SERA-IEG-9 2001 Annual Meeting Minutes
March 19-20, 2001
National Warmwater Aquaculture Center and Delta Research and Extension Center
Stoneville, Mississippi 

March 19, 2001 

Jimmy Avery opened the meeting at approximately 8:30 in the B. F. Smith Auditorium of the Delta Research and Extension Center. He welcomed participants and then introduced administrators of the Mississippi State University System agriculture programs. Dr. Jimmy Smith, Head of the Delta Research and Extension Center welcomed participants to Stoneville. Then, Dr. Smith introduced Dr. Marty Fuller, Administrative Advisor for SERA-IEG-9 and interim Director of the National Warmwater Aquaculture Center (NWAC). Dr. Fuller extended a welcome and provided some comments about recent activities in Mississippi aquaculture. Dr. Michael Ouart, State Program Leader for the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service, then addressed the group. Dr. Ouart commended the group on its activities, including its website which continues to be developed for exchanging information. All administrators extended best wishes for a productive meeting.

Jimmy then introduced Del Gatlin, chair of SERA-IEG-9, who made some brief comments about the status of this particular exchange group. Gatlin then indicated institutional research and extension reports were available for participants. He also indicated each of the information exchange groups to meet throughout the day should provide reports of their discussions to be posted on the SERA-IEG-9 website.

Then participants dispersed into the Genetics, Economics, and Water Quality/Effluents exchange groups, which met for approximately 1.25 hours. After a 15-minute break, exchange groups concerning Potential Culture Species, Yield Verification and Nutrition met for approximately 1.25 hours. Participants then had lunch at the NWAC after which a tour of the NWAC laboratories was given.

After the noontime tour, exchange groups including Food Safety, Aquaculture Engineering and Fish Health met for approximately 1.25 hours. After a break, the last exchange groups to meet for approximately 1.25 hours were National Catfish Information Database, Shellfish and Alternative Culture Methods. Then participants went on a tour of the pond facilities at Stoneville.

The meetings adjourned at approximately 4:30 p.m. Later in the evening, participants toured the Delta Western feed mill and were treated to a grilled steak supper.

March 20, 2001

Del Gatlin opened the meeting at 8:30 a.m. and indicated approximately 50 people had participated in yesterday’s activities. He also indicated additional research and extension reports had been made available for distribution.

Then the session was devoted to reports from administrators of federal aquaculture facilities starting with the USDA/ARS laboratories. Dr. Bill Wolters provided an overview concerning the USDA/ARS Catfish Genetics Laboratory. He briefly reviewed the lab’s ongoing projects involving selection, hybridization, dissolved oxygen management and off-flavor control. Bill also reported on the recent availability of the NWAC 103 strain of channel catfish.

Then, Don Freeman of the ARS/USDA Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center (SNARC) provided an overview of ongoing projects and activities at SNARC which are focusing on fish diseases, production systems and bird depredation. In the area of drug registration/therapeutics, activities have continued on copper sulfate registration for fungus control and potassium permanganate and copper sulfate efficacy studies with ich. A treatment protocol using copper sulfate and citric acid for snail eradication has been developed to control grubs. Nutrition studies have focused on hybrid striped bass including evaluations of dietary carbohydrates, fish meal analogs and digestibility of various practical feedstuffs. Research on live feeds for larval hybrid striped bass has focused on enhancing natural productivity, zooplankton harvesting, and herbicide effects on plankton dynamics. Physiology research is planned to address handling/transportation stress in hybrid striped bass as well as growth and gender relationships. Bird depredation activities have included evaluation of wire grids over ponds to deter cormorants as well as monitoring cormorant dispersal.

Meryl Broussard of the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) then gave an update concerning federal funding for aquaculture research and education. He indicated funding from USDA CSREES and ARS totals almost $50 million for aquaculture. Dr. Broussard also reviewed some ongoing issues facing aquaculture including the EPA effluent regulations, quality assurance and drug registration, the aquatic animal health management plan to be coordinated with APHIS, and activities involving aquaculture genomics and animal germplasms.

After the morning break, Craig Tucker, Director of the Southern Regional Aquaculture Center (SRAC), gave an overview of the regional aquaculture centers. He also provided specific comments of SRAC’s operational procedures and recent projects.

Then, reports of the information exchange groups that met the previous day were provided by the following people:

Genetics - Jeff Walbeiser
Economics - Carole Engle
Water Quality and Effluents - Marty Brunson
Potential Culture Species - David Cline
Yield Verification - Jim Steeby
Nutrition - Brian Small
Food Safety - Stuart Dean
Aquaculture Engineering - Brian Norrie
Fish Health - Tom Scheduler
National Catfish Information Database - Del Gatlin
Shellfish - Ray McCain

General summaries of information exchanged by these various groups will be posted on the SERA-IEG-9 website as they are received. Thanks were extended to all who agreed to prepare reports.

Prior to adjourning the meeting, Jimmy Avery and his associates and staff at NWAC were thanked for their kind hospitality in hosting this year’s meeting. A host for next year’s meeting was then discussed. There was some interest expressed in having the meeting in the Virgin Islands. Gatlin indicated he would contact Jim Rakocy about possibly hosting the meeting next year. Brian Nerrie also indicated he would check with his administrators about possibly hosting an upcoming meeting of SERA-IEG-9. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 11:30 a.m.


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