Progress 08/16/22 to 08/15/23
Outputs
Target Audience:1) USC students emrolled into BISC 491, Practical Aquaculture; 2) USC students enrolled into ENST 413, Sustainable Aquaculture and Food Security; 3) multiple groups of K12 students visiting to learn about aquaculture; 4) K12 students from local socially disandantaged communities recieved a series of lectures on aquaculture; 5) Local K12 teachers seeking new ways to teach Science - marine biology / aquaculture; 6) Summer Internship in Aquaculture students. Changes/Problems:AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles will be undergoing building renovation, and Aquaculture facilities will be moved from Hangar 59to Hangar 58.This will pose challenges for offering class of Practical Aquaculture, and possible cancellation of that class. We are working on alternative plans for providing students with this valuable hands-on training. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? We have furnished the 6000 sq feet empty hangar floor at AltaSea with 6 aquatic systems that pumps 15,000 gallons of filtered sea water to hold kelp, sea urchins, abalones, and mussels' stocks, and another system specifically designed for kelp restoration. The systems are equipped with electrical chillers, sand and UV filters, and above-surface illumination that simulates the natural light. The facility was completed by August 2022, compliant with safety requirements. To cultivate and breed seaweed, appropriate permits have been obtained from the CDFW. The facility has been used for ongoing scientific research and data collection conducted by students under leadership of Drs. Nuzhdin, Applebaum, Gracey, Ginsburg, Capone and Moffett. We used these systems to proof the concept of growing sporeless kelp (non-GMO selection method that ensures no gene flow from domesticated farmed kelp for fragile natural populations), to develop Pacific Southwest Mussels resistant to ocean acidification, as well as developing methodology for "green gravel" kelp restoration (where young kelp seedlings are secured to the surface of the rock and then dropped under water to desired area of restoration). The facility has been used for educational purposes in many ways. USC students enrolled into Maymester class used it for both attending lectures and visiting speakers (Capt. Nancy Caruso, a knows marine biologist and enthusiast of kelp restoration gave a lecture to our students), and practical sessions where they gained hands-on experience sequensing kelp data. Multiple flocks of visitors represented by general public and K12 students, went through our lab's grounds learning about sea creatures, science and practicality of marine cultivation, observed kelp and sea urchins in touch-tanks. The number of visitors varies from one event to another; some days, we had 30, others - up to 120 a day. Three promising high school students from local schools were selected to participate in the AltaSea sponsored Summer Immersion Program. The program consisted of 8 meetings where we discussed topics of general biology of kelp, sea urchins and bivalves and what challenges can be imposed on them by increasing global temperature and ocean acidification. We continuously cultivated and established strong relationships with our next-door neighbor company Holdfast Aquaculture as well as farmers outside of AltaSea grounds: Carlsbad AquaFarms, specializing on shellfish production, Santa Barbara Mariculture Company (mussels), Urchinomics (sea urchins), Ocean Rainforest (sugar kelp), Monterey Bay Seaweeds (red algae producer). Maymester students received invaluable experience visiting these farms where they were able to observe the operations, talk to farm directors and staff, appreciate accomplishments, and realize the challenges that farmers foresee with the climate change. We have run multiple engagement events including a mini-conference called "Saving the world with kelps" (on Oct 14). Among 99 registered participants, there have been numerous USC undergraduates, but also school students; who attended 12 talks from Scientists, Practitioners, and Regulators of Aquaculture. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Since the first kelp sprouts, our facility became a major attraction for AltaSea. We have been visited by local government leaders and the leader of the Office of Majority leader Steny Hoyer, interviewed by Daily Breeze, Businesswire, USC News and broadcasted by Spectrum, KABC, KTLA, KNBC TV stations. We developed two Introduction to Aquaculture curriculums suitable for middle and high school students. We and planning to keep these curriculums, receptive to enrichments, and continue offering them to new cohorts of K12 students. Graduate students and post doctorates from Nuzhdin lab have participated in AltaSea Panel during the Los Angeles Fleet Week Anupam Sings, Ph.D. and Maddelyn Harden, Ph.D.). During the panel session, they answered questions from the auditory about aquaculture, climate change, ocean acidification, importance of kelp as a source of food and energy. We initiated an interest in a group of local enthusiastic teachers through the DigIn Workshop - an annual seminar for K12 teachers organized by NMH and CSUDH. We intend to further develop this relationship and anticipate to organize visits and develop science classes for K12 students, together with teachers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are moving forward with the project as planned with all classed established except for Certification Program. We will keep all the classes running and we will focuse on Certification Program additionally.