Blog

Courtesy of NAA:

The National Aquaculture Association (NAA) recognized Dr. Serge Doroshov, Professor Emeritus, University of California-Davis, and Mark Drawbridge, Senior Research Scientist, Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, as McCraren Award recipients during Aquaculture America 2018.

Dr. Doroshov received the Joseph P. McCraren Distinguished Lifetime Contributions to the Aquaculture Industry. Dr. Doroshov recently retired after over 35 years as professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at University of California, Davis.  Dr. Doroshov taught an upper division course in aquatic animal reproduction physiology, as well as the lab, for over 30 years. In addition, he taught another upper division class in Fish Production. These classes were the mainstay for the many aquaculture students and graduate students he mentored throughout his career.  Dr Doroshov is renowned for his 35 years of research on white sturgeon, which was instrumental in the development of commercial sturgeon aquaculture worldwide, and which continues to grow to this day. In addition to his long career at UC Davis, Serge was a highly respected academic prior to his arrival to the United States. His initial training and early career took place in the Soviet Union. He also worked for UN FAO in Cuba, and after a harrowing departure at the height of the cold war, immigrated to the United States, where he taught an aquaculture course at University of Washington prior to obtaining his position at UC Davis.

Mr. Drawbridge received the Joseph P. McCraren Award for Outstanding Contributions in Promoting the Growth of Aquaculture.  Mr. Drawbridge became involved with Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute in 1986 while participating in the Institute’s nearshore fish surveys as part of his Master’s Degree research. Prior to completing his Master’s degree at San Diego State University in 1990, he spent a year of his graduate program at the University of Queensland in Australia. After demonstrating his scientific excellence and high-productivity, he was promoted to a senior research biologist to direct the Institute’s aquaculture and fisheries research programs. These programs currently support over 20 full time employees at facilities located in San Diego, Carlsbad and Catalina Island. Mr. Drawbridge serves on the board of the California Aquaculture Association (retired as President), as Chairman of the Aquatics Committee of the California Farm Bureau, as a member of the Western Regional Aquaculture Center Technical Committee and as the San Diego County Aquaculture Commodity representative to the California Farm Bureau. He is a member of the World Aquaculture Society and American Fisheries Society.

The McCraren Awards were created by the NAA to recognize individuals that have made significant contributions to U.S. aquaculture as exemplified by the NAA’s first Chairman and Executive Director Joseph P. McCraren.  Mr. McCraren unselfishly and tirelessly served in his capacities with the NAA and as Executive Director for the U.S. Trout Farmers Association.

Please join the NAA in congratulating Dr. Doroshov and Mr. Drawbridge for their invaluable service and contributions to U.S. aquaculture.