Abstract purpose sea urchin gonads, known as UNI, are a traditional, high value delicacy in japan, which accounts for >80% of global demand

Green sea urchins (strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) from maine are well valued in japan and maines fishery is worth about $2-4 million annually, but IT is experiencing declining stocks, reduced processing capacity, and regulatory uncertainty. Sea urchin aquaculture (ECHINOCULTURE) could help sustain the fishery while providing opportunities to shellfish and seaweed growers and to traditional urchin harvesters. US ECHINOCULTURE has advanced with commercialization at maine and NH aquaculture sites and for west coast species as well. The university of maine center for cooperative aquaculture research has produced juvenile urchins (SEED) since 2006, and seven growers now each grow between 2,000-20,000 urchins, with others expressing strong interest. However, the nascent US ECHINOCULTURE sector must overcome challenges related to optimizing methodology and husbandry at scale, processing, and marketing. Because the sector is so new, IT is hindered by lack of confidence, experience, and examples of success. This projects purpose is to fund a technology exchange to bring 10-12 people from the united states to hokkaido, japan for one week to visit urchin harvesting, farming, processing, and marketing facilities, where they will meet and learn from japanese experts. Activities japan pioneered urchin management, hatchery production, and ECHINOCULTURE, and its a global leader in these areas. Exchange delegates will visit hokkaido, home to hatcheries, fishery CO-OPS, processors, retail outlets, and research institutes for japans two most lucrative native species. The exchange occurs over five workdays and three travel days. Delegates will visit farms that use different approaches to grow urchins; processing and market outlets to learn about value- added urchin products beyond sushi UNI; hatcheries to gain insight into how japan produces millions of SEED more efficiently and at less cost than in the US; and harvest grounds, fishermen, and CO-OPS to learn how japan integrates ECHINOCULTURE and fisheries. Delegates will engage directly with experts on every visit with help from an interpreter. Outcomes the primary outcome is for participants to gain an enhanced understanding derived from japanese expertise on best practices pertaining to all aspects of sea urchin production, management, and marketing, with the aim of directing that knowledge to improve and grow US industry. Exchange knowledge can be applied on both the US east and west coasts, where other urchin species are also being developed. Outreach will inform industry stakeholders about the exchange, leading to increased sector growth and success. The delegation includes coastal enterprises, INC. (CEI), which provides grants and loans to aquatic farmers and other marine businesses. CEI organized and led two previous japanese scallop technology exchanges (2010 and 2016), and the confidence they gained from those visits encouraged CEI to invest in maine scallop farming, which grew from no activity in 2010 to about a dozen growers today. We anticipate similar outcomes for maines ECHINOCULTURE sector. Intended beneficiaries exchange delegates are the initial beneficiaries. They include current and prospective urchin growers, scientists and hatchery experts, sea grant extension, an economic development expert, and fishery stakeholders. Upon return, delegates will inform other stakeholder beneficiaries through professional networking and participation in outreach organized by the projects leadership team. Stakeholder beneficiaries include current and prospective shellfish, seaweed, and urchin growers, harvesters, resource managers, scientists, and seafood processors subrecipient activities the project has one subrecipient, DR. Coleen suckling of the university of rhode island, who serves on the organizing team as technical expert and outreach copi.