New ISU Aquaculture Research Facility To Host Field Day

The Iowa State University Aquaculture Research Facility will host its first field day at 6 p.m. July 23 at the Horticulture Station east of Gilbert. The recently completed facility is the first of its kind at Iowa State, and one of the northern most aquaculture facilities in the nation, said Joe Morris, professor in the natural resource ecology and management department who leads the research at the facility. It consists of six identical ponds, a well and a wetland sediment removal system. The ponds are 8 feet deep, a depth that will allow them to be usable year-round. The facility was designed for research and demonstration, with future plans to study baitfish, bluegill, walleye and hybrid striped bass. The ponds are currently stocked with about 3,000 channel catfish each. The fish are part of a research effort between Iowa State and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to determine best management practices for raising catfish for later release into Iowa lakes. The Iowa Aquaculture Association annual meeting will be held at the facility Aug. 7. More information can be found at the Research and Demonstrations Farm Web site: https://farms.cals.iastate.edu/research-farms-field-days-and-meetings.