Emma Hauser

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/getting-kids-hooked-on-fish-farming/

Coloring and sticker book teaches kids about fish farming

On: March 5, 2025

In: aqua, Charlotte Easterling, Chris Hartleb, coloring book, Emma Hauser, Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility

three copies of wisconsin aquaculture coloring and sticker activity book

The Wisconsin Aquaculture Coloring and Sticker Activity Book is a first-of-its-kind publication that invites kids to learn about fish farming. Photo: Wisconsin Sea Grant

When Chris Hartleb, director of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, was brainstorming ways to get kids excited about locally raised fish, he joked that a scratch-and-sniff sticker book might do the trick.

“Every single employee at NADF said, ‘Do not make that as scratch and sniff.’”

While the fragrance of fish did not make the final cut, the stickers did. The final product, the “Wisconsin Aquaculture Coloring and Sticker Activity Book,” features fish stickers as well as full-page illustrations of different aquaculture systems used to raise fish in Wisconsin.

The Sea Grant-funded book is the first of its kind and is part of a study on how the Great Lakes aquaculture industry could expand through value-added products like fish dips, pre-seasoned fillets and ready-to-eat foods like fish sticks. Hartleb, who co-led the research team, said one goal of the coloring book was to raise awareness of aquaculture products for kids.

“We’re trying to introduce them to the concept of farm-raised fish,” Hartleb said. “Not all fish come from the ocean. A lot of fish are farmed.”

The book illustrates different species raised in Wisconsin, such as walleye, yellow perch, Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout and tilapia, and provides overviews of the aquaculture systems used to raise them. Kids can then take the fish stickers and, in subsequent pages, “stock” them into the aquaculture systems that best suit the fish.

Emma Hauser, aquaculture outreach specialist at NADF and Wisconsin Sea Grant, helped develop content for the book.

“There’s a lot of misconceptions about aquaculture. So, if you are teaching students earlier and earlier on about what aquaculture means in the United States or even more locally, like in their state, they grow up realizing what it is,” she said.

Balancing detail with design

A coloring book page featuring fish form the salmon family with markers scattered around.

Illustrator Charlotte Easterling’s favorite pages featured fish from the salmon family. Photo: Wisconsin Sea Grant

As an outreach specialist, Hauser often gives tours at NADF and is used to explaining complex systems to different audiences. But developing a coloring and sticking book for kids? That was a new challenge.

“I don’t write children’s books, and it’s really hard to take something that might be very specific and kind of hard to understand and build it in a way that children can understand and relate to,” she said.

Enter Charlotte Easterling, a graphic designer and illustrator and the owner of Creative Vixen Design. She didn’t know much about aquaculture, but NADF staff quickly brought her up to speed with a virtual tour of the facility.

“It was fascinating to learn all the different ways that this is done and seeing the technology,” Easterling said. She worked with Hauser, Creative Manager Sarah Congdon and Editor Elizabeth White to tailor the content for a younger audience. The biggest challenge was getting the technical details right, like the positioning of the equipment or the plants in a pond.

As an artist, Easterling also had an eye toward stylistic consistency throughout the 16-page book.

“Am I being too cartoony with this one compared to the realistic illustration we have of this fish over here? So, trying to just maintain a sense of style throughout that wouldn’t feel like it was done by two different people,” Easterling said.

Her favorite illustration is of the Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout, which are swimming in a circular tank with cold, fast-moving water. “It’s a full-page spread, and it kind of has, like, the sparkly water up above,” she said. “You can feel the movement.”

Reeling in a future workforce

Hauser hopes that the book’s fun illustrations and stickers also invite kids to see fish in their futures — not just on their plates, but as a possible career.

“One of the major bottlenecks to aquaculture expansion is finding an educated and skilled workforce,” said Hauser. “A lot of students that might go into this for a career just don’t really know about it.”

A hand lifts a sticker of a rainbow trout from the aquaculture coloring and sticker book

Rainbow trout stickers. Photo: Wisconsin Sea Grant

The book features illustrations of real-life people who work in the industry and touches on the different skills farmers and other aquaculture professionals need. There’s also a map showing the locations of fish farms across Wisconsin, which Hauser hopes will encourage folks to visit nearby farms and learn more about how they raise fish.