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1) Develop a semester-long aquaculture class for USC and other local students. Sustainable Aquaculture and Food Security (ENST 413) has been offered again. In late November (2023), we will conduct the 2nd edition of our Blue Foods experience for the undergraduate, Environmental Studies course in Sustainable Aquaculture and Food Security.This course unit has been instrumental in understanding limitations on expanding consumption patterns and markets for aquaculture products and we will continue to refine and expand it in future course semesters. Open Education Resource (OER) Development: An OER training and development grant awarded to Applebaum from a USC Center for Excellence in Teaching/STEM library sponsored program. We aim to use OER approaches to extend education and training resources across multiple courses within our USC curriculum, and to make educational resources available beyond USC enrollees. 2) Develop a semester-long practical aquaculture class for USC and other local students Practical Aquaculture (BISC 491). This class has been first offered in the Spring 2023, and is now enrolling students for the Spring 2024. Upon completion of this course, students have gained an immersive research experience in the field of practical aquaculture. Students are learning about some of the design, ecological and economic principles of aquaculture with a particular emphasis on the role of aquaculture and the 'blue economy' as a model for sustainable farming in the future. Students are also learning about the impacts of climate change on aquaculture and how practices must adapt to this challenge. In 2023, this class had 13 studentes enrolled and the course was focused on two research projects, labelling kelp grown in recirculation aquaculture systems with C13, and observing whether application of kelp-based fertilizes would improve carbon soil retention. This work was also supported by Research Initiatives grant from USC in the amount of $75K. The preliminary data obtained indicated that up to half of kelp-based carbon stays in soil - giving hope for large-scale carbon sequestration in agricultural soils. The students have produced data, analyzed them, and reported as a poster.The second project has been to analyze whether some kelp genotypes can survive warning ocean. With the analysis of up to 200 genotypes, students attempted to put some of them into cold versus warm tanks and propagate. While this portion of the class did not produce useful data, the students have learned a great deal about aquaculture practices. In summer 2023, 3 students from the BISC 491 class were supported as REEU summer fellows so that they could continue with research experience outside the academic year. 3) Develop a month-long course on biodiversity and aquaculture sustainability at the Wrigley Marine Science Center (Catalina Island, California) and at National Taiwan University (Taipei, Taiwan) Coastal Biodiversity, Sustainability & Conservation (BISC 499). This project-based class enrolled 8 students. The students were asked to apply for the USDA REEU fellowship. Applebaum, Noujdina, and Nuzhdin evaluated their applications and awarded 4 research-education fellowships, consistent with the project expectations. The class combined formal training in coastal sustainability and conservation with hands-on project-based training. The focus on two main deliverables. Half of students chose to work on kelp restoration, and another half on urchin ranching projects. The 'Kelp group' collected giant kelp sori and implemented spore release in two different experimental settings (one of which was very successful). They also interviewed Catalina Island Marine Institute stuff, who indicated the need for restoration. The students then developed a project write up, communicating with various stakeholders, which was submitted to Ocean Protection Council Proposition 68, chapter 9 competition (invitation to submit a full proposal pending). The proposal steaming from this research received $660K support from Builders Initiative, Walton Foundation, and the research will be used as engagement tool in the future offerings of this class. The 'Urchin group' has worked with Avalon public to identify the need for developing rural aquaculture opportunities. With interviews and literature analyses, this group developed a design for an urchin ranching system. Using assistance of the class instructors, they then built the ranching tanks at AltaSea, and started to house the red and purple urchins in them. While some mortality was experienced, surviving urchins are doing well, and both groups are still alive for over 1.5 years since they were initially housed. 