• Ph.D. Oceanography, University of Hawaii
• M.S. Zoology, University of Vermont
• B.A. Zoology, Drew University (Madison, New Jersey)

Leadership Interests:

Strategic & implementation planning, organizational development, team-building & implementation of partnership principles; development of environmental & sustainability programs & their evaluation especially "Outcome Mapping" at universities, schools, foundations, multilateral & bilateral donor institutions; design & implementation of international & diversity initiatives in universities & environmental organizations.

Overall Research Interests:

Ecological Aquaculture — Ecological design, engineering, systems & trophic ecology of aquatic food production systems in land-based & marine ecosystems both in the nearshore and exposed, "offshore" environments, in societies both rural & urban.

Capture Fisheries — Fisheries science of bivalve mussels; clupeid & scombrid fish.

Current Research & Outreach Projects:

Northern bluefin tuna & Pacific sardine capture-based aquaculture in Baja California, Mexico; Team leader for the WWF Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue Nutrients & Carrying Capacity Working Group; FAO study on Ecosystem Approaches to Marine Aquaculture; Development of sustainability indices for mariculture (ICES Working Group on the Environmental Impacts of Mariculture); Inclusion of fisheries/aquaculture science into the "sustainable seafoods movement" (Sustainable Seafood Forum, Aquarium of the Pacific); Fisheries & aquaculture of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) & zoological interactions with pea crabs (Pinnotheres pisum) in southern New England, USA.

Current Professional Positions:

• 2001 — Director, Rhode Island Sea Grant College Program and Professor of Fisheries & Aquaculture with tenure, Department of Fisheries, Animal & Veterinary Science, with a Joint Appointment as Professor of Oceanography, Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island.

Other Professional Positions:

• 2005 — Senior Research Fellow, The World Fish Center (Penang, Malaysia).
• 2003 — Associate Director, The Coastal Institute, University of Rhode Island.
• 1999 — Editor, Husbandry & Mangement Section, Aquaculture (Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands).

Past Professional Positions:

• 1998—2001: Director Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, USM, Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
• 1998—2001: Adjunct Faculty, Univ. of Southern Mississippi. Adjunct Professor at Auburn Univ., Mississippi State Univ., Univ. of Alabama-Birmingham & Univ. of Mississippi.
• 1997—1998: Student Recommended Faculty in Global Sustainability, University of California-Irvine and Lecturer in the Graduate School, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California-San Diego.
• 1995—1997: Visiting Scholar, John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona.
• 1993—1995: Associate Professor of Aquatic Biology, Department of Biology, Bemidji State University (Minnesota State Universities and Colleges), Bemidji, Minnesota.
• 1993—1995: Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, University of Minnesota.
• 1985—1993: International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM) — The WorldFish Center, Manila, Philippines. ICLARM Positions - 1993: Consultant in Strategic Planning.
• 1989—1992: Director and Research Scientist, ICLARM Africa Project Office, Zomba, Malawi, Africa.
• 1985—1989: Associate Research Scientist & Team Leader, ICLARM - World Bank Project Office, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.
• 1984—1985: Post-Doctoral Staff Scientist, Biosystems Division, United Energy Corporation, Foster City, California.
• 1981—1984: Ph.D. Student and Aquaculture Instructor, Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii.
• 1977—1980: Core Faculty, Institute for Social Ecology and Visiting Faculty, Resident Undergraduate Program, Goddard College, Plainfield, Vermont.

Current Professional Service:

• 2007 — Board of Directors, World Aquaculture Society.
• 2006 — Board of Directors, Northeastern Regional Aquaculture Center (USDA).
• 2005 — Member, Sustainable Seafood Forum, Aquarium of the Pacific (Long Beach, California).
• 2004 — Scientific Liaison Officer, U.S. Agency for International Development for The World Fish Center (Penang, Malaysia).
• 2002 — Executive Committee, Board of Oceans and Atmosphere, NASULGC.
• 1999 — Member, ICES Working Group on the Environmental Impacts of Mariculture.
• 1986 — Scientific Advisor, International Foundation for Science (Stockholm, Sweden).

Selected Past Professional Services:

• 2006—2007: Vice President, World Aquaculture Society.
• 2006: Member of the National Sea Grant Review Panel Program Assessment Team (PAT) for the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant.
• 2003—2005: Scientific Advisory Board, Seafood Watch Program, Monterey Bay Aquarium, California.
• 1999—2005: Co-Chair, National Sea Grant Ecosystems & Habitats Theme Team.
• 2003—2004: Commissioner, R.I. Governor D.L. Carcieri Narragansett Bay and Watershed Team.
• 1999—2004: Associate Editor, Journal of the World Aquaculture Society.
• 1995—2004: Subject Editor for Fisheries in Developing Countries, Journal of Applied Ichthyology.
• 2003—2004: Chair, Fisheries/Aquaculture Panel, Sustainable Partnerships for Agricultural Research and Education (SPARE), U.S. Agency for International Development.
• 1999—2001: Co-Chair, EPA Research Committee, Gulf of Mexico Program, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi.
• 1999—2000: Member of the National Sea Grant Review Panel Program Assessment Team (PAT) for WHOI Sea Grant and for Texas A&M University Sea Grant.
• 1989—1992: Honorary Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Chancellor College, University of Malawi, Zomba, Malawi, Africa.

