Auburn University School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences

10/21/2026

Our Fish Farming Center in West Alabama is integral to what we do here at SFAAS. Not only do the faculty and staff at the AFFC provide fish disease diagnostics and help with water quality and aquatic vegetation identification, but they assist our local farmers with the management of their private ponds. These ponds are critical to Alabama's commercial fish farming industry which sits near the top of the nation as a provider of sustainable food supply to countless places across the country.

10/19/2026

Fisheries at Auburn University is a well-oiled machine, but it can't be done without the people who keep the oil filled and the machines working. Thomas Billingsley is one of the many unsung heroes who keep our operations moving at the Shell Center. Without him and countless others at our different stations, we couldn't do what we do and we are grateful for each and every one of our people.

Fun fact: Did you know that he was an Auburn University Employee of the Year in 2024?

10/16/2026

New job alert: https://jobs-auburn.icims.com/jobs/10637/aquatic-resources-extension-agent---west-region/referral?hashed=-625856085

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) is seeking a self-motivated Aquatic Resources Extension Agent. This role focuses on educating landowners, professionals, and the public on key aquatic resource topics, including farm pond management, watershed conservation, stormwater management, and drought preparedness.

10/15/2026

Please take a moment to congratulate our own Dr. Dunham for being honored with an Auburn University Creative Research and Scholarship Faculty Award. He's recognized as a global leader in aquaculture genetics and biotechnology, with a career spanning multiple decades.

Dunham has produced nearly 600 scholarly works, including nearly 300 peer-reviewed journal articles, 91 book chapters, and three books. His research has been cited more than 14,000 times, resulting in an H-index of 64.

Among his numerous achievements, Dunham’s work has resulted in the first release of genetically improved fish in the United States, the first production of a transgenic fish in the United States, the first production of xenogeneic catfish, and advances in targeted gene editing and gene insertion in fish. His research has benefited the agricultural economy in Alabama and beyond by enabling commercial-scale production of channel catfish and blue catfish hybrids, which now account for nearly 70% of U.S. catfish production. Dunham is a previous winner of the Creative Research and Scholarship Award in 2008.

10/14/2026

Overlooked, but just as important as our fish research is our work with ponds. Alabama has over 200,000 small ponds covering more than 600,000 acres. While they have numerous purposes, their sustainability requires care. This means guidelines on construction, species selection, removal of unwanted and overpopulated fish species, liming and fertilization, harvesting and record keeping, pond enhancements, wildlife management, and w**d control. It's important work that keeps our water-based ecosystems both beautiful to look at and bountiful with fish.

10/09/2026

Look at the size of that tilapia! This fish is a key research and educational species here at SFAAS and their importance goes well beyond our facilities and are vital for research around breeding, genetic studies, water quality optimization, and disease control through a unique Auburn/USDA partnership.

10/07/2026

Our Fish1100 getting some hands-on, in-the-field learning from Dr. Letícia Hoag!

10/06/2026

Have you ever been curious about the impact that freshwater mussels have on our water and ultimately our ecosystem? This picture shows that they aren't just nice to have, but critical to every other organism that depends on clean, filtered water.

09/30/2026

Recycling is important for strengthening our oyster reefs. Our Marine Extension and Research Center coordinates oyster gardening, using larvae provided by the Shellfish Lab to populate recycled shells.

Recycled oyster shells are collected from seafood restaurants all over the Gulf Coast used to house spat young oysters as they develop after attachment to the shell--a critical flywheel to maintain the health of our coastline.

09/28/2026

Do you call them crayfish, crawfish, crawdad, crawdadfish, crawdaddy, mudbug, or freshwater lobster? Come with us as we explore the fascinating world of these creatures and what we've been learning from them!

Imagine landing on and exploring a distant planet. But upon arriving, you discover an alien armored animal. It breathes through gills, carries its young beneath a tail, regenerates lost limbs, digs and lives in excavated underground burrows, and communicates using urine and chemical signals. You mig...