Summit Notes, Catalina August 1-3, 2019

Drafted by: Marika Schulhof, PhD, USC Grant Jessica Dutton, PhD, USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Science, Director of Special Projects Maddelyn Harden, USC Graduate Student, Dept. of Molecular and Computational Biology

August 1, 2019: Day 1

Douglas Capone- William and Julie Wrigley Chair in Environmental Studies and Professor of Biological Sciences, USC . Welcome and Introductions

Bernard Friedman – Santa Barbara , Owner/Operator • 72 acres leased from CA; fully permitted • Santa Barbara mussel farm (hope ranch black mussels) • Located Approximately 1-mile from shore • Low resource input; takes about a year to grow; Japanese longline system @80ft depth (30 feet below surface) • Partnership with SB • 2 weeks shelf-life if keep the mussels bearded • Sold in SB mostly but compete with Prince Edward Island and NZ mussels • Macrocystis, giant oyster, mussel, Mytilus californianus • Scientific permits have different standards

Discussion Topics:  Galloprovincialis (Mediterranean mussels) – non-native species but somewhat naturalized – can be grown – adequately addressed through regulatory process  Spawn into the wild  Would like to do more collaborations. Allows for conservative growth via research connections and funding: can support during economic up/downs. Comes with scientific collecting permits and help in the permitting process too  Currently competing with other small growers. But envisions geographic spread of farms to collaborate and share expenses.  Sergey: Ventura harbor wants to commit 2000 acres for growing mussels – if they don’t have intake, they have to dredge (?)  Primary ocean – macroalgae commercialization

Peter Struffenegger– Stellar Biotechnologies • Raising giant keyhole limpet in port Hueneme • Failed to make progress in clinical trials – supplying KLH to pharmaceutical companies • Blood of giant keyhole limpet – 2 proteins used in immunostimulating research – can attach things on protein and use it for drug delivery • CA 3 fish: Sturgeon, striped bass, ____ -- sport but not . Pass law that progeny of wild brood stock belongs to culturist not state (but state owns brood stock) . Permits to collect brood stock – 20 fish/year – spawn and return to wild • 3 legs – resources people, academic, industry • Department of Fish and Game and commission • Individual farms better off cooperating than competing – cooperate as farmers and compete in the marketplace; sit down with academics and form group – can leverage farms better with academics to collaborate – i.e. “the entire sturgeon industry supports this research” – have gotten tons of funding this way • Support group priorities for research and these projects support problem solving – i.e. Disease, spawning, biological issues, food science research once master basic biology • Far better off collaborating • USDA WRAC (western regional aquaculture consortium) • Challenges: regulatory, marketing, public perception • As an industry (not as individual farms), more successful battling those issues • Marine realm: public waters; have to ask for public permission • Would cost way more to do research independently (don’t have lab facilities). Academic partnerships make way more sense. In-kind contributions • Stellar biotech . Pump station; 6 intake pipes . Aquaculture park built by city of Port Hueneme . Port hueneme – offload Chiquita bananas, fertilizer . Partnership between commercial and academic to set up aquaculture operations for funding and building of facilities • LA region treats port hueneme as a sewage treatment plant (because of the waste-water that comes out of the operation)

Discussion Topics:

Priority discussion point: Port Hueneme  Holdfast aquaculture needs a hatching site  Great facilities – microscope work, hatchery work, molecular work  Outdoor facilities  Navy vs. ACE owns various parts of the inner part of port (in federal water)– huge regulatory hurdle; whereas outside the port is state waters . Might have to deepen channel for shipping; currently 1ft clearance  Water quality south of port is not good after rainstorm; sedimentation  Some copper pollution

Nathan Churches – Holdfast Aquaculture, LLC Founders: Diane Kim, Nathan Churches, Kelly Stromburg • Established bivalve breeding programs • Startup facilities at SCMI & Wrigley • Current facilities at AltaSea but currently shopping for new space • Grow microalgae to feed bivalves • Gamete conditioning • Hope to scale up 10x by 2020; 5-year vision to provide seed to entire SCB farms • Grants through USDA SBIR – callout to improve production and new products for aquaculture • Why the CA mussel – Ventura shellfish enterprise – driver: the industry is expanding • Science is close to supporting California mussel as aquaculture product (mytilus edulis complex compared to California mussel) . Literature search . Main gap in literature is in-hatchery long-line settlement –not sure if they will settle onto lines like blue mussels do • Will run settling experiments on long-line sites; permitted for research • Phenotyping for important traits for commercial product • Wild to cultivated comparisons – important for consumer preferences • PSMFC – developing locally adapted mussel varieties for aquaculture production in SCB . Most people here get mussel seed from PNW – compare seed from SCV for aquaculture production . Compare market relevant traits for the two lines (PNW vs SCB) . Begin selection for superior lines for locally adapted mussels using a Mass selection and genomic selection strategy (because new data suggests that biomarkers may be difficult or impossible to utilize in aquaculture) • Genomic selection as a breeding strategy -- large # markers to estimate breeding values without having precise knowledge of where genes are located (Illumina’s GS in agriculture) • Mass selection to produce superior locally derived lines • 4 trait index for selection – can see 30% changes within 2 generations • Seed are currently wild animals

