Episode 104: Farming the Sea

An ever-growing demand for fresh seafood has pushed wild fish stocks around the world to the brink. In Florida, scientists and other experts are farming the sea in an attempt to alleviate some of these fishing pressures. “Aquaculture,” or “fish farming,” is the cultivation of marine or freshwater organisms. Some aquaculture methods have been highly criticized for their negative environmental impacts, but other, more environmentally friendly techniques, are being perfected at various research institutions in Florida.

Changing Seas travels from coast to coast, meeting with experts who raise fish for food production and to replenish depleted wild populations. Learn how scientists are making it possible to grow marine fish miles away from shore, and discover which Florida research facilities are testing new methods for making aquaculture more environmentally sustainable and efficient. Also visit Cedar Key, Florida, where aquaculture has helped to preserve the area’s rich fishing heritage. Here, former gillnet fishermen turned clam-farmers harvest their product with little impact to the local ecosystems.

Experts

Meet the experts featured in this episode.

Episode Photos

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Baby clams from Southern Cross Sea Farms, Inc. in Cedar Key, FL.

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Shawn Stephenson, co-owner of Southern Cross Sea Farms, Inc. in Cedar Key, FL.

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Baby clams from Southern Cross Sea Farms, Inc. in Cedar Key, FL.

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Shawn Stephenson, co-owner of Southern Cross Sea Farms, Inc. in Cedar Key, FL.

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Southern Cross Sea Farms, Inc. grows algae to feed its hard-shell clams.

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Cedar Key, FL.

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Videographer Allan Farrell filming at the HBOI Aquaculture Park in Ft. Pierce, FL.

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Farm raised fish at the HBOI Aquaculture Park in Ft. Pierce, FL.

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A researcher at the HBOI Aquaculture Park in Ft. Pierce, FL.

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A researcher at the HBOI Aquaculture Park in Ft. Pierce, FL.

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Marty Riche, Ph.D. at the HBOI Aquaculture Park in Ft. Pierce, FL.

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Chuck Weirich, Ph.D. at the HBOI Aquaculture Park in Ft. Pierce, FL.

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Paul Wills, Ph.D. at the HBOI Aquaculture Park in Ft. Pierce, FL.

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Cedar Key, FL

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Clams from Southern Cross Sea Farms, Inc. in Cedar Key, FL.

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Clams.

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Co-owner of Southern Cross Sea Farms, Inc. Shawn Stephenson and Videographer Allan Farrell in Cedar Key, FL.

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Co-owner of Southern Cross Sea Farms, Inc. Shawn Stephenson in front of the algae that feed the clams.

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Southern Cross Sea Farms, Inc.

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Allan Farrell (right) filming Jon Gill (left), co-owner of Southern Cross Sea Farms, Inc. in Cedar Key, FL.

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Clams at Southern Cross Sea Farms, Inc. Cedar Key, FL.

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Shawn Stephenson, co-owner of Southern Cross Sea Farms, Inc. in Cedar Key, FL.

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Allan Farrell filming co-owner of Southern Cross Sea Farms, Inc., Shawn Stephenson, in Cedar Key, FL.

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Moving clams at Southern Cross Sea Farms, Inc.

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Clam farmer Bobby Witt, Videographer Allan Farrell, and Associate Producer/Audio Assist Kandra Velez.

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Farm-raised clams from Cedar Key, FL.

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Clam farmer Bobby Witt on his boat.

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Captain Bobby Witt washing newly harvested clams.

Special Thanks:

Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce
618 Second Street
Cedar Key, FL 32625
(352) 543-5600

Dockside Inn & Resort
1160 Seaway Drive
South Hutchinson Island
Ft. Pierce, FL 34949
(772) 468-3555

Homewood Suites by Hilton
3470 Fruitville Road
Sarasota, FL 34237
(941) 365-7300

Old Fenimore Mill
11 Old Mill Drive
Cedar Key, FL 32625
(352) 543-9803

Red Roof Inn
3500 Southwest 42nd Street
Gainesville, FL 32608
(352) 336-3311

The Island Place at Cedar Key
1st and C Street
Cedar Key, FL 32625
(352) 543-5307

Wingate Inn & Suites
5464 Lena Road
Bradenton, FL 34211
(941) 755-0055

Cedar Cove Beach and Yacht Club
192 Second Street
Cedar Key, FL 32625
(352) 543-5332

DebonAir Mechanical Inc
2649 West 81 Street
Hialeah, FL 33016
(305) 826-2240

Image Credits

Changing Seas would like to thank the following individuals and institutions who kindly allowed their footage, images and other media to be used in this production:

Oceana

Pew Oceans Commission

Project Ocean

Alfredo Quarto
Mangrove Action Project

Ellen Hines
Marine Photobank