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Research Interests
As an Assistant Extension Specialist in Aquaculture, I conducted research, extension, outreach, and education to promote a responsible, resilient, and dynamic New Jersey aquaculture sector that balances environmental and economic sustainability. My research applies ecological theory to improve aquaculture practices. By studying both emergent and perennial issues that impact the aquaculture industry, I address topics of immediate concern to farmers, while also investigating long-term solutions for aquaculture sustainability. Specifically, I study ways to expand aquaculture opportunities through diversification and the adoption of novel technologies. I also investigate adaption and mitigation strategies for confronting the impacts of climate and environmental change on aquaculture. To conduct my research, I work cooperatively with shellfish growers and other aquaculture stakeholders.
Current projects include:
Hybridizing Atlantic Surfclam Subspecies (Spisula solidissima solidissima & S. s. similis) to Promote Faster Growth and Greater Heat Tolerance
Assessing Urban Consumer Preferences of Farmed Surfclams (Spisula solidissima)
Advancing Ribbed Mussel (Geukensia demissa) Husbandry to Support New Jersey’s Restoration and Commercial Aquaculture Sectors
Evaluating Trends of Phytoplankton Diversity and Relative Abundance Across New Jersey Aquaculture Sites
Developing The New Jersey Shellfish Water Quality Email Alert System
Improving Workforce Development Opportunities through the New Jersey Apprenticeship in Shellfish Aquaculture Program (ASAP)
Short History
Dr. Michael Acquafredda earned his BS in Biology from Tufts University in 2015 and his PhD in Ecology and Evolution from Rutgers University in 2021. His dissertation research was conducted at the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory and focused on expanding shellfish aquaculture through diversification and selective breeding. In 2020, he was awarded the Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship and worked at the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Acidification Program to advance domestic and international ocean acidification policy. After completing the Knauss fellowship and a postdoctoral research position with the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program, Dr. Acquafredda was awarded a postdoctoral research fellowship through the National Research Council. For this postdoc, Dr. Acquafredda conducted research on integrated multi-trophic aquaculture systems at the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center. In 2023, Dr. Acquafredda returned to the Rutgers University Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory as a research scientist. Today, Dr. Acquafredda continues to conduct aquaculture research, extension, and education work at Rutgers as an Assistant Extension Specialist in Aquaculture, where he serves as a bridge between the university and the aquaculture sector.
Teaching Efforts
Undergraduate
Marine Invertebrates
Select Publications
Acquafredda, M.P., Guo, X., Munroe, D.M. (2024). Transcriptomic response of the Atlantic surfclams (
Spisula solidissima) to acute heat stress. Marine Biotechnology, 26, 149–168.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10126-024-10285-0
Acquafredda, M.P., Morris, N., Calvo, L.R., De Luca, M., Munroe, D.M. (2022). Evaluating the efficacy of nursery gear types for cultivating Atlantic surfclams (
Spisula solidissima). Aquaculture Reports, 25, 101186.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aqrep.2022.101186
Birthisel, S.K., Eastman, B.A., Soucy, A.R., Paul, M., Clements, R. S., White, A.,
Acquafredda, M.P., Errickson, W., Zhu, L-H., Allen, M.C., Mills, S.A., Dimmig, G., Dittmer, K.M. (2020). Convergence, continuity, and community: a framework for enabling emerging leaders to build climate solutions in agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture.
Climatic Change, 1-15.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-020-02844-w
Acquafredda, M.P. & Munroe, D.M. (2020) Effect of species diversity on particle clearance and productivity in farmed bivalves.
Marine Ecology Progress Series, 639:107-126.
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13266
Acquafredda, M.P., Munroe, D.M., Ragone Calvo, L.M., De Luca, M. (2019). The effect of rearing temperature on the survival and growth of early juvenile Atlantic surfclams (
Spisula solidissima).
Aquaculture Reports, 13, 100176.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aqrep.2018.100176