“A lot of our farmers are very open to tours and really want to show what they’re doing,” she said.

So far, the book has been a hit. Hauser hands out copies of the book to kids who visit NADF, but as she has learned, it’s best to do so after the tour.

“The kids get very excited about it and want to take the stickers out and start putting them all over,” she said. “We try to get them out of the facility before they start opening them.”

Hartleb has also distributed the books at events, and he’s noticed that it’s not just kids who are interested. Parents have returned to his table to ask for copies for themselves.

“The whole process was a lot of fun, and so far, we’ve gotten great feedback and great response,” he said. “I hope that continues.”

You can order a copy of the Wisconsin Aquaculture Coloring and Sticker Activity book via the Wisconsin Sea Grant publications library.

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Aquaculture outreach extraordinaire wins award

On: February 20, 2025

In: Aquaculture Information Exchange, Emma Hauser, extension/outreach extraordinaire, UWSP NADF

It’s official: Emma Hauser, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s aquaculture outreach and extension specialist, is extraordinary.

Aquaculture outreach specialists Emma Hauser helps two smiling kids with a fish dissection

Emma Hauser, aquaculture outreach extraordinaire, helps two kids with a fish dissection.

Hauser, who works at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, was recently voted Extension/Outreach Extraordinaire by the Aquaculture Information Exchange community. The award celebrates aquaculture professionals who have gone above and beyond to serve those in the industry.

“I love my job, and I learn every day, so I’m very honored and proud to be in this position,” Hauser said at a virtual ceremony announcing the winners.

The award comes as no surprise to those who have worked with Hauser and witnessed her skill and enthusiasm for engaging preschoolers through adults about aquaculture.

“Emma has done an outstanding job with promoting and advancing aquaculture through outreach and extension in Wisconsin and the upper Midwest,” said Tyler Firkus, facilities operation manager at NADF, who nominated her for the honor.

In addition to leading tours of NADF and discussing best practices with fish farmers, Hauser runs a program bringing aquaculture to classrooms across Wisconsin. She also created a guidebook and companion video series about raising walleye for commercial production, worked on a first-of-its-kind aquaculture coloring and sticker book for kids, and is the lead organizer of the annual Wisconsin Aquaculture Conference.

“Her efforts play a large role in establishing a robust workforce development program in the region and ensures aquaculture is well represented in a wide variety of formats for all interested audiences,” said Firkus.

The Aquaculture Information Exchange hosted the awards to celebrate the first anniversary of the online community. Funded by NOAA and USDA and managed by Virginia Sea Grant, the Exchange is a social networking platform that supports communication and collaboration among aquaculture professionals and features discussion boards, training videos, event and job listings, and networking opportunities.

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Wisconsin Aquaculture Conference returns Feb. 21-22

On: February 4, 2025

In: Dong-Fang Deng, Emma Hauser, Peter Fritsch, Sharon Moen, Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Aquaculture Association, Wisconsin Aquaculture Conference

A man in a blue t-shirt holds up two walleye in a net

Josh Fox transports walleye donated by the UW-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility to Woods and Waters, a private fish farm in Juneau, Wisconsin. Photo: Emma Hauser

The Wisconsin Aquaculture Association will host the annual Wisconsin Aquaculture Conference Feb. 21-22 at the Hotel Marshfield, in Marshfield, Wisconsin. The conference is the largest event of its kind in the upper Midwest, bringing together fish farmers, researchers, educators and vendors to learn, share and network with aquaculture professionals across the state and region.

Aquaculture, or the raising of aquatic organisms, is an important part of the global agricultural landscape. Wisconsin has around 2,000 registered fish farms of various sizes. Of these, around 50 farms are commercial-scale operations that produce local seafood, baitfish and fish for stocking as well as support local jobs and the economy. Although small, the industry is diverse, raising different types of fish using a variety of aquaculture systems.

Emma Hauser, aquaculture outreach specialist with University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility and Wisconsin Sea Grant, assists in organizing the event each year. “This annual conference continues to be a critical event for anyone currently involved or interested in becoming involved in aquaculture. We are fortunate to have a great lineup of presenters sharing their expertise from across the Midwest,” said Hauser. “The most important part of this conference is networking and connecting with others in the industry to support the growth and sustainability of aquaculture into the future.”

