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Marine Science H.S. Students Learn Aquaculture, Sell Fish to Local Business

Fish raised by Marine Science Magnet High School students in Groton over the last two years are now being sold at an Old Saybrook seafood market.

Those students, part of aquaculture classes, farmed barramundi and channel catfish and through the process, learned the business of aquaculture. Wednesday they sold about 100 of the fish they raised at market value to Atlantic Seafood Market in Old Saybrook.

Owner Lisa Feinman called the partnership a perfect way to see where food comes from.

“This is just an indication of where we are truly going to go with the seafood and what we’re consuming as far as not getting it out in the wild, but instead in pristine conditions like this,” Feinman said.

Principal Dr. Nicholas Spera said in 2012, the school pushed to get a bill passed that allowed them to sell the fish students farmed in the aquaculture facility. All proceeds go back into the program.

“It’s really interesting that worldwide, aquaculture is so popular, but here in the U.S. is really isn’t there yet. But it’s growing. And the more that (it) grows, the more jobs that will be available and then our students will be prepared,” Spera said.

Marine Science HS Students Learn Aquaculture

About half the school is involved in aquaculture classes, according to Spera.

“It’s an awesome experience to be able to grow these guys and learn more about the economics and what drives our fish trade around the world, so we can create more sustainable food sources,” said Sara Klimek, who graduated this year. She’s about to start school at the University of Vermont to study natural resource law and environmental policy.

Kwadwo Nsiah, a member of her class, plans to minor in aquaculture at the University of Rhode Island this fall.

“If we grow these fish, what’s their water quality? What do they eat? How long will it take them to grow? That’s one of the big things that we learn – how long it will take them to grow – because that’s our margin right there. That’s the number side of it,” Nsiah said.

Nsiah said he walked into the high school four years ago not knowing what aquaculture was.

“Look at me now, four years later I’ve come here every week in the summer to work in the lab and help them get ready for this day,” he said.

“It’s amazing what you can do when basically the whole school is working together,” said senior Matt Parizo, who plans to take an aquaculture class this coming school year.

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