DAMARISCOTTA, Maine — Educators hopped aboard the SEAMaine Educator Summit on Friday to learn first-hand about the aquaculture industry in Maine.
Hosted by the Seafood Economic Accelerator for Maine, the industry-led initiative works to better the seafood industry in Maine through a number of programs, grants, and strategies for workforce development.
"How do we have the workforce that we need to have a sustainable seafood sector in Maine," SEAMaine Chair of Workforce Development Committee Ann Langston-Noll said. "We know that needs to connect to K-12 classrooms, community colleges, universities, and professional development."
Friday's summit brought educators along the Damariscotta River on a river cruise to show what the day-to-day is like in the state's oyster farming industry.
Demonstrations and discussions touched on topics like oyster breeding, best conditions for growth, and even experimental ways of farming.
"There are a few little tricks to the secret sauce but it's all about quality and the Maine brand," oyster farmer Carter Newell said, who even pulled up alongside the river cruise for a discussion.
Educators then plan on taking the knowledge they learned back to the classroom, to both teach on the topic and also foster a curiosity for students to possibly pursue a career in aquaculture.
"Living in rural Maine, we have kids that don't go to the ocean very much and don't know a lot about even the industry and what's available down here, so with Maine studies it's a great opportunity," Windsor science teacher Jana Diket said.
The event also reaches students looking for the next step after graduation as university leaders on board plan on using the information to develop a training program.
"You know you can look at it on paper and hear people talk about it but when you can see it ... when you hear the term sea farming you're like, 'What does that mean,'" Southern Maine Community College Dean of Workforce Development Jim Whitten said.