Jonathan van Senten

Jonathan van Senten is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech, based at the Virginia Seafood AREC in Hampton, VA. His work focuses on aquaculture economics, particularly analyzing regulatory impacts on farm-level operations across species like baitfish, trout, shellfish, and tilapia. He also explores emerging species, aquaponics, live feed production, and financial benchmarking. His Extension program addresses industry needs in economics, business planning, and strategic marketing through workshops, webinars, and technical publications.

Education:

• Ph.D. Aquaculture/Fisheries, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (2016)
• M.P.S., Marine Affairs & Policy: Aquaculture, University of Miami (2012)
• B.S. Marine Biology, Barry University (2010)

Research Interests:

• Quantifying regulatory costs and farm efficiency
• Feasibility of emerging aquaculture species
• Economic impacts of dietary formulations
• Ornamental aquaculture business development
• Financial benchmarking for aquaculture sectors
• Intensive production of live feeds

Publications & Awards:

• Over 50 peer-reviewed articles, extension publications, and infographics analyzing aquaculture regulations, economics, and industry trends.
• Recipient of the Distinguished Early Career Award (2020) and Best Dissertation Award (2017).

Grants & Industry Impact:

• Collaborates with federal and state agencies to assess aquaculture viability and policy implications.
• Leads studies on pandemic impacts, disease economics (e.g., Edwardsiellosis), and offshore wind-aquaculture co-location.

Labs/Teams:

Virginia Seafood AREC serves as a hub for collaborative research and Extension activities, focusing on applied solutions for Virginia’s aquaculture sector.