The Aquaculture Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) was designed to coordinate the development, testing and demonstration of techniques that can be transferred to the aquaculture industries of New Jersey. This center was conceived because one of the major limiting factors to aquaculture development in the state has been the need to demonstrate aquaculture techniques at a commercial scale and the absence of training facilities. The other significant impediment to aquaculture development has been the legal framework. The legal impediments have been addressed with the development of the State of New Jersey Aquaculture Development Plan which is currently being enacted through various legislative initiatives (House and Senate Bills).

   The ATTC is comprised of two entities: 1) A training, education and information component, the Aquaculture Training and Information Center (ATIC) and 2) The facility for aquaculture demonstration, the Multispecies Aquaculture Demonstration Facility (MADF). The MADF will be a component of the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences of Rutgers University and will be associated with the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory (HSRL). The ATIC will be housed at Cumberland County College (CCC) and consist of the Aquaculture Technology Certificate Program and ATIC Information Resources Center. Engineering plans for the MADF are currently being prepared. An administrative building for the facility, located on Cape May Harbor, has been open since September, 1997. The Multispecies Demonstration Facility will be built near the Cape May-Lewes ferry terminal in Cape May County.