Discussion Topics:

At what point does a domesticated animal become a threat to wild stock? How to manage that?  Introduce sterility in crops – commercial protection, intellectual property, protect wild stock . Triploid, don’t spawn  Issue that will arise in 5-10 years  Need a few generations to prove genetic differences  Lessons to learn from hybrid corn industry

Brandon Scott Barney-Primary Ocean Producers • Vertically integrated biotech company-kelp farming with harvest and high-pressure homogenization to produce concentrated liquid fertilizer • Apply 9L/Hectare of seaweed – increase growth of tomatoes due to phytohormones in seaweed • Offshore cultivation and harvesting of seaweed at scales of 100,000 hectares • Department of Energy funded • Growing system – anchors on ocean floor • Design will be tested at Catalina Sea Ranch • Copy nature as much as possible – simulate natural • Automated drone will cut kelp • First site in San Pedro shelf at Catalina sea ranch • Grow brown algae – partners in north Atlantic between Norway and Iceland (ocean rainforest) • Part of team from Chile – tested giant kelp cultivation from DOE and Chilean govt • Arpa-e (DOE) • Circular economy solutions from seaweed – bioremediation to bioproducts to feed and fuel our world • Korea and Asia – eat seaweed mostly • In N America we extract compounds from seaweed • Close biogeochemical cycle between ocean and land through their product • Look at microbes, etc • Cucumbers and tomatoes have yield greatly improved by seaweed • Applied for offshore seaweed farm • Advance aquaculture collaborations with Sergey and Doug Capone • A lot of biofouling on the line; need to better understand macroalgal microbiome interactions *** (need help) • Genetic breeding technology – sterile wakame • On the farm now: holdfast provided seeded lines; kelp growing • Kelp will always be a biomass winner; floats • Liquid fertilizer from kelp – high pressure homogenization (same as juicing system) . Discussion Topics:  Research needs: 1. Advance aquaculture collaboration-microbiome, reduce biofouling 2. Genetic breeding technology-sterile kelp 3. Transitions to other agriculture crops 4. Ecosystem services of offshore macroalgae farms

Alexia Akbay – Symbrosia Solutions • Student startup; about a year in • 10% GHG from in livestock • Hope to replace 1-2% feed with algae to reduce methane production (reduces 99%) • Symbiotic system – grow algae with shrimp (nutrient recycling) • Algae  dairy suppliers • Shrimp  organic food option • Gracilaria – significant methane reductions; growth rates 30% + /day; shrimp waste runoff pulsed into system with supplemental lighting • taxiformis – collected from Santa Catalina Island; work with sporophyte; maintain populations in sterilized sea water • – Penaeus vannamei – raised on seaweed and their waste used as fertilizer for seaweed • Corrected system for microalgae growth – compete with macroalgae • EU marine biotech report – initiatives and parties and how they interact • Research interests: A. taxiformis, biodesign (engineering), fish species diversification, LCA improvements (circular resource use [industrial ecology], lower energy use) • Content interests – industry consensus on claims (how to verify that they’re true; develop protocols) • Develop supplement from seaweed to give cows

Discussion Topics:

 Symbiotic relationships – genome assembly in A. taxiformis would be important in understanding what is producing active compounds  Huge inland brackish and saltwater resources that can be utilized  Closing lifecycle is really difficult for seaweed  Rhodophyta takes up nutrients at night – can develop systems differently based on different nutrient acquisition traits  Aquaculture accelerator in Hawaii with free facilities potentially plan; otherwise, Altasea in SP

Cindy Wilcox – Marine bioenergy • Industry partner with Wrigley, DOE ARPA-E funding • Established offshore drone-towed energy farm with daily depth-cycling. *Meeting with harvesters ~4x/year • “Elevator” test at Catalina: goes to 80m depth, and up to 8m daily

Results: • Depth-cycled kelp doing as well as control site • Some morphological differences. Longer, thinner blades & smaller pneumatocysts • Pneumatocysts not imploding at depth – indicates adaptation • Developing sporophylls faster than control • Data comparing control vs. elevator kelp: . Length much longer (2-3x) . Temperature as proxy for nutrients • To deliver 10% of U.S. fuel, need cultivation area the size of Utah (220,000 km^2) • Intermediate flows for buoyancy control • Need genetics teams to develop sterile hybrids • Have ARPA-E funding • Sensors for monitoring • Attach experimental kelp to buoy -- goes down to 80m every day • Blades 25-30cm on average; now over 2m in length • Each have at least 4 fronds, growing very well • Longer, narrower blades – phenotypic plasticity • Gradients in DO, nutrients, higher wave energy • Biofouling on structures • Catalina kelp is a very good nutrient competitor compared to Monterey and other native kelp

