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Market penetration and potential of crawfish, oysters, and red drum in Southeastern U.S. markets

Aquaculture
Seafood market
Market penetration
Crawfish
Oysters
Red drum
Southeastern U.S.

“Market penetration and potential of crawfish, oysters, and red drum in Southeastern U.S. markets”

Authors
Affiliations

Quinn LaFontaine

School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA

Taryn Garlock

School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA

Frank Asche

School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

Roberto Cárdenas-Retamal

School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

Published

April 2026

Abstract

An understanding of the market dynamics and market potential of emerging aquaculture species is important for industry success and expansion for domestically as well as export-oriented producers. This study provides two complementary analyses of the southeastern U.S. seafood market using primary data collected from restaurant menus and a web-based survey of restaurants and grocery stores in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The results show that 68% of restaurants serving seafood are located in Texas, highlighting the importance of the size of the Texas market. Market penetration for US producers was highest near production centers. Crawfish were largely sourced from domestic production in both restaurant and grocery channels, whereas red drum and oysters were sourced from both domestic and imported production. Restaurants, on average, showed a higher preference for wild-caught seafood, whereas grocery stores showed a higher preference for farm-raised, and also for U.S.-produced seafood.