Peter Fritsch, owner of Rushing Waters Fisheries, agrees. “These events are important to producers. You can learn just as much in conversations in the hallways as the lectures while building relationships with other producers that can last an entire career. These are now like reunions to me,” he said.

The two-day conference will feature talks and breakout sessions on fish health, aquaculture feed, regulation, business resources, fish processing and aquaculture systems. On the second day, participants will have the option to tour Gollon Brothers Wholesale Live Bait, a local fish farm operated by Wisconsin Aquaculture Association President Ben Gollon.

People it at several round tables in a conference room and listen to a speaker at a podium.

Randy Romanski, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, welcomes attendees to the 2024 joint Wisconsin and Minnesota Aquaculture Conference. Photo: Emma Hauser

Several Wisconsin Sea Grant staff will be presenting at the conference. Aquaculture outreach and extension specialist Dong-Fang Deng will discuss current research on aquaculture feed, and Sharon Moen, food-fish outreach coordinator, will offer ways for fish farmers to connect with local legislators. Last year, Moen successfully organized a fish-farm tour for state lawmakers to learn more about the industry.

Not only will fish be on the agenda, but also on plates. The conference will feature a “Taste of Wisconsin” reception, where participants can try local fish products.

Conference registration is $225 for general admission (which includes membership to the WAA), $150 for current members and $100 for students. Children 12 and under are free.

The conference is supported by various organizations including the Wisconsin Sea Grant, the Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative, Minnesota Sea Grant, the UWSP Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, as well as other sponsors and vendors.

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A fish farm field trip for Wisconsin decision-makers highlights challenges and future of aquaculture

On: August 29, 2024

In: aquaculture, Dave Northey, decision-makers, Doug Sackett, Emma Hauser, fish farming, Peter Fritsch, Peter Shep, rainbow trout, Sharon Moen, yellow perch

fish farmer Peter Shep stands in front of an old milking parlor building discussing aquaculture

Peter Shep discusses fish farming in front of the milking parlor that houses his aquaculture operation. Photo: Wisconsin Sea Grant

When a small group of Wisconsin lawmakers and their staff peered into a milking parlor in Stoughton, Wisconsin, in late July, they learned that that not all dairy barns have cows. Some have fish.

The visit to Mulberry Aquaponics and Hatchery was the first stop on a tour of four fish farms in southern Wisconsin that also included Northey Farms in Deerfield, Rushing Waters Fisheries in Palmyra and Crystal Clear Fish Farm in Beaver Dam. Hosted by Wisconsin Sea Grant and industry partners, the tour brought together decision-makers to learn more about aquaculture and the challenges fish farmers face. State Senator Mark Spreitzer and staff from the offices of state Reps. Rozar, Moses and Shankland were all in attendance as were Lauren Kisley, the new veterinary program manager from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, and Ben Gollon, president of the Wisconsin Aquaculture Association and president/CEO at Gollon Brothers Wholesale Live Bait Inc.

Sharon Moen, Wisconsin Sea Grant food-fish outreach coordinator, organized the tour with fish farmers and funding from the National Sea Grant office.

“This tour was a direct response to a needs assessment Wisconsin Sea Grant conducted with fish farmers,” said Moen. “The farmers prioritized developing better lines of communication with decision-makers so we designed an opportunity where that could happen. We loaded fish farmers, decision-makers and Sea Grant facilitators aboard two minivans and drove 150 miles with stops at four fish farms and one Kwik Trip, having meaningful conversations along the way.”

Stop one: Growing perch in a barn

Inside the milking parlor at Mulberry Aquaponics and Hatchery, fish farmer Peter Shep explained how he raises yellow perch from egg to fingerling using a recirculating aquaculture system, which filters and recycles up to 90% of the water. This specialized equipment can be costly, but Shep used inexpensive materials like stock tanks, PVC pipes and solar-powered pumps to craft an affordable but effective system.

Peter Shep dips a net into a blue tank that holds yellow perch.

Shep dips a net into one of the tanks where he raises yellow perch. Photo: Wisconsin Sea Grant

His graduate education helped. Shep started the business after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, where he worked with Professor Dong-Fang Deng, who specializes in yellow perch production.

