Featured Post from Louisiana State University

How LSU is Helping Keep Louisiana at the Center of the Nation’s Seafood Map

Oct 23, 2025

2 min

Clint Willson

1. Strengthening the Seafood Workforce


Through outreach programs like Louisiana Fisheries Forward, a partnership between Louisiana Sea Grant and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, LSU helps fishers and processors modernize their operations.


These voluntary programs teach best practices in handling, traceability, and sustainability — directly improving product quality and market reputation. LSU’s extension agents also provide hands-on disaster recovery assistance after hurricanes and market disruptions, helping ensure Louisiana’s seafood workforce remains resilient and ready for the next season.


2. Building Seafood Resilience


The total economic value for oysters in 2018 was more than $180 million.


Resilience defines LSU’s seafood science. Researchers at the LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant are leading selective breeding programs and developing genetic tools to combat disease, temperature changes, and salinity stress.


With a powerful combination of hatchery capacity, genetics expertise, and industry collaboration, LSU is helping Louisiana’s seafood industry adapt faster and smarter — protecting both the food supply and the economic backbone of coastal communities.


3. Powering Economic Growth


Every part of LSU’s seafood research and outreach ties directly to Louisiana’s economy. AgCenter economists analyze market data and advise state and federal partners on strategies to grow the seafood sector.


Meanwhile, Sea Grant specialists help entrepreneurs develop value-added seafood products, from branded lines to ready-to-eat options, that increase profit margins and create new jobs in coastal towns.


By helping Louisiana seafood businesses stay competitive, LSU keeps more of the industry’s economic benefits right here at home.


4. Supporting Communities


Louisiana’s seafood industry faces constant challenges. LSU’s coastal extension agents and Sea Grant programs provide on-the-ground support to help communities recover and rebuild after disasters.


Whether assisting with dock repairs, connecting fishers to relief programs, or helping restart operations, LSU’s commitment ensures that Louisiana’s coastal workforce can weather any storm.


5. Preparing the Next Generation


LSU’s work extends from the lab to the dock — and into the classroom. New research and education programs are training future scientists, producers, and entrepreneurs to continue Louisiana’s seafood legacy.


For new LSU students interested in the coast, Bayou Adventure, a trip created by the College of the Coast & Environment (CC&E), was designed specifically to educate incoming freshmen about some of the challenges and marvels of the Louisiana coastline.


The trip stops at sites that showcase "not just the significance of these areas to the state and nation, but the important work that is being done to sustain and preserve them," said Clint Willson, dean of CC&E.


Through workforce development, hands-on learning, and applied research, LSU is shaping the next wave of innovators who will protect Louisiana’s coast and ensure its seafood remains world-renowned.


Looking Ahead


As the seafood industry faces new challenges and opportunities, LSU’s mission remains clear: to protect Louisiana’s coast, empower its seafood workforce, and ensure the state remains synonymous with the best seafood in America.

Connect with:
Clint Willson

Clint Willson

Callais and Woods Professor and Dean, College of the Coast & Environment | Director, LSU Center for River Studies

Dr. Willson's expertise is in environmental and water resources engineering.

River EngineeringPhysical ModelingSediment TransportEnvironmental Fluid Mechanics

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from Louisiana State University

3 min

Holiday Shopping 2025: LSU Expert Dan Rice on The Impact of Tariffs, Tech, and Changing Behavior

