Friday

March 27, 2026

8:30 AM

Welcome from Mike Frinsko – NCSU Extension/AEC

8:40 AM

Policy Updates

NCAA/NAA – NCAA BOD
NCFB – Laura Kilian

Industry Update

Finfish – Steve Hall, NCSU Bio. and Agr. Engineering
Shellfish – Eric Herbst, NC Sea Grant
Economics– Pete Anderson, NCDA Marketing

10:00 AM

Trade Show Break

10:30 AM

Concurrent sessions

Finfish

NCSU/NCCE Research update
Alex Chouljenko, NCSU Seafood Lab

UNCW Research Update
Pat Carroll, UNCW Center for Marine Science

Cold Banking Striped Bass Broodstock
Bobby Clark, NCSU Pamlico Aquaculture Field Lab

Pond-Side Striped Bass Larval Production
Erimi Kendrick, NCSU Applied Ecology

Striped Bass Larviculture Production
Mike Frinsko, NCSU Extension/Applied Ecology

Robotics in Aquaculture
Steve Hall, Bio. and Agr. Engineering

Shellfish

UNCW Shellfish Research Hatchery and Program Update
Ami Wilbur, UNCW Biology & Marine Biology

Sudden/Unusual Mortality Syndrome Research and Status Update
Tal Ben-Horin, NCSU Center for Marine Sciences and Technology

Reducing Shellfish Mortality
Rachel Noble, UNC Institute for Marine Science

NCDMF Policy Update
Zach Harrison, NCDMF

NCDMF Water Quality and Sanitation Update
Shannon Jenkins, NCDMF

NCSGA Update
Chris Matteo, President NCSGA

12:00 PM

Trade Show Break

12:30 PM

Lunch

12:45 PM

Keynote

Mike Frinsko

Striped Bass Aquaculture: From Research to Commercialization

Aubrey Onley

Domesticated Striped Bass Production in North Carolina: A Producers Experience

1:15 PM

Conference Concludes