4) Develop a summer research immersion program that will be offered to a broad range of applicants Fall 2021-Spring 2023 Seawater Environmental Monitoring Research Experience. Research and training experiences in ocean health monitoring and aquaculture at Alta Sea, Port of Los Angeles. A year-long, seawater monitoring program conducted by students in our USDA REEU program recorded key environmental variables and is now offering valuable insights for aquaculture related research and commercial endeavors. This undergraduate led project sought to characterize the source water at the Nuzhdin/Alta Sea aquaculture research and training facility as little is known about the site-specific diel, depth-stratified, and seasonal dynamics of the seawater environment at Alta Sea. Out team has recently been contacted by a commercial bivalve seed producer, a regional public/private research agency and a startup firm using bivalve aquaculture for CO2 sequestration for access to our initial dataset as resource in their ongoing efforts. Discussions with these partners over ongoing collaboration including expanding and refining this undergraduate student driven research program to for ongoing support of Alta Sea and other regional users are underway. While establishing the summer training component is slated for the later project years, we have been opportune in attracting trainees, and setting them with initial projects. Those included Riley Benedict (Berkeley), Sasha Fishman (Univ. Montreal), Jessica Carstens-Kass (UCLA) and others. They contributed to building kelp systems, tending to genetically characterized kelp, and a range of other activities. In the summer 2023, we first offered a summer fellowship program for students from USC but also Nationwide. While our initial goal was to offer 4 fellowships, we gathered additional funds from AltaSea, and managed to recruit 5 very strong fellows, 3 were recruited from the spring 2023 USC BISC 491 class, one from University of Colorado, and one from University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. These students were working with Holdfast Aquaculture, Pacific6, AltaSeads Conservancy, and Braid Theory on a diversity of projects involving practices and policy aspects of Aquaculture. One of them (Hayden Schnieder, University of Colorado) has extended her fellowship via AltaSea and AltaSeads Conservancy funds, she is developing policies of macroalgal seed exchange between the USA and developing countries. 5) Develop a remote certification training program for participants from disadvantaged categories or rural locations. Pertinent to our objective to develop certification program, here are Highlights from our relevant Collaborations: Santa Monica College Partnership-certification program, engaging non-USC students Member: Santa Monica College Aquaculture Curriculum and Certification Program Advisory Board Aquaculture biology K-12 education article in preparation with Dr. Francis Pan (USC Biological Sciences). A submission to the Frontiers for Kids series journal based upon our recently published study in J. Exp. Biology.
Publications
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Progress 08/16/21 to 08/15/22
Outputs
Target Audience:1) USC students emrolled into BISC 499,Coastal Biodiversity, Sustainability & Conservation; 2) USC students enrolled into ENST 413, Sustainable Aquaculture and Food Security; 3) multiple groups of K12 students visiting to learn about aquaculture; 4) K12 students from local socially disandantaged communities recieved a series of lectures on aquaculture; 5) Local K12 teachers seeking new ways to teach Science - marine biology / aquaculture; Changes/Problems:Covid prevented us from the overseas portion of our Maymester class in Taiwan. However, we worked closely with the USC Study Abroad Office to agree on the logistics of the class and to establish the pipeline for exchanging lecture materials. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? We have furnished the 6000 sq feet empty hangar floor at AltaSea with 6 aquatic systems that pumps 15,000 gallons of filtered sea water to hold kelp, sea urchins, abalones, and mussels' stocks, and another system specifically designed for kelp restoration. The systems are equipped with electrical chillers, sand and UV filters, and above-surface illumination that simulates the natural light. The facility was completed by August 2022, compliant with safety requirements. To cultivate and breed seaweed, appropriate permits have been obtained from the CDFW. The facility has been used for ongoing scientific research and data collection conducted by students under leadership of Drs. Nuzhdin, Applebaum, Gracey, Ginsburg, Capone and Moffett. We used these systems to proof the concept of growing sporeless kelp (non-GMO selection method that ensures no gene flow from domesticated farmed kelp for fragile natural populations), to develop Pacific Southwest Mussels resistant to ocean acidification, as well as developing methodology for "green gravel" kelp restoration (where young kelp seedlings are secured to the surface of the rock and then dropped under water to desired area of restoration). The facility has been used for educational purposes in many ways. USC students enrolled into Maymester class used it for both attending lectures and visiting speakers (Capt. Nancy Caruso, a knows marine biologist and enthusiast of kelp restoration gave a lecture to our students), and practical sessions where they gained hands-on experience sequencing kelp data. Multiple flocks of visitors represented by general public and K12 students, went through our lab's grounds learning about sea creatures, science and practicality of marine cultivation, observed kelp and sea urchins in touch-tanks. The number of visitors varies from one event to another; some days, we had 30, others - up to 120 a day. Three promising high school students