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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.
LSU’s Advanced Microscopy and Analytical Core (AMAC) facility gives Louisiana researchers access to 16 state-of-the-art instruments, including a new Spectra 300 Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (S/TEM) for atomic-scale imaging and analysis.
The new microscope—the most advanced in Louisiana—was installed with $10 million in support from the U.S. Army. Standing almost 13 feet tall on a platform isolated from vibration, the S/TEM required major renovations, including a raised ceiling, acoustic wall panels, and a magnetic field cancellation system to ensure the instrument’s stability and performance. The microscope offers magnification up to 10 million times, powerful enough to enlarge a single grain of Mississippi River silt to the size of Tiger Stadium.
“This is a transformational moment for LSU and for the future of research in Louisiana,” Interim LSU President Matt Lee said. “With the installation of the most advanced microscope in the state, LSU is once again demonstrating how we’re delivering on our promises—leading in research, innovation, and service to the state and nation.”
The launch of the AMAC and S/TEM demonstrates LSU’s increased investment in providing its faculty and partners with the best possible equipment for research and discovery, including for national defense, energy, and health.
“Winning in research is no different than winning in athletics—the best facilities attract the best talent, and you need the best of both to win,” LSU Vice President of Research and Economic Development Robert Twilley said. “Today’s launch is about a state-of-the-art microscope but also the launch of the AMAC as our first research core facility at LSU—the first of more to come to attract, train, and supply the best research talent for Louisiana and build research teams that win.”
Using a finely focused electron beam and techniques such as energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), the S/TEM can reveal both structure and chemistry at atomic resolution. These capabilities drive advances in materials science—improving semiconductors, solar cells, batteries, catalysts, coatings, and alloys—while supporting biomedical research by mapping drug delivery, uncovering the structures of viruses and bacteria, and improving medical implant design.
LSU’s AMAC research core facility was recently rebranded, changing its name from the Shared Instruments Facility (SIF).
Learn more about how AMAC instruments help unlock millions in federal research funding to Louisiana and deliver solutions.
AI is shifting from back-office tool to frontline collaborator, "We are witnessing a key inflection point in how organizations work," says LSU professor Andrew Schwarz.
He argues the business case is now clear: AI boosts the quality of ideas and expands who gets to contribute, acting less like software and more like a creative partner. He adds that organizations that embed AI "as a teammate will lead," while those that treat it "as simply a cost-saver risk falling behind."
That shift, he says, reaches deep into org charts and workflows. Schwarz notes that AI can flatten expertise silos, help less-experienced employees operate closer to expert levels, and spark cross-functional thinking that blends technical and commercial insight. Leaders, he said, must "rethink structures, roles and workflows — placing AI at the heart of how teams collaborate, not simply at the edge."
Technology deployment alone won't deliver those gains, "it requires cultural and capability investment," Schwarz said. The priority, in his view, is to "build collaborative ecosystems where human talent and AI capabilities co-create value," invest early to make the "human-plus-AI" model the default, and tap into academic partnerships: "those companies that partner with universities, such as LSU, will have an even greater advantage."
Schwarz also urges guardrails as adoption accelerates. He points to the need for transparency, accountability, fairness, and continuous skill development so the transition "enhances human agency, fosters inclusion, and delivers sustainable value for all stakeholders."
His bottom line is urgent and straightforward: "When AI joins the team, better ideas truly surface. Let's prepare our organizations to make that transition, and lead from the front."