Rae Fuhrman – Stingray Sensing • Need environmental monitoring to prove claims of aquaculture (i.e. Ecosystem services and benefits, e.g. Kelp draws down CO2 14% faster than rain forests) • High tech restorative aquaculture systems • Need for more data on ecosystem services • Develop sensor array that meets permitting requirements • Dearth of data to meet permitting requirements, especially for nutrients • Development strategy – . Assemble sensor suite and deploy at current farm sites, validate ecosystem services . Remote sensing . Low cost sensor array for real time monitoring . Use data to develop predictive ecological and bioeconomic models (e.g. Disease outbreaks) • HABS – useful for identifying point sources pollution; show that seaweeds compete with HABs and reduce incidence • Hardware and software package • Partnered with Suburban marine (www.suburbanmarine.io) – engineering firm for sensors. Applying aerospace tech to ocean tech • Currently, environmental monitoring consulting charges a lot for monitoring • Incorporate eDNA sequencing to monitor N, and use other modeling proxies for nutrients (nutrient analyses are expensive) – real time sensors for N species • Good to collaborate with SCCWRP and CalCofi for data, also public health agencies • Need long term datasets for models – LTER, MPA

Diane Kim – Holdfast aquaculture • Currently focused on shellfish seed production but also interested in seaweed • Brown and red seaweed cultivation, multi-trophic (IMTA) aquaculture systems, demo farms, seed banks, • USA seaweed industry is nascent but worldwide it is a huge industry – 21M tons production, $10B-16B/yr o Most are rhodophytes (for carrageenan production) • Most seaweed is used for food • Huge nutritional benefits with little to positive environmental impact • Browns – good handle on closing lifecycle, but not so for reds o Difficult to cultivate reds • Research needs: o Nutritional composition o Regenerative multitrophic systems • www.holdfastaq.com

Karen Gray – Green Wave Energy • West-Coast Representative for Green Wave • Open ocean, nearshore underwater farms • Low trophic, zero inputs (shellfish and kelp) • Share reef areas; have collaborative approach • Low cost, low tech, easily replicated • Have supported 50 farms; 25 have gone through farmer’s training program • Green wave focused on 3 areas: farmer training, get people through permitting process, R&D • Many research opportunities • Policy – understand state and federal regulations to provide support system for farmers • Working group on mariculture policy to make regulations favor aquaculture farms • Science has a really strong role to play in changing policy • Science/policy extension – USDA seriously needs it • USDA money becoming available for seaweed rather than shellfish • No seaweed regulations currently for safety standards • Shellfish – dept of public health • EU – have strict standards for seaweed and think that USA should follow their model as we develop our own guidelines • Lax standards in Asia for seaweed • CT: seaweed jobs bill – made seaweed farming easier to access  to make authorizations more straightforward • Maine is mecca for setting up farms – different tiers of farms to reduce risk for farmer (eg. Experimental farm, etc) . In CA it is a bigger investment for farmer – long term investment • Ventura Shellfish Enterprise – want to act as facilitator for new farmers • Create spirit of collaboration to move forward together • Need for more outreach and education • Angry fishermen; need also outreach to fishing community . Perhaps if there’s more aquaculture opportunities they’d see chances to get involved and not be angry; they see it as a monoculture • Value in economic assessment for CA specifically • White paper on how to get leases and permits in CA – written by Karen for Green Wave . Open-access on their information • Grow multiple species not monoculture – to create multiple sources of income to buffer for unstable years in one crop