from local schools were selected to participate in the AltaSea sponsored Summer Immersion Program. The program consisted of 8 meetings where we discussed topics of general biology of kelp, sea urchins and bivalves and what challenges can be imposed on them by increasing global temperature and ocean acidification. We continuously cultivated and established strong relationships with our next-door neighbor company Holdfast Aquaculture as well as farmers outside of AltaSea grounds: Carlsbad AquaFarms, specializing on shellfish production, Santa Barbara Mariculture Company (mussels), Urchinomics (sea urchins), Ocean Rainforest (sugar kelp), Monterey Bay Seaweeds (red algae producer). Maymester students received invaluable experience visiting these farms where they were able to observe the operations, talk to farm directors and staff, appreciate accomplishments, and realize the challenges that farmers foresee with the climate change. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Since the first kelp sprouts, our facility became a major attraction for AltaSea. We have been visited by local government leaders and the leader of the Office of Majority leader Steny Hoyer, interviewed by Daily Breeze, Businesswire, USC News and broadcasted by Spectrum, KABC, KTLA, KNBC TV stations. We developed two Introduction to Aquaculture curriculums suitable for middle and high school students. We and planning to keep these curriculums, receptive to enrichments, and continue offering them to new cohorts of K12 students. Graduate students and post doctorates from Nuzhdin lab have participated in AltaSea Panel during the Los Angeles Fleet Week Anupam Sings, Ph.D. and Maddelyn Harden, Ph.D.). During the panel session, they answered questions from the auditory about aquaculture, climate change, ocean acidification, importance of kelp as a source of food and energy. We initiated an interest in a group of local enthusiastic teachers through the DigIn (Digitize Marine Invertebrate collection) Workshop - an annual workshop for K12 teachers organized by LA County Museum of Natural History (NMH) and California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH). We intend to further develop this relationship and anticipate to organize visits and develop science classes for K12 students, together with teachers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?As the Covid pandemic subsides, and academic life begins to approach normalcy, we expect that we will have a substantial uptick in student interest in expanding their academic research experience. Our first year has allowed us to establish the groundwork for this expansion. We have also satisfactorily completed a series of USC-administered health and safety reviews of the AltSea facility which served to create a safe working environment for future visiting undergraduate students.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1) Develop a semester-long aquaculture class for USC and other students. Sustainable Aquaculture and Food Security (ENST 413). This course for students interested in the interface of food system sustainability, freshwater and marine environmental science. Activities include interactions/partnerships within USC (Marine Enviro. Biol., Molec. Comp. Biol., Price School of Public Policy) and externally (California Science Center, Holdfast Aquaculture, USDA Animal Welfare, Alta Sea, Pacific Hybreed, Carlsbad Aquafarm). Open Education Resource (OER) Development: An OER training and development grant awarded to Applebaum from a USC Center for Excellence in Teaching/STEM library sponsored program. Resources and training offered in this program supered supported development of an expanded, open education resources format to be implemented within the course ENST413 (info above) during Fall 2022. We aim to use OER approaches to extend education and training resources across multiple courses within our USC curriculum, and to make educational resources available beyond USC enrollees. 2) Develop a semester-long practical aquaculture class for USC and other local students Practical Aquaculture (BISC 491). Upon completion of this course, students will have gained an immersive research experience in the field of practical aquaculture. Students will also learn about design, ecological and economic principles of aquaculture with a particular emphasis on the role of aquaculture and the 'blue economy' as a model for sustainable farming in the future. Students will also learn about the impacts of climate change on aquaculture and how practices must adapt to this challenge. Marine and Environmental Biology (Gracey) and Molecular and Computation Biology Programs (Nuzhdin) of USC Biological Sciences have traditionally focused on a single undergraduate major mostly catering to premedical students. Concurrent with procurement of this USDA award, USC moved to establish new 'track system' within this major, which was very opportune for developing our program. Specifically, both Gracey and Nuzhdin worked on the undergraduate track committee, that resolved in establishing new 'marine biology', 'evolution, ecology, and environment', and 'biotechnology' tracks, that we envision to be perfect for feeding our proposed blue economy training in the future. Both 'marine biology' and 'evolution, ecology, and environment' tracks require field classes, and we see those as components of the blue economy training. This change in curriculum has been approved, and the BISC 491 is now on the books to be offered in the Spring 2023. 