In this webinar, Sea Grant Legal Network members will highlight recent projects in which they have provided legal research to assist aquaculture stakeholders, including producers, regulators, and local decision makers, with understanding aquaculture law and policy. NSGLC attorneys Stephanie Otts and Cathy Janasie will discuss research on aquaculture permitting barriers in Oregon; Rhode Island Sea Grant Legal Program attorney Alexandra Tamburrino will provide an overview of her updates to the legal chapter of Rhode Island’s extensive Shellfish Management Plan, and Katie Hill, Public Service and Outreach Faculty at the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Director of the Georgia Sea Grant Legal Program, will describe a new research project on enhancement of shellfish stocks in federal waters that touches on offshore aquaculture in interesting ways.
There is currently no permit to allow pilot mariculture projects in Oregon. Oregon Sea Grant requested research on whether establishing a pilot pathway would require changes to statutes or administrative rules. The National Sea Grant Law Center conducted a review of Oregon’s laws to identify regulatory barriers to pilot mariculture programs. Our research suggests that several legislative and regulatory changes would be needed to launch a pilot program in the state. To provide additional background information, the National Sea Grant Law Center also examined pilot programs in other states that could serve as models for Oregon.
Oregon Sea Grant requested research into how other states handle modification or amendment of existing mariculture leases. For this overview, the NSGLC selected coastal states to review based on location to provide an example from each U.S. region. The NSGLC has compiled leasing information for seven states: Alaska, California, Florida, Maine, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington. The NSGLC found that states that allow for mariculture leasing do not adhere to a single lease-modification process. Each state has developed its own process, tailored to its land systems and estuaries.
Oregon Sea Grant requested research to gain a greater understanding of the barriers in mariculture permitting in Oregon. Oregon Sea Grant worked with the Oregon Coastal Mariculture Collaborative to develop a list of priority legal research questions related to the leasing framework in the state. The National Sea Grant Law Center’s research findings for these priority questions are presented in the memo.
Oregon Sea Grant requested research into whether there are redundancies in the state’s shellfish plat permit application process. Overall, the state’s shellfish plat application process clearly outlines agency expectations, which results in minimal redundancies. However, multiple permitting pathways, along with early-stage cultivation restrictions, complicate the permitting process.
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant requested information on behalf of a Marshall County, Indiana aquaculture producer on the county’s authority to require zoning variances. This advisory memorandum discusses whether aquaculture activities constitute a form of agricultural land use under Indiana state law, discuss the general authority that Indiana bestows upon local governments to adopt and enforce zoning ordinances, and evaluate potential limitations on this power.
Download our latest infographic titled "The Complexity of Managing Shark Depredation".
The July 2026 issue of The SandBar is now available. The lead story is: Recent Court Decisions Create Inconsistent Authority for Regional Fishery Management Councils.
On May 18, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced two proposed rules modifying regulations for treating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The EPA proposals seek to extend compliance deadlines for two common PFAS compounds, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), and rescind four other forever chemicals. The rules would change the scope of the EPA’s 2024 PFAS drinking water standards.
Horseshoe crabs have existed in the ocean for over 450 million years, surviving mass extinctions and ice ages. However, conservation groups claim that their existence is now at risk due to human activities. The groups assert that horseshoe crab populations have dwindled by more than 70% in recent decades, as they are routinely harvested for bait and their blue blood is drained for biomedical testing.
Decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court continue to shape the field of environmental law, often with significant implications for the management of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. In this webinar, the National Sea Grant Law Center’s staff attorneys will discuss opinions issued in select cases from the Court’s 2025-2026 term and their relevance for Sea Grant work. The Law Center has applied to the Mississippi Commission on Continuing Legal Education for approval of this course for 1 hour of CLE credit.
This case study recounts the obstacles navigated by a research team as they took on permitting a novel harmful algal bloom (HAB) control technology called DinoSHIELD. DinoSHIELD was developed by staff at the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and develops ecosystem science solutions and tools for sustainable stewardship of ocean and coastal resources. This case study was derived from interviews with the DinoSHIELD team members about their complicated experience.
This issue features articles developed through a symposium we supported in partnership with Maryland Sea Grant and the Georgetown Climate Center. Together, these contributions explore pressing environmental challenges facing the Chesapeake Bay region.