-renowned leader in aquafeed technology. HBOI recently entered into a partnership with Zeigler Bros., Inc. to collaborate on the development of high quality and more sustainable shrimp feeds. The work involves applied studies on how diet affects the growth, health and quality of shrimp and fish.
“The team from Zeigler Bros., Inc. will work in our world-class facilities while collaborating with HBOI scientists,” said Megan Davis, Ph.D., HBOI interim executive director. “It is innovative public-private partnerships such as this that are strengthening the aquaculture industry.”
The partnership includes the creation of the Zeigler Aquaculture Research Center (Z-ARC) at HBOI, which provides the platform for researchers to conduct their evaluations.
“Our company strives to be a world leader in the development of new and better feeds for fish and shrimp,” said Craig Browdy, Ph.D., director of research and development at Zeigler Bros., Inc. “Sustainable feeds allow us to protect fisheries and the environment while improving growth and quality of cultured seafood. By striving for win/win solutions to problems of farmers, we can create jobs locally by growing U.S. production and exports while improving options for high quality, heart healthy seafood that ends up on our dinner tables.”
Marine aquaculture in the United States contributes to seafood supply, supports commercial fisheries, enhances habitat and at-risk species, and maintains economic activity in coastal communities and at working waterfronts in every coastal state.
“In St. Lucie County, we’ve identified aquaculture as a targeted industry because of its importance worldwide and our ideal location for year-round production,” said Pete Tesch, president of the St. Lucie County Economic Development Council. “We also value and encourage public-private partnerships, and this new relationship between HBOI and Zeigler is an excellent example of how successful they can be.”
The FAU Harbor Branch Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement program works to advance seafood production, ecosystem restoration and development of techniques for the aquaculture industry in the United States and globally.
Zeigler Bros, Inc. is an award-winning and growing export-based company in the United States with an expanding international footprint. For more than 80 years, and spanning three generations, the company has demonstrated a spirited commitment to technology and innovation.
For more information, contact Carin Smith at 772-242-2230 or carinsmith@fau.edu, or visit www.fau.edu/hboi.
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About Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute:
Founded in 1971, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University is a research community of marine scientists, engineers, educators and other professionals focused on Ocean Science for a Better World. The institute drives innovation in ocean engineering, at-sea operations, drug discovery and biotechnology from the oceans, coastal ecology and conservation, marine mammal research and conservation, aquaculture, ocean observing systems and marine education. For more information, visit www.fau.edu/hboi.
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.
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