3) Develop a month-long course on biodiversity and aquaculture sustainability at the Wrigley Marine Science Center (Catalina Island, California) and at National Taiwan University (Taipei, Taiwan) Coastal Biodiversity, Sustainability & Conservation (BISC 499). A first-edition experiential learning course that offering field and laboratory experiences in coastal observation approaches and emphasizing conversation aquaculture practices. Instruction locations the Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island, California and internationally at National Taiwan University. Note: Covid restrictions prevented Taiwan during 2022 and was substituted for AltaSea aquaculture research and training site and the Port of Los Angles, and through visit to regional aquaculture facilities and coastal conservation sites/programs. This project-based class enrolled 8 students. The students were asked to apply for the USDA REEU fellowship. Applebaum, Noujdina, and Nuzhdin evaluated their applications and awarded 4 research-education fellowships, consistent with the project expectations. The class combined formal training in coastal sustainability and conservation with hands-on project-based training. The focus on two main deliverables. Half of students chose to work on kelp restoration, and another half on urchin ranching projects. The 'Kelp group' collected giant kelp sori and implemented spore release in two different experimental settings (one of which was very successful). They also interviewed Catalina Island Marine Institute stuff, who indicated the need for restoration. The students then developed a project write up, communicating with various stakeholders, which was submitted to Ocean Protection Council Proposition 68, chapter 9 competition (invitation to submit a full proposal pending). The 'Urchin group' has worked with Avalon public to identify the need for developing rural aquaculture opportunities. With interviews and literature analyses, this group developed a design for an urchin ranching system. Using assistance of the class instructors, they then built the ranching tanks at AltaSea, and started to house the red and purple urchins in them. While some mortality was experienced, surviving urchins are doing well, and both groups are still alive for over 70 days since they were initially housed. To fund these 'urchin projects', we have communicated with the mayor of Redondo Beach and his team, who desire to re-develop Redondo Beach waterfront into commercial education and research facility for blue economy. They have exhibited a substantial interest, and we have submitted a preproposal for S-K NOAA competition to so do (invitation to submit a full proposal pending). In the future, we plan to move the USA portion of this class into Cayucas, where Dr. Michael Graham, Monterey Bay Seaweed, and co-PIs (including Nuzhdin) are planning to establish massive IMTA abalone/seaweed production. USDA AFRI Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) proposal pending, with this class to become a component of the SAS education sub-project. 4) Develop a summer research immersion program that will be offered to a broad range of applicants • Fall 2021-Spring 2022 Seawater Environmental Monitoring Research Experience. Research and training experiences in ocean health monitoring and aquaculture at Alta Sea, Port of Los Angeles • Spring 2022: 1 student directed research in Environmental Studies (ENST 490) •New award for 2022-2023: USC Undergraduate Research Associates Program (URAP) with ENST faculty J. Sohm and D. Ginsburg. Currently recruiting 2 students for a year-long research and training experiences in ocean health monitoring and aquaculture at AltaSea. •While establishing the summer training component is slated for the later project years, we have been opportune in attracting trainees, and setting them with initial projects. Those included Riley Benedict (Berkeley), Sasha Fishman (Univ. Montreal), Jessica Carstens-Kass (UCLA) and others. They contributed to building kelp systems, tending to genetically characterized kelp, and a range of other activities. • To enable broad set of opportunities for our trainees to engage in the future, we have also established close collaborations with our commercial partners, including Holdfast (sharing two funded projects with them), Pacific6 (Biden's Build Back Better Plan (BBB) application pending), and Braid Theory (BBB application pending). Furthermore, there are now 11 Blue economy commercial enterprises located at AltaSea; and we are in interactions with many of them to host REEU students in summer 2023. 5) Develop a remote certification training program for participants from disadvantaged categories or rural locations. Pertinent to our objective to develop certification program, here are Highlights from our relevant Collaborations: • Santa Monica College Partnership-certification program, engaging non-USC students •Member: Santa Monica College Aquaculture Curriculum and Certification Program Advisory Board •Aquaculture biology K-12 education article in preparation with Dr. Francis Pan (USC Biological Sciences). A submission to the Frontiers for Kids series journal based upon our recently published study in J. Exp. Biology.
Publications
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