Discussion Topics:  Co-op models . Band together while industry is nascent to become stronger  1-4 players in southern California – Bernard is biggest for bivalves  Industry should conform to a co-op . Good for securing product for market . Adds security for everyone  Diverse system is more robust and resilient  Something to be said for critical mass of farms – branding and having enough product to talk about . With a successful enterprise, can start diversifying  Need a market for the farms’ products  Policymakers need to keep giant companies from eating up smaller ones – industry is fragmented and small now, so it hasn’t happened yet  Pacific Shellfish Grower’s Association – get a SoCal branch put together to throw conferences for regional farmers  Sarah Lester’s paper – identified 1000 sites in SCB – marine spatial planning (MSP)  Need to think about siting; MSP is a very valuable tool  CA is an industry of small owner/operators . Hard to find jobs and support . West coast program should be 2 tiered; training for owner/operator vs. employee  Or train the trainer programs . Prison wanted to start a program like that at POLA  The reality of state agencies with respect to activities like aquaculture is ‘what do we need to minimize their harm’ instead of ‘what do we need to do to encourage them’ . The focus should be on changing this way of thinking . State lands commission has control over state lands except aquaculture . Different from agencies like DFW  RASGAP – a place for representation from aquaculture industry on this body that looks at grant proposals and research priorities for Sea Grant  OPC inviting people to set priorities for 5-year strategic plan on August 14. This group should speak up . Offer to do informational presentations for that meeting for policymakers  Need letters of support for mitigation sites . OPC funding methane mitigation in connection with NOAA  USC seed funding for coastal resilience  SD port has taken interest in aquaculture through business incubator . Very different conversation for POLA and POLB – more competitive use of space . Less dedication to aquaculture development because lots of traffic . AltaSea open to partnership  Organizations of ports  Site aquaculture facilities by wastewater outfalls – state waters . SCCWRP is made up of dischargers . Utilizing SCCWRP to help them stay in compliance  East coast – towns own the bottoms of bays so they can sell permits for aquaculture to lease the land – way more aquaculture happening because beaches are private  Need Sea Grant extension to do more education and outreach in California  Aqua act – NOAA – put person in every regional office of National Marine Fisheries to focus more on aquaculture  All seaweed ventures right now are experimental  Port Hueneme is federal waters  Nordic aquafarms has $500B venture in Eureka . same company is further along in Maine . farms in Norway, Denmark  Finfish farming . Try to integrate seaweed with fish  A lot more public acceptance of seaweed and shellfish in CA  Create enterprise zones – zoning areas like we have on land  What are other needs? . Public education and outreach that large seaweed farms are OK . Federal agencies as source of $$ for collaborative work . But what about approaching investors? – they are terrified of this and regulatory hurdles – they see it as a huge risk factor . ARPA-E is powerful – people want to invest in biofuel; when they see potential for profit, they’re more likely to invest . Replicate something like MIT media lab – researchers and individuals working on cutting edge technologies and then investors can pay in for access . Investor pool – no one pulling the trigger on aquaculture . However, agriculture investors are willing to invest . Impact investors are not leading the way; agriculture investors are . Money going into leveraging technology to sell to farmers, not in starting farms . Farmer vs. selling stuff to farmers . Need the production side first – not enough production happening in USA . Investors aren’t experts; they follow trends – need to create more momentum for aquaculture – prove that what you’re doing is successful; need research and data to back up projects . DuPont is circling the seaweed industry and wants to buy everyone out . Entire institutional industry of CA kelp is in Dupont’s hands . Be careful who you invest with because they can own your IP especially if they’re big companies . Sometimes the best investors are already in the industry – some are honorable some aren’t . CA aquaculture industry is made of owner-operators because they can’t find investors . NEPA / CEQA / EIR – assessing environmental impacts – might be good to do as a group  pool resources to pay consultant and get it done at once (eg. All growers in a bay) – save money, group effort . CA Coastal Commission (CCC) requires that shellfish growers follow permits; many are not . Getting terminology correct is the first step . Huge potentially enormous industry . Public space: multi-use strategies; integrate tourism into public spaces - garner interest in aquaculture . Eg. Fish attractant devices; although regulatory agencies are skeptical because they think the fish are coming from elsewhere and not from new production due to new habitat . Specialty crops (in agriculture) are really important for revenues . Agriculture $1100/acre in CA; specialty crops are even more valuable per acre . Hydroponic greenhouses for many specialty crops . $20K /acre slated for aquaculture . Having numbers on hand would be valuable for convincing agencies . These figures are very audience dependent – some may be impressed while others may imagine the tax revenues generated for that agency by that entity . Turn that public resource into a revenue that’s contributed back to the state . Example of a useful model - Conservation blue/green print – third party to group stakeholders together, gather data, identify high priority conservation area etc. – data posted publicly – important information baseline . Produce useful documents as a reference that can be utilized by all these users . Specialty crops competition by USDA – good to place emphasis on specialty crops for aquaculture; kelp considered a vegetable (by state and federal regulating agencies) . Need extension