Dan Rice, LSU marketing associate professor and director of the E. J. Ourso College of Business Behavioral Research Lab, shares insights on what’s changing, what’s driving spending trends, and what to watch for as we head into the end of the year. What do you expect for holiday shopping trends this year? Like most other years in recent history, most of the bodies forecasting holiday spending are predicting increases in total sales. The National Retail Federation (NRF) is predicting a growth rate of 4%, with sales totaling over $1 trillion. Other bodies like Simon Kucher, a pricing consultancy, project increases of over 7%, and Visa was projecting roughly 10% raises in gift spending. While these figures always vary between entities due to different specific formulas, it appears that some of the higher numbers were released earlier in the year, suggesting that later numbers may be reflecting a more up-to-date market forecast. Interestingly, this projected increase is happening despite many bodies, including the NRF, suggesting a decrease in planned per person spending. This suggests that the population growth of consumers might explain the increase in total sales for retailers, even if there’s a true decrease per person. We may also begin to see the impacts of tariffs on pricing in the holiday shopping season. This is supported by the Visa report, which suggests real spending growth of 2.2%, indicating that fewer items are being purchased despite revenue increases. What’s different about this year compared to previous holiday seasons? There have been several fairly unique situations. First, we’ve had the recently ended government shutdown, which impacted a lot of people and created a large degree of financial pain. Whether and when missed paychecks are made may still be unclear, and that has added a lot of concern for consumers. Additionally, the extensive but confusing levying of various tariffs has put the U.S. at an overall effective tariff rate of nearly 18%, the highest since 1934, according to the Budget Lab at Yale University. That adds substantial amounts to consumer costs and concerns, with 74% expecting tariffs to impact their shopping, according to Nerdwallet. We’re also seeing decreased enthusiasm for the holiday sales, particularly within certain demographic groups. How might the current economic climate affect consumer spending this holiday season? This is where we start to see the effects of what some might call a “two-tier economy.” The higher spending might be driven by the more affluent consumers who are more financially sound, while other data suggest that as many as 1 in 4 households are living paycheck to paycheck, making increased spending for them unlikely. We’re also seeing projections for certain demographic groups at much lower spend projections. Nearly 20% of the population intends to spend less, according to Visa. PWC is projecting spending declines of 5%, and GenZ responses indicate a 23% drop in planned spending. But there are many ways you split segments. People who are concerned about tariffs are planning to spend 10% less, according to PWC. People with kids will tend to spend more than last year, while people without kids will spend less than last year, according to NRF projections. So, it really does come down to individual-level financial and other factors. This may very much be a situation where the affluent drive the average numbers. Are any new shopping trends emerging for 2025 based on recent NRF or Deloitte data? One that has been picked up on by Deloitte, among others, is the tendency of certain (generally younger demographics like Gen Z in particular) to start using AI-based tools and social media not only for gift ideas, but also to find the best prices. Internet searches for “discount” and “coupon” codes are up 11% according to PWC, suggesting many consumers are concerned about saving money. Link to full story here.

1 min

LSU Marketing Expert Dan Rice Available to Speak on Black Friday 2025

As Black Friday approaches, LSU has an expert available to break down what consumers can expect this year. Dan Rice, professor of marketing can speak on: • Emerging Black Friday consumer behavior and spending patterns • How inflation and economic uncertainty are shaping purchasing decisions • Shifts toward online vs. in-store shopping • Strategies retailers are using to drive demand If you’re working on Black Friday or holiday shopping coverage, Our team would be happy to connect you with Dan for an interview.

