Registration Deadline: Aquaculture Challenge
The Aquaculture Challenge is a competition open to teams of 8th-12th grade student with an adult coach or captain. The challenge engages students in STEM learning, innovation, and career development by developing aquaponics systems and business plans. Teams can come from rural, urban, and suburban schools or homeschool groups across the Great Lakes states. New and returning teams are welcome; Michigan Sea Grant (MISG) staff provide start-up guidance and resources for coaches before the competition cycle begins each January.
Registration is now open for the 2026 competition! To compete, enroll by January 14, 2026. Learn more and sign up a team today!
The Aquaculture Challenge is a collaboration between MISG and Lake Superior State University (LSSU). This science competition engages students in grades 8-12 from around the Midwest in a four-month venture to:
- Build and monitor aquaponics systems
- Create business plans
- Cook seafood dishes or do seafood community outreach projects
The competition comes with support such as: $150 stipends, a virtual coach training and kick off meeting, a team liaison assigned to meet virtually with each team throughout the season, and several electronic resources.
Teams work from January-April to design and engineer table-top aquaponics systems. They spend the competition window monitoring and automating the systems, crafting business plans, and creating seafood outreach projects. Staff from MISG and faculty and students from LSSU provide guidance and mentorship to teams and coaches throughout the process.
The competition ends in late April, when teams submit their accomplishments virtually using videos and PDFs to capture their hard work. A virtual awards ceremony takes place in April or early May, and winning teams receive trophies in the mail.