August 2, 2019: Day 2

Randy Lovell-Outside Researcher, California Department of Fish and Wildlife • Statues/Code vs regulations o Statutes – incorporated into code; passed by legislature – less specific, more focus on revenue / policy matters but details left to specific agencies o Regulations work out the details . Labeled by numbers of their titles . Title 14: natural resources - promulgated by Fish and Game Commission o Need to know which processes involved in code v. regulation o Kelp regulations – can search through title 14 – subdivision 1 – chapter 6 – commercial fishing regulations o 165/165.5 – govern harvesting of kelp + aquatic plants • Commercial aquaculture is his specialty o References and permit applications o Commercial harvest of kelp and other algae o Informational digest to the regulations governing the harvest of kelp and other marine algae in CA – very helpful . First fork in the road – wild harvest vs aquaculture . Commercial harvest vs noncommercial harvest – can do <10lb/day with sport fishing license but if you sell what you harvest, then it’s commercial license . Commercial harvest of wild kelp – annual license that needs to be renewed each year. Royalty for what is harvested; paid monthly and reported monthly; . Kelp: macrocystis and nereosystis ; different rates for other edible kelp o Administrative kelp beds – 87 – open , closed, lease only or leasable ; entire CA coast subdivided o Map for kelp beds – https://apps.wildlife.ca.gov/marine/ o Can look at different layers o But these lots don’t necessarily have kelp on them o 3mi out – designation of state waters; aquaculture leases are state water bottom leases – can draw polygon where want lease to be – submit application for that shape o Fish and Game Commission has jurisdiction over both admin kelp bed leases and state water bottom leases o Only have one state water bottom lease that’s been issued: Goleta at Elwood pier o Pilot scale project at SD bay through Sunken Seaweed – supported by port district business incubator o Land based systems at Cultured Abalone o Mike Graham at Moss Landing doing land based o Experimental operations – relies on letter of authorization ; also need scientific collection permit if pulling samples out of water – 2 pronged set of permissions o SUP – specific use permit vs. SCP – multi year o Commercial project – also need a coastal commission permit called a coastal development permit – putting structure in the water is considered development o Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) also needs to issue a permit because putting structure in water (could impede navigable waters) o When ACE does permit, needs to consult with NOAA’s protected resources division – have to consider essential fish habitat (rocky bottom)  Should try to find sandy bottom because can put anchors in sand but not rocky reef o Also marine mammal act considerations o Need to know NOAA’s protected resources considerations o Water board –clean water act section 404 – dredge and fill category – CA regional water board – 401 water quality certification to see if what you’re putting in water impacts water quality (both organism and structures) o Coast guard – private aids to navigation – navigation charts need to be updated based on what you’re putting in water o STEPS: F&G Commission lease  CCC coastal development permit NOAA  ACE  Coast Guard o Cost of paying environmental consultants and attorneys to navigate these permits is high o Shellfish industry: CA shellfish initiative to make permitting more efficient o Aquaculture permit counter – put together by sea grant fellows to make permitting process easier  contact CDFW office . Can assemble project coordination team from different agencies . Can get representatives to agencies to commit before putting together permit application . Permit counter – to consolidate communication lines ; confidential between applicant and agency people . Once start permitting process, becomes a public process o Create early communication between applicant and regulating agencies o NOAA: aquamapper o Still don’t have comprehensive / high resolution bathymetric mapping along entire coast in state waters o UCSB Bren school – report that tested feasibility of seaweed aquaculture in southern CA o OST/OPC – emerging understanding of seagrass and kelp as OA management tool o City government – public has right to appeal decisions – worth doing public education/outreach to invite people for early input/public comments o Tribes need to be involved in process – 14 day period by state law to get their approval/comments o Eelgrass is an issue for people proposing project – don’t disturb eelgrass habitat because it’s difficult to restore ; CA eelgrass management plan by NOAA – adopted guidelines by state and federal agencies • Saline soil areas o Salt buildup in agricultural areas is a global problem o Kesterson – wildlife area in S Central valley  selenium o When bring irrigation water from one area to another, bring minerals and salts – marine mineral deposits in soil of central valley (impervious layer)– when water hits that layer, pools there and need to drain the water out , gets salty, need drainage tiles made San Lewis drain from southern part of valley up o Notices that embryos of water fowl were deformed – tons of Se in water o Stopped doing that o Saline drainage water put into evaporation ponds o Brine shrimp put into evaporation ponds – sold to pet supply – where is Se problem? The algae that was growing in hypersaline ponds was acting as a phytoremediator and turning Se into volatile form o Tested aquaculture spp in saline drainage water -e.g. fish o If drainage water is salty but Se can be reduced with algae, could set up algae and seaweeds to do phytoremediation – could then raise marine spp in high saline water o Cattle in Eastern Sierra deficient in Se – can make excess Se into food supplement for cattle o More scientific questions that need to be asked re: Se and effects on fish before expanding aquaculture into this area – then approach decision makers to allocate more funds to research in this area • SALTS – group trying to tackle mass balance problem in irrigation water

Linda Duguay-Director of the USC Sea Grant Program and Director of Research for the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies • 2019 National aquaculture competition - $12M allocated • CA: CA Sea Grant and USC Sea Grant • One call for proposals: social, behavior, economic research needs in aquaculture  good opportunity to better understand societal opposition to aquaculture • Funding for high-risk projects • Knauss & Sea Grant state fellowships to work with state agencies • National level: aquaculture group in DC – collaboration among USDA, NSF, National Sea Grant office, USAID . Relationships evolve . can be confusing because different federal agencies issue funding for different types of aquaculture projects (eg. fish vs. kelp vs. shellfish) . NMFS will also issue lots of $ for marine aquaculture • Bond funds (eg. Prop 84) – a chunk of that went to fisheries & aquaculture from Sea Grant • How to stage joint activities with sea grant? Interest in that from researchers – Sea Grant can be more involved in aquaculture. Transdisciplinary collaborations . Need more support and guidance . Not enough intensive communication to meet needs of aquaculture industry . Need more synergy with Sea Grant . How to engage Sea Grant to be a participant and partner in their work? . Could convene our two programs to have a larger workshop on aquaculture . Building relationships, being collaborative

