Aquaculture & Fisheries Business Institute (AFBI)

Welcome! We believe large-scale, commercial aquaculture businesses and resulting fish/seafood production is vital to feed the increasing world population.

What We Do

About the Institute

The Aquaculture and Fisheries Business Institute (AFBI) was chartered by the Auburn University Board of Trustees in 2012 and initially funded by The Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station for its first three years. AFBI was created in response to the global trends of rapidly expanding world demand for protein, limitations on arable land and water, and declining stocks of commercial wild-caught fish.

We also believe that research must be applied and timely to produce solutions that will assist aquaculture producers, processors and supply chain members succeed in a business world. Connecting these groups is essential.

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Research Projects

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Aquaponics Greenhouse

Hours

Monday—Friday
8:00AM – 4:00PM
Except Univ. Holidays

AU Aquaponics Project Group

The group is a transdisciplinary, collaborative research, teaching, and extension project, which includes members from Auburn University’s Tiger Dining; School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences; and departments of Biosystems Engineering, Horticulture, and Poultry Science.

The project was created to achieve several interdependent goals

Aquaponics makes use of hydroponics and aquaculture technologies to provide a system in which nutrient-laden wastewater from fish production is used as a food source for plant growth. Water is pumped from fish tanks to the plants and as plants absorb nutrients the water is cleansed, allowing it to be recycled and reused.

The project was created to achieve several interdependent goals: to conduct research, train students and other interested parties; to provide the latest information on the emerging technology of aquaponics; to demonstrate the economic and environmental benefits of aquaponics; to provide the campus community with high-quality, safe and fresh fish to be served in campus dining facilities; and to make Auburn University known as a leader in aquaponics research, teaching, and extension.

The Facility

The facility consists of four greenhouses, a filamentous algae cultivation system, and several raised garden beds. Fish and vegetables produced in the system are harvested on a regular basis and promptly shipped to campus dining facilities. The fish and produce are never frozen and are processed immediately on campus, providing the Auburn University community with the freshest possible healthful foods.

Helpful Links & Resources

Use the links below to access a variety of aquaculture, fisheries and feed mill information resources.

Catfish Farm Video

Current Aquaculture Activities

The School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences (SFAAS) maintains several off-campus field facilities to support our aquaculture research, teaching and extension/outreach activities. They include 1800 acres of land and water 5 miles north of campus where work includes aquaculture in the study areas of genetics, nutrition, pathology, physiology, water chemistry and systems development. There is also a smaller field station 10 miles south of Auburn that is dedicated to mussel culture as a part of threatened and endangered species work. The Alabama Fish Farming Center in Greensboro focuses on field research, disease diagnosis and control, demonstrations and extension education. The Auburn Shellfish Laboratory located at The Dauphin Island Sea Lab on Dauphin Island focuses on research, student education and extension/outreach mostly in the area of oyster research and development. Our research and teaching related to marine systems development and nutrition is carried out at the Claude Peteet Mariculture Center in Gulf Shores. Targeted species currently under study are marine shrimp and pompano.