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The California Aquaculture Association is proud to share a series of perspectives from intern, Briana (Bri) Le, a fourth-year Aquatic Biology major and Professional Writing minor at UC Santa Barbara. Bri explores the vital role of aquaculture for both consumption and conservation in her series “Bri’s Outlook on Aquaculture”.

I am a Vietnamese-American woman, and I study aquaculture. Vietnam is one of the leading global producers of aquaculture, farming basa catfish and shrimp on a large scale to feed millions worldwide. Aquaculture is well-established in Vietnamese culture and economy, unlike in the U.S.

However, I don’t see people with similar backgrounds to mine in the field I am preparing to enter. Most of my professors have been white men. The spaces I’ve worked in have been predominantly white. It has been a bit isolating as one of the few AAPI people interested in aquaculture. That contradiction between my heritage and where I am currently is something that I’ve been thinking about.

Fisheries and aquaculture have historically been male-dominated, particularly in governance and leadership roles. Despite women making up at least 50% of the workforce in these seafood production industries, women tend to be in lower-paid roles rather than research, management, or farm ownership. Women of color face compounding factors, such as gender bias and racial exclusion from these spaces that have never been designed with them in mind. However, that’s not to say that there hasn’t been change.

What instills hope and inspiration in me are the women I’ve had the privilege of learning from directly.

Dr. Halley Froehlich was my principal investigator (PI) throughout my undergraduate research experience at UCSB, where she was a faculty member in both the Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology and Environmental Studies departments. Her research focuses on the intersection of aquaculture, food systems, and sustainability, which motivated me to pursue aquaculture early on. She has since been recruited by the University of Helsinki to help establish and grow aquaculture in Finland, which speaks to the significance of her work. Having her be my PI has helped me see that women belong at the highest levels of aquaculture science.

Devin Spencer was the general manager of The Cultured Abalone Farm (TCAF) in Santa Barbara, a land-based operation prioritizing the sustainable hand-raising of red abalone. My internship at TCAF was my first real introduction to aquaculture, from throwing kelp to cleaning tanks to learning the significance of raising marine organisms for consumption and conservation purposes. Despite how tiring and dirty the work was, I absolutely loved it. Working alongside other women at the farm helped me see that I belonged in this field. Devin’s leadership showed me that women don’t just participate in aquaculture; they run the show.

Imani Black is the founder of Minorities in Aquaculture (MIA), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the representation and participation of marginalized groups in the aquaculture industry through mentorship, education, and community outreach. Her work addresses something that the aquaculture industry has overlooked: diversity. Diversity isn’t just a mission statement that the industry needs to meet; diversity is necessary for improving the industry that feeds the world. We need ocean stewards who represent the different communities they are feeding. I am proud to share that I will be interning with MIA, where I will be participating in the University of Alaska Southeast’s aquaculture semester program this fall. My aquaculture journey is only just beginning, and I am excited to see where it takes me.

Representation matters in aquaculture. People need to see themselves in a field to believe they belong in it. I spent four years studying aquatic biology at a school within walking distance of the ocean, surrounded by people who didn’t look like me or come from a similar background to mine. I still found my way through the women who showed it was possible.

There are more of us with different backgrounds coming into this field, and we have lots of stories to share as we work to build a better aquaculture industry.

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About the Author

Briana (Bri) Le is a fourth-year Aquatic Biology major and Professional Writing minor at UC Santa Barbara, where she focuses on the Science Communication Track. A first-generation college student and Vietnamese-American, Bri is a member of the McNair and FUERTE fellowships, programs dedicated to helping students from underrepresented backgrounds develop research and professional skills. Her background includes studying the thermal tolerance of juvenile giant kelp under Dr. Halley Froehlich and completing a hands-on internship at The Cultured Abalone Farm in Santa Barbara, where she gained practical experience in land-based farm operations.

Driven by a passion for ‘practical science’, Bri aims to bridge the gap between complex marine research and public understanding. She views aquaculture as a cornerstone of global food security and environmental conservation, yet recognizes that it remains widely misunderstood. Through her work with the California Aquaculture Association, Bri uses her communication skills to demystify the industry and promote diversity, striving to make the field more accessible and inclusive for people of all backgrounds.