Bill Leach-USC Price School of Public Policy NSF; DRMS; Grant #0721067 Maine Topics: Collaborative Governance of Marine Aquaculture

1. Sustainable groundwater mgmt. act in CA. • Saltwater Intrusion & Watershed Mgmt. 2. Strong focus on collaborative mgmt. and restorative aquaculture • Prospects for consensus on science and policy • Marine Aquaculture Partnerships 3. Grant collaborations • Groups with participants for industry and govt. and other stakeholders 4. Survey published in Global Aquaculture Advocate; 2012-perceived problems related to marine aquaculture (table 1) • Main Problem: dissemination of misinformation about marine aquaculture • Lack of adequate funding for research 5. Why are some partnerships more successful than others? Promoting self-learning and belief change among participants conducting new research, influencing public policy (local, state, fed) 6. Qual. Comparative Analysis (QCA) tools: • looking for patterns in the data • In gen. have outcomes from each process • Did the process have one particular ind.? • Did the participants feel like the outcome was “Successful”? • What happened at the ind. Level? Like learning? • It turns out that learning tends to happen more in partnerships that are more diverse. Some of these relationships were very diverse. 7. Discussion of how high trust catalyzes strong research bonds/outcomes • High trust catalyzes a positive effect of belie diversity on cognitive learning (when trust is high, correlation between groups with highly diverse beliefs and a high amount of cognitive learning) • Good outcomes follow good processes 8. Meeting <6x per year failed to have major policy impact 9. Adequate science is assoc. with influence on policy adoption and major policy influence Policy influence follows strong science 10. USC Coastal Resilience and climate education Network • Coastal resilience to environ. Change in SoCal coastal communities looking for clients who might want to work with students on a particular research program • Public policy orientated research • Graduate students in public administration 11. Capstone Projects through Price School 12. Malaga Cove: • Received funding from PV school district to take campus • The Center piece project • Campus sits in Malibu cove and the project will be realized more completely in about three years • 7000 sq. foot multipurpose room to be converted into working lab for high school and university research initiatives. Discussion Topics:  Wrigley is an excellent, pristine environment to study in  Proximity to port and Redondo  Urban Ecology/Marine Ecology-Wrigley is a good place to research for mitigation studies/Wrigley mission in ground-truthing conservation goals

Andrew Gracey-Marine and Environmental Biology, USC 1. Attended University of Liverpool Program Focused on physiology: • How do environmental challenges impact organisms? • How do organisms adapt to these challenges? i. Coping with Cold-Artic Program; hibernation physiology; swap-ops ii. Coping with Hypoxia-Work at Stanford on long jaw mudsucker iii. Coping with Pollution-Mytilus embryo-larval toxicity assays 2. First Project: Predicting oyster summer mortality syndrome. Work with Dennis Hedgecock • Lots of die-offs. Did not seem to be pathogens at the time • How would you solve this? Came up with the idea of the real-time monitoring of oyster health . Utilized a bevel drill to take blood samples to analyze gene expression as a time series over a period of months, to correlate phenotype with gene expression • Role of RNA expression in cell responses: study in Totten Inlet WA . results; first year, no oysters died, the second year very limited mortality . Found mortality linked to specific genes • Look at mortality associated with a common expression signature-farmers can go to this and see which gene expression profile is happening. This is a way to find death-associated profiles • and predict that the oyster might die soon 3. Intertidal mussels as models for plasticity • Sampling over three days in rocky • Discovering that expression patterns being driven by circadian rhythm. • Most genes oscillate with daily rhythm • Tidal genes mainly peak during low • Daily genes mainly peak at dusk 4. Now studying daily rhythms in kelp-reference profile for what kelp are doing in their natural habitat • What is happening in the kelp that are being depth-cycled? How anticipatory are they? 5. Mussels were more synchronized than limpets; they showed more individual variation

Sergey Nuzhdin-Molecular & Computational Biology and Marine and Environmental Biology, USC

• Bananas – cross diploid and tetraploid to produce triploid organism with no seeds – embryos don’t survive sterilization technique • Agricultural species are highly cultivated • Most apples and potatoes created vegetatively • What about aquaculture?

Native Naturalized Invasive Crops • Californianus • Gallo mussels • Undaria Salmon (CA mussels) • Striped bass (wakame) • Giant kelp • Pacific oyster - Want sterility • Olympia oyster - Don’t want them to - Want to retain compete with native original status of species population - Mutagenesis - Need seed bank

Current efforts underway to domesticate kelp in US – genome-wide association studies for breeding macrocystis pyrifera • Avoid gene flow with natural populations • Impediments: scale – limited space; permitting • Brown algae – 2 stage life-cycle  Sporophyte (adult)  Gametophyte (microscopic) – divide clonally (vegetative; mitosis) • Meiosis – diploid to haploid • Looking for gene networks involved in meiosis pathway • Leverage 2 stage lifecycle to generate sterile kelp • Transcriptomics to identify gene expression • Could use CRISPR but negative public image • Giant kelp – could do in CA but not in undaria (wakame) • Mutagenesis techniques – depends how (eg. UV); almost all mutations generated are deleterious – could damage crop as a whole • Use CA science center kelp tank with no outflow to ocean; test results of mutations • Need to interact with ecologists and regulators to make sure they’re okay

