New Jersey
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Hi all,
I'm Emily, interested in all things ocean, and helping the planet. Looking to bring the industry to the coastal waters of NJ. We only have regulation on shellfish aquaculture here in NJ and I've found myself at a bit of a crossroads before entering the permitting/siting process due to the fact I want to focus on kelp a bit more than shellfish. A recent bill was introduced redefining some of aquaculture's terms on March 24th 2025 (Senate Bill S4273). There is currently no regulation for commercial kelp farming in the state, yet the bill defines: "Aquatic organism" means and includes, but need not be limited to, finfish, mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic plants which are the property of a person engaged in aquaculture. Going to shoot out some emails to the state's aquaculture council to see if it is just unregulated or if there is more work for kelp cultivation to be approved. I'm curious if the definition of aquatic plant is enough for permitting. The state has expressed interest in this, yet can't find any updates other than a 2021 report. If anyone has any information that could help would love to connect! I am very new to this and am open to working with some kelp farms up north to get some hands on experience. Any advice is welcome and appreciated I am in the very beginning stages of this ocean farming journey.
Best,
Em
@emily_dalgauer5220 @scott_lindell with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution was scoping a kelp cultivation in Barnegat Bay a couple of years ago. See Scott's comment in this post from 2023 for additional context. I'm not sure whether/how the tides have changed since then. @zachary_potter and @taylor_barry Have either of you made headway identifying opportunities for seaweed cultivation in NJ?
@emily_dalgauer5220 I replied on the other thread but I wanted to pop in here to provide a contact who could be helpful: michael.acquafredda@rutgers.edu, Aquaculture Specialist with Rutgers University and NJ Sea Grant Consortium. He was very helpful in my own exploration.