Raising fish in a gleaming, high-tech university lab, however, is not the same as raising fish in a renovated dairy barn. Despite using similar methods, Shep’s tanks produced fewer yellow perch per gallon than those at the university. The difference underlined the need for more research to be done on actual fish farms, where conditions are different than those in the lab. Wanting to solve some of the research-to-application challenges, he is returning to school in fall to pursue a doctorate degree in the Deng lab.

Shep also cited the technical challenges of raising perch, which are prone to dying within the first 30 days. In addition to being “finnicky,” perch are learning to eat and don’t always direct their hunger at the right thing. “They love to eat each other,” he said, showing photographic evidence to a rapt tour group.

If the perch survive, fingerlings are sold to “grow-out” farms that raise fish to the desired size for stocking in lakes or ponds. And demand is high. One buyer was interested in purchasing up to 250,000 fingerlings, which is more than double Mulberry Aquaponics’ goal for 2024.

Stop two: Where experience and innovation meet

Fish farmer Dave Northey talks with the group of decision-makers

Dave Northey discusses trying out recirculating aquaculture with the tour group. Photo: Wisconsin Sea Grant

The next stop was Northey Farms in Deerfield, where owner Dave Northey has raised yellow perch for nearly 30 years. Walking into an outbuilding, the tour group peeked into tanks that looked a lot like Shep’s.

Northey used to rear 300,000 to 900,000 fish exclusively in outdoor ponds, but several bad years and a serendipitous meeting with Shep encouraged him to try a recirculating aquaculture system. Compared to the pond system, Northey said RAS uses less water and offers the opportunity for multiple crops per year.

While production hasn’t bounced back to previous levels, Northey continues to work with Shep and Doug Sackett of Crystal Clear Fish Farm to optimize their systems and try new things. In this informal “co-op,” the trio share information as colleagues rather than competitors.

Stop three: Raising rainbow trout for the dinner plate

Peter Fritsch of Rushing Waters took the group on a tour of the outdoor ponds where he raises rainbow trout. Photo: Wisconsin Sea Grant

Heading east, the tour’s lunchtime stop was at the state’s largest commercial rainbow trout farm, Rushing Waters Fisheries in Palmyra. The 80-acre farm produces around 225,000 pounds of fish per year in outdoor ponds and features a seafood processing facility that makes fish products sold on-site and in stores. Fish are raised from egg to harvest right on the farm.

Owner Peter Fritsch explained that the ponds where he raises rainbow trout are spring-fed and hover around 50 degrees year-round. The consistently cold temperature is what makes trout farming possible, as trout need cold water to survive.

Being spring-fed, the waters were also clear and the fish easy to spot — not just for humans, but also birds. Fritsch said great blue herons and eagles like the easy pickings of ponds filled with fish and often hang around the farm. In the past, he used netting to deter predators and now uses laser technology to scare birds away.

Over a lunch of salmon burgers (a product processed and sold by Rushing Waters), Fritsch discussed further challenges fish farmers face, such as securing permits and the differences between federal and state regulations of fish farms. Another one is the high cost of starting and sustaining a farm.

“How do you make a little money in aquaculture? Start with a lot,” joked Fritsch. He encouraged the decision-makers to think about ways they can support fish farmers and those new to the industry.

Stop four: Making fish big

Fish farmer doug Sackett nets several perch from him pond as the tour group watches

Doug Sackett of Crystal Clear Farms (right) nets yellow perch for a photo op with Sen. Spreitzer. Photo: Wisconsin Sea Grant

With fish on the mind and in the belly, the tour headed toward the fourth and final stop with Doug Sackett, owner of Crystal Clear Fish Farm in Beaver Dam.

Sackett runs a “grow-out” farm, where — like the name suggests — he grows out fingerling yellow perch in eight outdoor ponds to be stocked in lakes across the state. He purchases his fingerlings from both Shep and Northey and is part of their informal co-op.

Sackett’s goal is to keep the fish healthy and make them big, usually between 5 and 7 inches. He feeds fish twice a day, propelling pellets into the pond with a leaf blower, and works to maintain the appropriate temperature and dissolved oxygen levels. In fall, once the fish are big enough, he uses seine nets to corral and remove them from the ponds. The fish are then transported via truck to lakes and ponds. Most of Sackett’s clients are lake associations looking to boost numbers of yellow perch in their lake.

