Sustainable Food & Agriculture is not just about feeding our planet's population today - it's about evolving systems of farming that generations to come can rely on. How can we feed more people without clearing land better left undeveloped? How can we improve existing farms to produce more and pollute less?
Researchers are working to protect the quality of of our water resources; preserve healthy and nutritious soils; promote biodiversity; and educate skilled farm workers. UMass Dartmouth is exploring topics in sustainable economic development, food resource security, health and nutrition, and environmental impacts of agricultural and aquaculture farming.
Our work in nearby New Bedford - one of the nation's leading fishing ports - positions UMass Dartmouth to explore how healthy wild fish stocks can be protected and fish farming techniques can be advanced. Our School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) is located in New Bedford and serves as a hub for cooperative efforts between researchers, fisherman, and others interested in sustaining the city's working waterfront. SMAST's Marine Fisheries Institute is harnessing efforts to further advance sustainable fisheries science and management solutions.
Harvesting the Ocean
"Sustainable fisheries contribute to the sustainability of our planet. It's an important little piece, especially when you think of the ocean." --Dr. Brian Rothchild
Current Research: Sustainable Fisheries
Sustainable Fisheries research support both healthy stocks and healthy fishing communities. Research at the Marine Fisheries Institute is being spearheaded by Dr. Brian Rothschild, SMAST's Montgomery Charter Professor of Marine Science and Technology, Chairman of New Bedford Mayor Scott W. Lang's Ocean and Fisheries Council, and Co-Director of the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Institute. Dr. Rothschild's research interests include population dynamics, biological oceanography, fisheries management and natural resources policy. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded Dr. Rothschild its 2007 Sustainable Fisheries Award.
Contact: The Marine Fisheries Institute, www.smast.umassd.edu/Fisheries/institute.php
Current Research: Fisheries Management
A collaborative research group at the Charlton College of Business is examining sustainability approaches for fisheries business operations and resilient efficient harvesting. Together, the researchers of this group are looking for innovative solutions for some of the major threats to the industry's future: dwindling wild fish stocks, polluted ecosystems, global warming, and increased regulatory control.
Contact: Charlton College of Business: Prof. Steven White, Prof. Gary Clayton, Prof. Gudvin Ariguzo, www.umassd.edu/ccb
Current Research: Shellfish Aquaculture
Shellfish readily take to farming, making them an ideal sustainable resource. As a bonus, shellfish also naturally filter water and can remove the effects of the over-nitrification that is commonly occuring in coastal waters due to wastewater and fertilizer runoff. Researchers at UMass Dartmouth are studying the potential of oysters and other shellfish to provide both abundant food, and environmental pollution remediation.
Contact: Prof. Richard Golen, Charlton College of Business, www.umassd.edu/ccb
