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Waterfront immersion: hands-on learning draws aquaculture students to Carteret Community College’s coastal campus

Carteret Community College’s Aquaculture Technology program began training students in 2000. The location of the campus on Bogue Sound in Morehead City gives the program prime access to salt water and brings unique opportunities for hands-on learning to its students.

Strong networks with local aquaculture companies and a growing global demand for aquaculture products means graduates of this program find employment easily.

“It’s ever increasing, the demand for seafood products by our growing population, and the wild fisheries are not able to sustain an increase in capture fisheries,” said David Cerino, chair of the program. “Aquaculture is making up for that demand, and the technology and the training of aquaculture students is really important to support that industry growth.”

Michelle Lotker

Michelle Lotker is an award-winning documentary storyteller with a passion for listening to people’s stories, learning new things and discovering the unexpected. Her background combines a stint as an environmental scientist with a Master’s degree in journalism to make her uniquely qualified to tell complex stories in accessible, engaging ways. Lotker’s work has been screened at film festivals including the International Wildlife Film Festival. She’s worked with organizations ranging from UNC-TV to the Sierra Club to local community health centers and national architecture firms to tell stories through a variety of audio and visual formats.