The National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center (NCWMAC) is staffed by ARS scientists and support personnel who are managing a national research program to address the cold-water marine aquaculture industrys highest priority research needs.
The parr system at the NCWMAC in Franklin, ME contains 234 small 50-gallon culture tanks for rearing Atlantic salmon from fry to advanced parr stage. All research tanks are supplied with water from recirculating filtration systems.
The NCWMAC facility cultures all life stages of the Atlantic salmon. Research program areas address: Genetic Improvement, Growth and Development, Health, and Sustainable Production Systems for Atlantic salmon and for cold water marine finfish species.
The research units primary research objective is genetic improvement of Atlantic salmon utilizing a family-based selective breeding program, resulting in the development of genetically improved North American Atlantic salmon lines for US producers.
U.S. salmon production is constrained by lack of genetic improvement, disease, and production efficiency. Producers are required to culture salmon of North American origin, and a salmon research program is needed for improved native stocks.
Mission
The mission of the National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center is to conduct research that will solve problems limiting production efficiency of coldwater marine aquaculture. The current primary research focus is genetic improvement using an applied selective breeding program to increase efficiency and sustainability of Atlantic salmon culture.