** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** AQUACULTURE IS FAST BECOMING ONE OF THE KEY STRATEGIES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL FOR INCREASING FOOD SECURITY AND DECREASING SEAFOOD TRADE DEFICITS. WITH THAT GROWTH COMES WORKFORCE NEEDS IN AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION AS WELL AS SUPPORT INDUSTRIES SUCH AS AQUACULTURE AND FISHERIES SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT.HOWEVER, ACROSS THE FISHERIES SCIENCE WORKFORCE, ONLY ONE IN FOUR FISHERIES FACULTY OR RESEARCHERS IS A WOMAN AND ONE IN TEN IS A PERSON OF COLOR. THIS LACK OF INCLUSION OF BOTH GENDER AND RACIAL MINORITIES IN FISHERIES SCIENCE AT THE ACADEMIC LEVEL IS REFLECTED IN THE LACK OF DIVERSITY AMONG FISHERIES SCIENTISTS AND PROFESSIONALS IN THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, DEMONSTRATING THE PROBLEM OF INEQUALITY IN THE US FISHERIES SCIENCE WORKFORCE (ARISMENDI AND PENALUNA, 2016). THIS INEQUITY LEADS TO HOMOGENOUS APPROACHES TO AQUACULTURE SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT AS WELL AS EXCLUSION OF A PORTION OF THE POPULATION FROM A FAST GROWING RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SECTOR. STRENGTHENING ACCESS TO AQUACULTURE TRAINING FOR A DIVERSE POPULATION WILL ENHANCE RURAL DEVELOPMENT. FURTHERMORE, INTEGRATING INDIGENOUS CULTURAL AND ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE INTO APPLIED SCIENCE WILL INCREASE COLLABORATION WITH TRIBAL PARTNERS FOR PROBLEM SOLVING IN A CHANGING CLIMATE, INCREASE VALUE FOR AQUACULTURE PRODUCTS THROUGH EXPANDED COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE AND ADVANCE SUSTAINABLE AQUACULTURE. AQUACULTURE IS ONE OF MAINE'S SEVEN TARGETED TECHNOLOGY AREAS AS DETAILED IN THE 2010 MAINE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ACTION PLAN (MAINE INNOVATION ECONOMY ADVISORY BOARD, 2009). THE STATE HAS BEEN SELECTED FOR DEVELOPMENT BY FOUR RECIRCULATING AQUACULTURE SYSTEM (RAS) COMPANIES, THE OYSTER INDUSTRY HAS INCREASED 8-FOLD IN EIGHT YEARS, THE MUSSEL INDUSTRY HAS TRIPLED OVER THE SAME TIME FRAME, AND THE NUMBER OF SEAWEED HARVESTERS HAVE DOUBLED EVERY YEAR FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS (MEDMR, 2020). THIS RAPID GROWTH AND ITS ACCOMPANYING RESEARCH QUESTIONS MAKE MAINE AN IDEAL LABORATORY FOR STUDYING SUSTAINABLE AQUACULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES. LEVERAGING THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE (UMAINE) AQUACULTURE RESEARCH INSTITUTE (ARI)'S UNIQUE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE UMAINE WABANAKI CENTER, THE USDA-ARS, AND MAINE AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY, THE AQUACULTURE EXPERIENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS (AQUEOUS) PROGRAM WILL IMPROVE ACCESS TO EXPERIENTIAL SCIENCE TRAINING IN AQUACULTURE FOR A DIVERSE COHORT OF UNDERGRADUATES ACROSS THE NATION THROUGH:CREATION OF THE FIRST 5-YEAR REEU SITE FOCUSED ON BOTH MARINE- AND LAND-BASED AQUACULTURE;INCORPORATION OF INDIGENOUS CULTURAL AND ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE THROUGH A UNIQUE CODESIGN OF STUDENT PROJECTS WITH INTERDISCIPLINARY AQUACULTURE FACULTY, THE AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY SECTOR AND MAINE'S WABANAKI TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE KEEPERS;ENGAGEMENT OF TRIBAL COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS;TRAINING STUDENTS IN APPLIED AQUACULTURE RESEARCH THROUGH INDUSTRY AND TRIBAL MENTORING TO INCREASE CAPACITY FOR SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH AND LEADERSHIP.USING UMAINE'S FOUR WORLD-CLASS AQUACULTURE RESEARCH FACILITIES, THE 25-WEEK (15-WEEK VIRTUAL SEMINAR AND 10-WEEK INTERNSHIP) AQUEOUS REEU WILL OFFER 42 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS (OVER 5 YEARS) FROM AROUND THE U.S. A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING TOGETHER THE TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE FROM INDIGENOUS SCIENCE AND STEM CONCEPTS FROM WESTERN SCIENCE TO SOLVE REAL WORLD PROBLEMS IN AQUACULTURE. MENTORSHIP WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE INTERDISCIPLINARY FACULTY AT ARI AND TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE KEEPERS OF THE WABANAKI TRIBES FACILITATED THROUGH UMAINE'S WABANAKI CENTER.APPLIED RESEARCH QUESTIONS WILL BE IDENTIFIED THROUGH ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS WITH AQUACULTURE SECTOR PARTICIPANTS IN MAINE AS WELL AS WABANAKI TRIBES PREPARING TO ENTER THE SECTOR. STUDENTS WILL BE PRESENTED WITH AN ARRAY OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM TO CODESIGN 10-WEEK RESEARCH PROJECTS USING CONCEPTS LEARNED FROM THEIR MENTORS AS WELL AS A 15-WEEK VIRTUAL SERIES, FIELD TRIPS AND LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS OFFERED OVER THE COURSE OF THE GRANT IN APPLIED AQUACULTURE SCIENCE, INDIGENOUS SCIENCE, SCIENCE COMMUNICATIONS AND STEM CONCEPTS.