An International Conference on Open-Ocean Aquaculture was held May 8-10, 1996 in Portland, Maine. The purpose of the conference was to bring people together from around the world to discuss the issues, problems, and opportunities for aquaculture in the open ocean or high energy environment. The target audiences were aquaculturists, fishermen, marine biologists, fisheries scientists, ocean engineers, community development specialists, environmental regulators, policy-makers, students, planners, investors, and natural resource economists.  The conference was funded by the National Sea Grant College Program as part of a larger finfish aquaculture grant and a National Marine Fisheries Service Saltonstall- Kennedy Program Grant. It was sponsored by the University of New Hampshire/University of Maine Sea Grant College Program, UNH Cooperative Extension, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant College Program.  Over 200 people registered for and participated in the conference. Thirty people made presentations. All but three presenters or speakers are represented in the proceedings. A poster/social session held on the first night of the conference featured 26 posters.