Selected Professional Awards:

• 2005 — Outstanding Service Award, Sea Grant Association (Secretary, Board of Directors, 2005-2007).
• 2005 — Outstanding Service Award, Sea Grant Association (Chair, Program Mission Committee, 2003-2005).
• 2001 — Exceptional Leadership Award as Director (1998-2001), Board of Directors and Administrative Staff, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium.
• 1998 — Exceptional Impact on Undergraduate Education, 1998 Honors Convocation. University of California-Irvine.

Selected Professional Invitations/Recognitions:

• 2007 — Invited Speaker, Environmental Science Program, Washington College, Maryland.
• 2007 — Invited Speaker, Sustainable Shrimp Forum, International Boston Seafood Show, Boston, Massachusetts.
• 2006 — Invited Speaker: Lowell Lecture Series, New England Aquarium, Boston, Massachusetts.
• 2006 — Keynote Speaker: Aquaculture Pacific Exchange, Campbell River, B.C., CANADA.
• 2004 — Keynote Speaker: AquaVision: The World Aquaculture Business Conference, Stavanger, NORWAY.
• 2002 — Distinguished Lecturer: AquaNet: The Canadian Network Centre of Excellence, Moncton, New Brunswick, CANADA.
• 2002 — Keynote Speaker, University Public Lecture Series, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn., USA.
• 1996 — Fellow, American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists, USA.
• 1995 — First Visiting Scholar, John T. Lyle Center For Regenerative Studies, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, California, USA.

• 1998 — Certified Senior Ecologist, Ecological Society of America (recertified in 2003).
• 1978 — Certified Fisheries Scientist, American Fisheries Society.

• 1987 — Registered Staff Consultant in Post-Evaluation, Post-Evaluation Office, Asian Development Bank (ADB).
• Registered Staff Consultant, Agriculture and Rural Development Department, World Bank.
• Consulting Experiences in Coastal Ocean/Large Lake Programs/Projects in Fisheries, Aquaculture, Sustainable Agriculture in Africa (Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Ghana, Egypt); Asia (China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines), Latin America/Caribbean (Bahamas, Costa Rica, Mexico) and Oceania (Fiji, Hawaii, Federated States of Micronesia).

Field Station Experiences:

• 1998 — Summer Session Faculty in Marine Fish Biology, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon, Charleston, Oregon.
• 1995—1997: Visiting Scholar, John T. Lyle Center For Regenerative Studies, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
• 1995 — Summer Session Faculty in Fisheries Science, Itasca Biological Station, University of Minnesota, Itasca, Minnesota.
• 1976 — Undergraduate Fellowship, January Semester in Marine Ecology, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Mass.
• 1976 — Undergraduate Fellowship, Semester in Science Program, Ecosystems Center, MBL & Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
• 1975 — Undergraduate Fellowship, University of Michigan Douglas Lake Biological Station, Pellston, Michigan.
• 1975 — Undergraduate Exchange Student, Rosenstiel School, University of Miami, Florida.

Selected Education and Teaching Contributions:

• 2006 — Ecological Aquaculture, University of Rhode Island.
• 2004 — Aquaculture & The Environment, University of Rhode Island (co-taught with Prof. David Bengtson).
• 2004 — External Ph.D. Examiner, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada.
• 2000 — External Ph.D. Examiner, University of British Columbia, Canada.
• 1998—2001: External Ph.D. Advisor, University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
• 1998 — Biology of Fishes, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon, Charleston, Oregon.
• 1997 — Aquaculture Research & Development, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California-San Diego.
• 1997—1998: — Global Sustainability, University of California-Irvine.
• 1997—1998: — Sustainable Oceans and Coastal Zones, University of California-Irvine.
• 1992 — External Examiner, Department of Applied Zoology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland.

Current Graduate Students:

• Greg Mataronas (M.S., FAVS, URI).
• Kifle Hagos (Ph.D. NSF IGERT Coastal Institute Fellow, FAVS, URI).
• Raul Jesus del Moral Simaneck (External Ph.D. Committee Member, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Ensenada).

Past Graduate Students:

• Joseph Ofori (Ph.D.).
• Orten Msiska (Ph.D.).
• Fredson Chikafumbwa (M.S.).
• Daniel Jamu (M.S.).
• Sloans Chimatiro (M.S.).
• Winston Kadongola (M.S.).
• Alfred Maluwa (M.S.).

Selected Books:

• Desbonnet, A. & B.A. Costa-Pierce, Editors, 2007, in press. Science for Ecosystem-Based Management: Narragansett Bay in the 21st Century. Springer Science, New York, N.Y., 554 p.


• Costa-Pierce, B.A. et al., Editors. 2005. Urban Aquaculture. CABI Publishing Co., Wallingford, U.K.


