A second area of interest to the adult educator is the increase in the number of adults participating in education programs. These two trends provide an excellent opportunity for educators and specialists to collaborate to address the needs of our adult audience through program delivery over the Internet. Aquaculture is one example of where the Internet is used to serve our customers.
Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing forms of animal agriculture.
However, little coordination of the delivery of Internet-based aquaculture information by the Cooperative Extension Service or Sea Grant existed prior to 1994. Practicing or prospective aquaculturists relied on direct contact with either state Extension or Sea Grant educators as their primary source of university aquaculture research and Extension information. As national interest in aquaculture information grew, aquaculture educators were faced with the challenge of increasing educational programs for a growing audience without a concomitant increase in program funding. In addition, there was no single source for locating aquaculture information by the world aquaculture community. As Internet access and use extended beyond educational institutions and governmental agencies, a clear need was identified to use the Internet to reach a broader audience.