CDFW: triploid stock is how they maintain sterility

Discussion Topics:  In terms of genetics and cultivation we want to keep it as close to the original pop. As possible. What does this mean? What are genetics of a local population? We should have a germ plasm bank. We need to know status of nat. population.  We should stage selective breeding program. We don’t want selection to out compete locals. Mutagenesis or some sort of reproductive “issue” like sterilization.  Sterilize. Sunflower and tomatoes can be invasive. What do we need to do to be responsible towards our environment? Can we make it completely sterile? Or other genes for making sterility. Incoming dept. of energy support. Final stages of negotiation for the budget. Pending application to do it for Wakame kelp.

Gary Molano-Molecular and Computational Biology, USC Main topic: kelp sterilization • Founding effect on first crops. • Capture 99% of genetic diversity and are setting up in SB to look at different genotypes. • We might have trans-gene flow. Irresponsible. Especially when you scale. • Meiosis pathway; early genes that are involved in the early signal cascade. • Gametophyte stage does not undergo meiosis. Vegetative propagation=mitosis. • Leverage this life cycle and identify gametophytes that have these mutations in these miotic genes. Grow them up and pair them with the opp. sex with a matching mutation and generate sterile adults (random or frameshift mutations). You do not need to do “Fertility restoration” as they do with corn. • In the process of doing transcriptomics and will be sequencing all the gametophytes from the domestication event.

Doug Bush-Ventura Shellfish Enterprise Project

Ventura Shellfish Enterprise “hatched” 12 years ago between Coastal Marine Biolabs and Sergey • Approached for ways to diversify commercial landings of harbor – secure federal matching grant funds to dredge harbor • Need to create opportunities to allow people to move laterally into aquaculture investment • Create business park – Ventura harbor – they would take the lead on permitting and monitoring and resource management to get the entitlement in advance  then someone interested in aquaculture could jump on as sub-permitee or sub-lessee – business park model Currently:  Having round table meetings with stakeholders  reached out during exploratory phase  Mussel farming was an established industry with proven track record as commercially viable and something that would template well in near-shore environ. of port district  Site selection exercises, interaction with commercial fishermen. Web-based mapping. Charts on tables. Overlap of existing uses. Offshore resource planning.  Settled on an area in federal waters (outside 3-mile zone) that was approved by the port district and have since gone about multi- agency meetings to get initial feedback to create a “road map” for inter-agency permitting.  Trying to engage Coastal Commission, NMFS, NOAA in a round table way. • A lot of novel pieces – permit for-profit enterprise in public space • How does one create permit framework for subleasing – when master permit is held under port itself • Legal framework such that meet regulatory requirements of permitting agency • Money will be generated from landed product • NOAA has been helpful in championing the project • No existing framework to enter bivalves from federal waters into other markets for sanitary considerations (bacteria and biotoxins) • Review comments and public comments from core documentation • Build Working groups with stakeholders and vendors • Benthic monitoring needed – long term tracking of what these projects can do • Don’t have total clarity on relationship between ACE (permitter) and permittee (Ventura port district) – not sure how to grant authority for sublessee – 9 months out should have more clarity to have workshops to engage with interested parties; meant to be collaborative and negotiation-oriented • Shortage of shellfish spat supply / supplier – limitation in commercial shellfish industry (a lucrative way to be involved in this industry) • Possible future opportunities for urchin and sea cucumber farming; their project is only written for mussels

Current Status: • Key regulatory bodies • Received requests for further comments • Project description to coastal commission Discussion Topics: • Consistent findings with Coastal Commission even though it’s not in state waters. But it is a California state initiative and therefore falls into that jurisdiction. • Bivalve culture inter-commerce can be translated multi-nationally. Require tagging and screening for biotoxin considerations. If the projects were located in state waters this would fall under the purview of the CA dept of public health they have punted on it and it has been kicked out to …. NOAA? FDA? Seafood inspection program and Doug is currently helping to write guidelines for seafood inspection that will hopefully create shellfish sanitation standards nationally and beyond. Trajectory: Lines in the water in 12-15 months, or in that neighborhood. The need for taking a creative and collaborative approach with academia and regulators will follow suite with that original set of values which is based on transparency. Benthic monitoring, ecological monitoring etc. • will begin holding workshops. • In-line with the entire project-meant to be collaborative.