4 min

Op-Ed: Stablecoin 'rewards' are a risk to financial stability

Congress has long recognized that stablecoins should not function as unregulated bank deposits. The intent of the recently enacted GENIUS Act is clear: to prohibit stablecoin issuers from paying interest or yield to holders, maintaining a distinction between payment instruments and bank deposits which are not only used for payment purposes but also as a store value. Yet loopholes have already emerged. Some crypto exchanges and affiliated platforms now offer “rewards” to stablecoin holders that work much like interest, potentially undermining the stability of the traditional banking system and constraining credit in local communities. Terminology matters. Credit card rewards are funded by interchange fees and paid to encourage spending — you earn points for using your card. Stablecoin “rewards” are different. They’re funded by investing the reserves backing stablecoins, typically in Treasury bills or money market funds, and passing that interest income to holders. You earn returns for holding the stablecoin, not for using it. Economically, this is indistinguishable from a bank deposit paying interest. When a platform advertises “5% rewards” on stablecoin holdings, it’s generally backing those tokens with Treasuries yielding about 4.5%, then passing that yield to users. Whether labeled rewards, yield or dividends, the function is the same: interest on deposits. Banks perform a similar activity — taking deposits, investing in loans and paying depositors a return — but face far higher costs, including FDIC insurance, capital requirements and compliance obligations that stablecoin issuers largely avoid. This dynamic has a precedent. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Regulation Q capped bank deposit rates at 5.25% while inflation and Treasury yields soared above 15%. Money market funds filled the gap, offering market rates directly to consumers. Deposits fled smaller banks, which lost their funding base, while large money-center institutions gained reserves. The result was widespread disintermediation, the collapse of the savings and loan industry and the farm-credit crisis of the 1980s. Stablecoin “rewards” risk repeating that history. Just as money market funds exploited the gap between regulated deposit rates and market rates, stablecoin platforms exploit the difference between what banks can profitably pay and what lightly regulated issuers can offer by passing through Treasury yields with minimal overhead. Some ask why banks can’t just raise deposit rates. The answer lies in structure. Banks operate under a fundamentally different business model and cost framework. They pay FDIC premiums, maintain capital reserves and comply with extensive supervision — costs most stablecoin issuers don’t bear. Banks also use deposits to make loans, which requires holding capital against potential losses. Stablecoin issuers simply hold reserves in ultra-safe assets, allowing them to pass through nearly all the yield they earn. To match 5% “rewards,” banks would need to earn 6% to 7% on their loan portfolios — an unrealistic target in today’s environment, especially for smaller community banks. The consequence is not fair competition, but a structural disadvantage for regulated depository institutions. The Consumer Bankers Association warns this loophole could trigger a massive shift of deposits from community banks to global custodians. Citing Treasury Department estimates, the Association notes that as much as $6.6 trillion in deposits could migrate into stablecoins if yield programs remain permissible. Because the GENIUS Act’s prohibition applies narrowly to issuers, exchanges and intermediaries may still offer financial returns under alternate terminology. This opens the door to affiliate arrangements that replicate the essence of interest payments without legal accountability. Those reserves don’t stay in local economies. The largest stablecoin issuers hold funds at global custodians such as Bank of New York Mellon, in money market funds managed by firms like BlackRock or — if permitted — directly with the Federal Reserve. When a community-bank depositor moves $100,000 into stablecoins, that capital exits the local bank and concentrates at systemically important institutions. The community bank loses lending capacity; the megabank or the Fed gains reserves. The result is disintermediation with a concentrated risk profile reminiscent of the money-market fund crisis. The Progressive Policy Institute estimates that community banks — responsible for roughly 60% of small-business loans and 80% of agricultural lending nationwide — could be among the most affected. In Louisiana, where local banks finance small businesses and family farms, that risk is especially relevant. If deposits migrate to unregulated digital assets, community-bank lending could tighten, particularly in rural parishes and underserved communities. Research from the Brookings Institution reinforces the need for regulatory parity. The label “rewards” doesn’t change the fact that these payments are economically interest. Allowing intermediaries to generate yield without deposit insurance or prudential oversight could recreate vulnerabilities similar to those seen during the 2008 money market fund crisis. To preserve financial stability, policymakers should move to close the stablecoin-interest loophole. Clarifying that the prohibition on interest applies to all entities— not just issuers — would uphold Congress’ intent. Regulators such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodities Futures Trading Commission and federal banking agencies could also treat “reward” programs as equivalent to deposit interest for supervisory purposes. Stablecoins offer genuine efficiencies in payments, but unchecked yield features risk turning them into unregulated banks. History shows what happens when regulatory arbitrage allows competitors to offer deposit-like products without oversight: deposit flight, institutional instability and capital flowing away from community lenders. Acting now could help sustain stability, protect depositors and preserve the credit channels that support community lending — especially in states like Louisiana, where community banks remain the backbone of Main Street.

View all posts
Powered by