• Bridger, C.J. & B.A. Costa-Pierce, Editors. 2003. Open Ocean Aquaculture: From Research to Commercial Reality. World Aquaculture Society, Baton Rouge, LA.


• Costa-Pierce, B.A., Author/Editor. 2002. Ecological Aquaculture. Blackwell Science, Oxford, UK.

Recent peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters:

• Costa-Pierce, B.A. and A. Desbonnet. 2007, in press. An "ecofunctional" approach to ecosystem-based management for Narragansett Bay, p. 537-554. In: A. Desbonnet & B.A. Costa-Pierce, Editors, in press, 2007. Science for Ecosystem-Based Management: Narragansett Bay in the 21st Century. Springer Science, New York, N.Y., 554 p.


• Wilburn, S.M., J. Tobey, J. Hepp, S. Olsen, and B.A. Costa-Pierce. 2007. Sea Grant in Latin America? Adapting the US Sea Grant model of linked applied research, extension, and education to a Latin American Context—Is there a fit? Marine Policy 31: 229-238.


• Caskey, L.L., R.R. Riedel, B.A. Costa-Pierce, J. Butler and S.H. Hurlbert. 2007. Population dynamics, distribution, and growth rate of tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) in the Salton Sea, California, with notes on bairdiella (Bairdiella icistia) and orangemouth corvina (Cynoscion xanthulus). Hydrobiologia 576:185–203.


• Riedel, R. and B. A. Costa-Pierce. 2005. Feeding ecology of Salton Sea tilapia (Oreochromis spp.). Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Science 104(1): 26-36.


• Costa-Pierce, B.A. 2003. Rapid evolution of an established feral tilapia (Oreochromis spp.): the need to incorporate invasion science into regulatory structures. Bio. Inv. 8: 71-84.


• Riedel, R., D. Schlenk, D. Frank, and B.A. Costa-Pierce. 2002. Analyses of organic and inorganic contaminants in Salton Sea fish. Marine Pollution Bulletin 44(5): 403-411.


• Riedel, R. and B.A. Costa-Pierce. 2002. Review of the fisheries of the Salton Sea, California, USA: past, present, and future. Reviews in Fisheries Science 10(1): 77-112.

Selected Reports:

• Costa-Pierce, B.A., A. Buschmann, S. Cross, J.L. Iriarte, Y. Olsen, and G. Reid. 2007, in review. Nutrient impacts of farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) on pelagic ecosystems and implications for carrying capacity. Report of the Technical Working Group on Nutrients and Carrying Capacity of the World Wildlife Fund Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue. WWF, Washington, DC, USA.


• Costa-Pierce, B.A. 2007, in review. An ecosystem approach to marine aquaculture. A Report to the FAO Working Group on an Ecosystem Approach to Aquaculture. FAO, Rome, Italy.


• Stickney, R.R., B.A. Costa-Pierce, D.M. Baltz, M. Drawbridge, C. Grimes, S. Phillips and D. LaDon Swann. 2006. Toward sustainable open ocean aquaculture in the United States. Fisheries 31(12): 607-610.


• Kelleher, K., R. Zweig, E. Hoshino and B.A. Costa-Pierce. 2006. Investment in Fisheries and Aquaculture Module 6, AgInvestment Sourcebook. The World Bank, Washington, DC.


• Costa-Pierce, B.A. 2006. Sustainability indices for mariculture operations. P. 14-31 In: ICES. 2006. Report of the Working Group on Environmental Interactions of Mariculture (WGEIM), 24-28 April 2006, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA. ICES CM 2006/MCC:03. 195 pp.


• Bireley, L.E., J.E. Claussen, B.A. Costa-Pierce, W.J. Daley, J. Geubtner, J. Jolley, B. Knuth, B.G. Parsons, G. Rassam, and C. Stevens. 2004. American Fisheries Society 2005-2009 strategic plan summary. Fisheries 29 (12): 31-37.


• Costa-Pierce, B.A., R. Hardy and J.M. Kapetsky. 2003. Review of the Status, Trends and Issues in Global Fisheries and Aquaculture, with Recommendations for USAID Investments. Strategic Partnerships for Agricultural Research and Education (SPARE), U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC.


• Costa-Pierce, B.A. and L. Cammen. 2003. Restoring and Conserving America's Coastal Ecosystems and Habitats. NOAA—Sea Grant, Washington, DC.


• Costa-Pierce, B.A. 2003. Use of ecosystems science in ecological aquaculture. Bull. Aquacul. Assoc. Canada 103(2): 32-40.

Selected Press:

• Costa-Pierce, B.A. 2007. Don't opt out of the blue revolution. World Aquaculture Magazine 38(2): 1-3.


• Seafood exports flat as imports soar. April 2006. Providence Business News.


• Are the Oceans Half Empty? October 2004. Seafood Business News.


• Eco-Buying Ups the Ante October 2004. Seafood Business News.


• There Goes the Neighborhood June 2003. Christian Science Monitor.