Anoushka Concepcion
Aquaculture Associate Extension Educator | University of Connecticut
Avery Point, CT, UNITED STATES
Anoushka P. Concepcion is an Assistant Extension Educator focusing on marine aquaculture with the Connecticut Sea Grant Program.
Biography
Anoushka P. Concepcion is an assistant extension educator focusing on marine aquaculture with the Connecticut Sea Grant Program located at UConn Avery Point in Groton. Anoushka’s current objectives are to assist shellfish producers in exploring direct marketing opportunities, expand the commercialization of seaweed aquaculture in the state, and respond to stakeholder requests for assistance with business planning for aquaculture. Anoushka is a faculty member in UConn Extension, as well as a staff member of the Connecticut Sea Grant College Program.
Anoushka earned a Master of Science degree in Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences from the University of Rhode Island in 2005 where she focused on dietary requirements for finfish. She also has a Bachelor of Science degree in marine biology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Her past work experiences in academia and industry mainly concerned developing and maintaining algal cultures and assessing dietary choices for farmed fish and shrimp.
Areas of Expertise (8)
Sugar Kelp
Shellfish
Veterinary Sciences
Fisheries
Marine Aquaculture
Marine Biology
Algae
Seaweed
Education (2)
University of Rhode Island: MS, Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences 2005
University of North Carolina at Wilmington: BS, Marine Biology 2000
Accomplishments (3)
2022 World Aquaculture Society's Industry Impact Award (professional)
2023 World Aquaculture Society
University of Connecticut 10 Years of Service Award (professional)
2022
Sea Grant Association Research to Applications Award (professional)
2016 NOAA Sea Grant Association
Links (5)
Media
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Media Appearances (7)
Lab on the Move
Aquaculture North America online
2024-07-01
In 2013, Anoushka Concepcion came up with the idea of a mobile seaweed laboratory but it wasn’t until 2023 that she got funding for the project. The associate extension educator at the Connecticut Sea Grant program and University of Connecticut extension said it’s being developed in response to a need by industry and regulators associated with the state’s emerging seaweed aquaculture industry. “The purpose of the mobile lab is to conduct industry-applicable research and serve as a training tool for the state’s aquaculture industry.” “Back then I saw the need to make training accessible to communities where they live.”
Sailing the Seas of Seaweed Food Safety
The Food Safety Dish Podcast online
2024-05-21
We got the dish on seaweed from marine aquaculture specialist Anoushka Concepcion, an associate extension educator at UConn Avery Point's SeaGrant program and leader of the National Seaweed Hub, which collaboratively addresses the emerging needs of the national seaweed aquaculture industry. We take a deep dive into seaweed aquaculture: what it consists of, new market opportunities and challenges, and of course, how food safety ties into it all.
Kelp week starts this weekend; here's what to know about and where to eat CT kelp
Hearst Connecticut Media print
2024-04-19
According to UConn Associate Extension Educator Anoushka Concepcion, a major focus of Connecticut Sea Grant is to teach state farmers how to produce brown macroalgae, which has some variations, including sugar kelp. With funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, Concepcion recently commissioned the creation of a mobile seaweed lab. “For the first project in the mobile seaweed lab, we'll be looking at nursery production and providing information and training for prospective farmers, current farmers, who want to be able to set up a small-scale nursery in their facilities to be able to produce seed for themselves,” Concepcion said.
How aquafarms combat climate change while raising seafood
NBC - TODAY Show tv
2023-04-17
Aquafarms are an innovative new underwater and sustainable way to raise native seafood and plants while also helping to combat climate change and overfishing. TODAY’s Al Roker shares a closer look.
What is aquaculture? It may be the solution to overfishing.
National Geographic online
2023-04-14
When it’s ready, farmers harvest the seaweed by pulling up the longlines and cutting it off. Sugar kelp is mostly sold fresh and directly to restaurants. Experts say there’s little disadvantage to seaweed farming. “Seaweed farming, and all marine aquaculture, produces far less carbon emissions when compared to terrestrial farming and livestock production,” says Anoushka Concepcion, an assistant extension educator in marine aquaculture at the University of Connecticut.
Connecticut's kelp industry is growing, with a focus on sustainability
Connecticut Public online
2022-06-10
This hour, we hear from Flores as well as Connecticut Sea Grant's Anoushka Concepcion to discuss the benefits of growing sugar kelp, and sustainable fishing and farming in the Long Island Sound. Concepcion developed a food safety guide for Connecticut seaweed, and is focused on the broader seaweed aquaculture industry.
Kelp Has Been Touted As The New Kale, But It Has Been Slow To Catch On
NPR online
2019-06-03
However, some industry specialists say growing seaweed has become perhaps too popular. Anoushka Concepcion is an assistant extension educator with the Connecticut Sea Grant; she works with seafood producers and researchers and answers questions about the latest technology and trends.
Articles (3)
Report of the expert meeting on food safety for seaweed – Current status and future perspectives
Report of the expert meeting on food safety for seaweed–Current status and future perspectives2022 The world production of marine macroalgae, or seaweed, has more than tripled since the turn of the millennium, increasing from 10.6 million tonnes in 2000 to 32.4 million tonnes in 2018. Increased cultivation and utilization of seaweed are expected to be important pillars of sustainable food security and a robust aquatic economy in the coming years. It is important, therefore, to consider the food safety implications of (increased) seaweed use for food.
Who responds to health, environmental, and economic information about local food? Evidence from Connecticut seafood consumers
Aquaculture Economics & Management2021 We designed and implemented a discrete choice experiment to assess how information about the health, environmental, and economic benefits of locally produced aquaculture products affect Connecticut consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for products produced in the state, as compared with products from another state or another country.
Seaweed Production and Processing in Connecticut: A Guide to Understanding and Controlling Potential Food Safety Hazards
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration2020 Seaweeds are multi-cellular macroalgae found in both marine and freshwater environments. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and are found in almost all oceans. There are three (3) types of seaweeds: Brown (Phaeophyta), Red (Rhodophyta), and Green (Chlorophyta). The majority of brown and red seaweeds are strictly marine and most are edible.
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