James Hackett cuts ribbon during ceremony to celebrate completion of upgrades to the seawater system at the Manchester Research Station

NOAA Unveils Advanced Seawater System to Boost Salmon and Shellfish Research

UNITED STATES
Monday, May 12, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

State-of-the-art infrastructure ensures reliable, high-quality seawater supply for critical salmon and shellfish aquaculture R&D, bolstering domestic seafood production and ecosystem restoration efforts.

The NOAA Fisheries Manchester Research Station, a cornerstone laboratory of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, has commissioned a new, advanced seawater delivery system. This critical infrastructure upgrade will directly support the station's vital work in pioneering aquaculture techniques and technologies, rearing critically endangered salmonid species, and developing innovative strategies for the propagation and restoration of other imperiled aquatic life.

Manchester Research Station | NOAA Fisheries

Penny Swanson, former division director at the Science Center and a key advocate for the project, emphasized the system's fundamental importance, stating, "The seawater system is like the heart, lung, circulatory system, and kidney of an organism. Replacing it is akin to performing major organ transplant surgery."

The complex project demanded the seamless replacement of the aging seawater infrastructure without disrupting the continuous flow of water to crucial holding tanks containing endangered fish and other sensitive marine research subjects. This undertaking involved extensive excavations across the 22-acre Manchester site, encompassing over 30 buildings. Notably, project crews also executed the remediation and removal of soil contaminated from the site's previous military use.

Manchester's legacy seawater system, a precarious assembly of disparate pipes, pumps, and valves, had become a significant operational burden, demanding constant staff attention for repairs and raising persistent concerns about potential system failure that could jeopardize critical research programs, as highlighted to former Science Center Director Kevin Werner during his initial visit approximately seven years prior.

 The new seawater system at the Manchester Research Station

Reliability Realized: A Foundation for Future Research

The culmination of years of meticulous planning, budgetary allocation, and dedicated installation efforts, the new seawater system was celebrated on May 1st with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking a moment of profound relief for station personnel. The facility now benefits from a dependable and robust water supply essential for its ongoing operations.

The upgraded system incorporates advanced filtration capabilities, treating incoming seawater to a particulate size of 20 microns – less than half the diameter of a human hair. It delivers an impressive flow rate of approximately 2,700 gallons per minute throughout the station's saltwater plumbing network. Furthermore, the new system demonstrates enhanced energy efficiency, requiring less power per gallon of pumped seawater. This modernization will eliminate the frequent and disruptive breakdowns associated with the previous infrastructure, ensuring operational continuity.

Barry Berejikian, Director of the Manchester Station, underscored the system's strategic importance: "This will empower Manchester to sustain our innovative, crucial, and invaluable research on salmon recovery and foster new opportunities through aquaculture to significantly boost domestic seafood production. As NOAA’s premier location for aquaculture research, this upgrade is vital to maintaining that leadership position."

Driving Aquaculture Innovation and Ecosystem Restoration

The Manchester facility's legacy in aquaculture innovation dates back to its acquisition by the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, a predecessor of NOAA Fisheries, following the closure of a U.S. Navy firefighting school on the property. When several Northwest salmon and steelhead species faced listing under the Endangered Species Act, the station's dedicated, albeit small, staff rapidly established a national reputation for their success in raising salmon through aquaculture, playing a critical role in preventing extinctions and supporting wild population recovery.

 Manchester Research Station, Northwest Fisheries Science Center

The research station continues to support a vital population of highly endangered Snake River sockeye salmon, a species saved from the brink of extinction through hatchery programs. The facility provides nearly 500,000 sockeye salmon eggs annually, directly contributing to stock recovery efforts and meeting objectives outlined in NOAA's Recovery Plan.

Recognizing the unique capabilities of NOAA’s Manchester facility, NOAA fosters collaborative research and development agreements with external partners who utilize its specialized aquaculture infrastructure. For instance, the Puget Sound Restoration Fund leverages the Kenneth C. Chew Shellfish hatchery at Manchester to cultivate vulnerable shellfish and seaweed for crucial restoration initiatives across the Pacific Northwest.

Furthermore, the station provides a platform for industry partners developing cutting-edge technologies and methodologies for commercial aquaculture operations. This includes Pacific Hybreed, focused on enhancing the resilience and yields of farmed shellfish to meet growing market demand. NOAA also collaborates with Jamestown Seafoods, the seafood division of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, on a sablefish research project aimed at bringing a new, commercially viable species to American seafood farmers.

The enhanced infrastructure at NOAA’s Manchester Research Station ensures that NOAA scientists and their partners have access to world-class facilities, fostering significant advancements in aquaculture science and technology. These new seawater pumps will be instrumental in charting the course for future innovations in aquaculture, propelling the Pacific Northwest and the nation to the forefront of sustainable seafood production and ecosystem stewardship.

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