Dr. James Tidwell, Professor and Chair of the School of Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, College of Agriculture, Communities, and the Environment
In the U.S., over 91% of the seafood we consume is imported. This has resulted in a trade deficit in seafood products exceeds $14.5 billion. The continued growth of a domestic aquaculture industry is important to the health of the U.S. economy. Aquaculture production in the U.S. exceeds $1 billion. It is one of the fastest growing segments of U.S. agriculture and expected to remain a growth industry for the next 2-3 decades. Beyond economic considerations, issues related to biosecurity, food security, and food safety make U.S. consumers increasingly concerned about not only where there seafood comes from, but also the environmental conditions inherent in where it was captured or cultured.
Kentucky State University (KYSU) is the 1890 Land-Grant institution in the Kentucky system. As such, its mission is to address the needs of the citizens in the Commonwealth through applied research, teaching, and service. KYSU's lead role in the Aquaculture area is recognized by the legislature. The overall Land-Grant model provides for the generation of essential information needed to develop aquaculture as a new enterprise for the state through applied research. Information is then transferred to producers through a statewide extension network. Support services, such as disease diagnostics, are also offered by KYSU. Instruction is provided at the undergraduate and graduate level through the Aquaculture/Aquatic Sciences degree program.
The Division of Aquaculture was named KYSU’s Program of Distinction by the Kentucky Council on Post Secondary Education in 1999. The choice of Aquaculture was based on meeting two of the stated criteria; both the ability to conduct applied research with the potential of significant economic impact for the Commonwealth and the potential of a program achieving “national prominence.” Areas of significant growth since the POD designation have been Aquaculture Genetics, Aquaculture Economics and Marketing, and Distance Learning/Internet course development.
KYSU Aquaculture Research Center 14-acre campus in Frankfort, Ky.
Aquaculture Genetics, Aquaculture Economics and Marketing, and Distance Learning/Internet course development.
From 1985 to 1991 the program was entirely research and Extension. Kentucky State University began offering classes in Aquaculture in 1992. No other university in the Commonwealth offers an aquaculture curriculum. In 1999, the Council on Post-Secondary Education approved KYSU to offer a Master of Science degree in Aquaculture/Aquatic Science. This was only the second graduate level program offered at KYSU and the first graduate degree within the STEM disciplines. The program awarded its first MS degree in May 2002, and by May 2014 will have awarded 48 Master of Science degrees. Over 25% of our MS graduates go on to complete a PhD. The undergraduate program is part of the B.S. in Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (AFE). Aquaculture Systems is one of the Option Areas in that degree.