Photo Story: Cultivating Curiosity at NOAA’s Aquaculture Science Camp

Would you spend your summer vacation stomping around a tidal flat? That's what more than 60 middle and high school students did this summer at NOAA's and Washington Sea Grant's Aquaculture Science Camp. Over 4 days, students surveyed and graded shellfish, identified phytoplankton under microscopes, dissected oysters, explored the relationship between water quality and seafood safety, and met with industry experts. They also visited the NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center Manchester Laboratory to see aquaculture in action

American aquaculture can provide healthy and sustainable seaweeds, shellfish, and fish for our dinner plates. Aquaculture methods are also used to help bolster and restore wild species like salmon and abalone. Giving students a front-row seat to the science behind their seafood helped inspire the next generation of seafood leaders and ocean stewards.

We captured scenes from the weeklong camp in July 2026. Put on your rubber boots and wade into visual exploration of Aquaculture Science Camp.

Running an Oyster Farming Relay Race

Oyster farming comes with serious logistics. Farmers must select a site, secure permits, produce seed, and maintain healthy shellfish as they grow in flip bags, cages, or on lines. Missing even one step can jeopardize their entire crop. Through a competitive relay race, campers stocked oyster bags with ping-pong balls while learning the precise steps required to grow healthy, sustainable oysters.

Dissecting Oyster Anatomy

Instead of slurping Pacific oysters, our campers dissected them. Severing the adductor muscle, gently prying apart the gills, and searching for its tiny heart helped campers understand there's more to shellfish than meets the eye. Oysters are powerhouse filter feeders, filtering as many as 50 gallons of water a day while removing nutrients from the environment. Some kids may have been squeamish, but all of our campers tackled the task with fearless curiosity!

Investigating Water Quality

One of these phytoplankton is not like the others. While the Puget Sound's phytoplankton provides vital and nutritious food to growing shellfish, certain types of algae can produce toxins dangerous to humans and other animals. Campers filtered plankton from the Puget Sound, explored the human and environmental influences of water quality, and learned to identify algae species that can create harmful blooms under microscopes.

Feeding Farmed Sablefish

During a field trip to the Northwest Fisheries Science Center's Manchester Laboratory, students got their hands fishy feeding sablefish brood stock. Campers learned how NOAA scientists are developing solutions aimed at helping sablefish net pen aquaculture thrive in the United States. These deep-water fish can grow to be more than 3 feet long, and our brood stock were hungry for squid!

Exploring Aquaculture for Restoration

On the field trip, campers also met scientists using aquaculture to help restore wild species. The same aquaculture techniques that put food on your plate can also be used to rear and release fish and shellfish into the wild. Campers visited NOAA's salmon hatchery to learn how aquaculture can support wild fisheries. They also visited the Puget Sound Restoration Fund's abalone hatchery to learn how they are helping to restore the pinto abalone-an iconic species of marine snail.

Surveying Shellfish Farms

Surveying your shellfish farm is a crucial part of aquaculture operations. Campers practiced beach surveying techniques in the intertidal zone. Each bin along a transect contained a specific number of clams, mussels, and oysters. Using a detailed survey sheet, students measured the distance between bins, dug for shellfish, identified them by species, monitored their health, and measured their size to see if they were ready for harvest.

Building an Aquaculture Business Plan

As a capstone project, campers put their business and science skills to the test by creating shoebox-scale aquaculture farms. Using $150,000 in "fish bucks," teams budgeted for sites, gear, and crops to project maximum profit. Highlights included a clever multi-crop design featuring black-bean mussel lines, tissue-paper kelp, and fish crackers, to demonstrate how seafood can be grown sustainably . NOAA's "Build a Farm " curriculum is available online.

Exploring Puget Sound Tidepools

At the Puget Sound Skills Center, campers had the opportunity to learn both in marine science laboratories and in the intertidal zone. Campers identified and interacted with marine life-including kelp crabs, sea anemones-respectfully. By exploring which wild species are found in the intertidal zone, campers gained a greater appreciation for how seafood farmers select methods that work in harmony with the environment. Tidepooling highlights include finding moon snail egg casings, which look like rubber!

Cultivating Aquaculture Leaders

This marks the second year NOAA Fisheries and Washington Sea Grant have hosted a summer camp that educates young people about marine aquaculture. By introducing young people to hands-on experiences in aquaculture and marine science, we are fostering the next generation of sustainable seafood leaders.

Both camps were conducted in partnership with Puget Sound Skills Center, University of Washington GEAR UP Achievers, and Seattle MESA. These camps build on the legacy of Washington Sea Grant's NOAA Science Camp and Tides Out programs, which have trained thousands of young people in the sciences.