Thomas Grimm-Carlsbad Aquafarms

Current and New Initiatives 1. Expanding current facilities • Broods tock development (Hatchery) *Pacific and four-hinged rock scallops • Full Commercial Hatchery & Breeding Station • Triploid spat for grow-out • Broods tock to seed grow-out • Area for testing new seed at the farm 2. Research • SCCWRP studying ocean acidification trends-marine sensors from Baja to Washington • Methods for commercial production of A. taxiformis with Nuzdhin lab USC • Methods for commercial production of triploid mussel seed • Hybrid oyster development with Manahan lab USC • Recycle ocean plastics for aquaculture – recycle PET into oyster grow baskets • Living shoreline restoration system with oyster reefs • Shellfish vaccine development (eg. Vibrio) • High velocity nanobubble depuration system • Poseidon water – large desalination plant – design new seawater intake system • Water and shellfish testing lab • Spot prawn • Build prototype of floating spot prawn production system

Problems facing west coast farms • Discovery of OsHV-1µvar in san diego bay – pathogen • Increasing stress from pollution and global warming • Shrinking base of research on production science • restriction on brood stock movement and biodiversity • ACOE enforcement action for • Competition for coastal shellfish growing habitat

Solutions and value propositions • Breeding station goals to improve pacific oysters • Improve resilience to OA and resistance to OsHV1 • Improve survival and growth of early life stages in hatcheries • Improve genetic hygiene of tetraploid brood stock • Vaccine development for virulent strains of herpes and vibrio

High velocity nanobubble depuration – cleans system, reduces microbial contamination Closed loop shrimp farm – no water runoff

Discussion Talking Points • All active players in SoCal aquaculture participated in this meeting • Education and training needed . No dedicated aquaculture degree program in CA . Need to train aquaculturists . New one at CSU Channel ; Humboldt State has active hatchery . Compendium of locations for aquaculture training by Michael Lee at CSU . Different levels of education – certificate vs MS vs undergrad . Need to tease out different players and needs . Mt. Hood community college and College of Redwoods have training for aquaculture technicians . Scott will teach first aquaculture class at USC . Call for teaching teachers  training extension and trainers – teach K-12 and university . Port of LA High school has a program for high schoolers . Get industry in as platform . CA farm bureau – farm in the classroom (about agriculture) . Concept of ‘crops’- how to get discussion naturalized to average consumer – remove scientific jargon • Giant kelp domestication project (Sergey) . Preserve biodiversity with seed bank . Characterize genotypes and phenotypes  start selection for traits . Sugar kelp . Sterile kelp . Create spores and cross in lab . Sample at least 50 plants in location of farm . Cannot do selective breeding to mix with natural kelp stocks – NEED sterile varieties . Rules for farming are more standardized across state lines – not so for aquaculture, especially genetics . Need to understand how to do selection • What about public discussion? . Can we use CRISPR? Faster but will face more opposition and can turn off market . Not put in trans genes but delete 1-2 genes for targeted mutation • How much of testing ideas needs to happen in wild vs. lab? • CA Science Center – state owned • Pushback to CRISPR from agencies; early pushback to macroalgae curation in general • Keep the go-between between regulators and aquaculturists informed • Think about messaging: each person has 5000 deleterious mutations on average; mutation rates are high in broadcast spawners as an evolutionary strategy • Audience-specific messaging . Scientific jargon needs to be translated for lay audiences – demonstrate ideas more simply (eg. Why infertile kelp is important and won’t mix with natural populations) . Department is mandating that we have sterile trout – key term to use is “sterile” . Public perception of aquaculture in general is not great . Need to educate regulatory agencies and public . Real message is meant for public . Finfish industry did a disservice for the rest of aquaculture by mixing population with wild – generally damaged the reputation of aquaculture . Shellfish and kelp should have a more positive perception as remediators (should message this way) . CRISPR stigma – no one may buy product – need general outreach on genetic modification . Generally seeds supplied to farmers are superior to natural varieties for growing  If sterile kelp seeds are sold to farmers and those seeds are superior, then can establish business -- reassure public that they’re sterile  Good media coverage on bivalve aquaculture helps reputation  Engage media for positive coverage – eg. Documentary for push toward aquaculture  Sell ideas in a positive light, eg. Kelp bed restoration  Wild patches vs. farm fields – may become ecological debate • Farms can provide ecosystem services • People may think we are turning our back on wild varieties if we grow sterile varieties • Seed banks – need to convey this information right now . Alleles are already disappearing in a warming environment if we don’t make a seed bank – necessity for biodiversity preservation . Can’t deep freeze some kelp seeds – need to take care of them – expensive maintenance . Javier in Chile – macrocystis – collapse of biodiversity  collected seeds for environment (not for breeding) . Cryopreservation should be part of it – seeds + tissues . Right now, have funding for seed bank through Zumberg Foundation but not for storage . Start with top 20 kelp species and go from there (144 total) . Link phenotypes to genotypes . Need long-term funding to maintain seed banks . Korea has seed banks for marine organisms but not much done on linking genotypes and phenotypes . Seedbanks for terrestrial organisms is a different process . Every species has challenges for seed banking – preserve sporophyte vs. gametophytes . – full range of environmental conditions, based on pop gen data – full range of phenotypic variation  represent 95% of important functional variation