Sen. Spreitzer posed with one of Sackett’s perch but wasn’t spared the splash as the fish flopped back to the water.

Back on the bus, the wheels continue to turn on the future of Wisconsin aquaculture

As tour attendees boarded the vans to return to Madison, Sackett chatted with Ben Gollon, president of the Wisconsin Aquaculture Association, and Wisconsin Sea Grant aquaculture outreach specialist, Emma Hauser, about strategies for increasing oxygen in the ponds while keeping them cool during the hot summer months. The discussion was yet another example of how this excursion brought farmers, researchers and extension folks together in sharing knowledge and making connections.

The tour also invited lawmakers and legislative staff into the aquaculture conversation, many of whom asked questions of fish farmers on the car rides between stops. One asked whether fish, like other crops, could be insured; another asked about how to start an aquaponics system, which uses nutrients from fish waste to grow greens, at home. Others wanted to know more about how regulation works within the industry.

Knowledge sharing, however, wasn’t a one-way street: Fish farmers also had a chance to ask questions of decision-makers. They asked how and when to best connect with and educate lawmakers about the industry and discussed how bills become laws. Some were curious about what it was like to manage a campaign or run for office.

After the tour, Gollon asked, “This was such a great tour and discussion. Let’s do it again. Where are we going to go next?”

Moen said she was pleased by the depth of the questions and conversations during the tour and pointed toward more opportunities for connecting in the future. She said, “I think we can call this a resounding success as the fish farmers are talking about ‘next time’ and the legislative participants suggested that Wisconsin Sea Grant and fish farmers cooperate to hold a briefing at the state capitol. And — spoiler alert — we recently received word that our proposal to organize this type of opportunity in 2025 received funding.”

This project was made possible by a grant from the National Sea Grant Office (NOAA-OAR-SG-2023-2007550) to the Ohio (lead), Wisconsin and Minnesota Sea Grant programs.

The tour group stands in front of an outdoor pond

Fish farmers, decision-makers and Sea Grant staff pose for a photo in front of Crystal Clear Fish Farm’s yellow perch ponds. Photo: Wisconsin Sea Grant

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In: Apostle Islands Grand Cruise, Bayfield Peninsula, Big Bay Town Park Madeline Island, Bill Bodin, Eat Wisconsin Fish, Emma Hauser, Friends of the Apostle Islands, Hoop's Fisheries, Jeff Rennicke, Melonee Montano, Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, Sharon Moen, Wave Watch Buoy Project, Zhaagawaamikong Neyaashi

Sea Grant communications team gets crash course in aquaculture, Lake Superior fish, buoys, bogs, islands and fire

On: August 20, 2024

Members of the Wisconsin Sea Grant communications team look into an aquaculture tank at the Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility while Emma Hauser looks on. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Each summer, our communications team goes out in the field to see Sea Grant projects firsthand and to spend time with each other. This year’s learning trip took us to the Bayfield Peninsula and northern Wisconsin.

Emma Hauser shows off one of NADF’s aquacultured salmon. Image credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

Highlights on the first day included a visit to the Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility in Red Cliff, where Sea Grant’s Emma Hauser helped us get up close and personal with some salmon. For dinner, we got even closer to fish as we ate Lake Superior whitefish caught by Hoop’s Fisheries in Bayfield.

Lake Superior whitefish (and chips) caught and cooked by Hoop’s Fisheries. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

On Day Two, we learned about the Wave Watch Buoy Project in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore from Jeff Rennicke, director of the Friends of the Apostle Islands. These University of Wisconsin–Madison data buoys allow boaters to access wind and wave information online, making for more safe boating.

Jeff Rennicke (right) with the Friends of the Apostle Islands talks about the group’s projects while Sea Grant’s Natalie Chin (left) and Moira Harrington (center) listen on the Bayfield City Dock. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Next, we toured Bodin’s Fisheries where Bill Bodin showed us how Lake Superior fish are processed after they’re caught. Afterward at a shore lunch hosted by Eat Wisconsin Fish’s Sharon Moen, we dined on Bodin’s whitefish, cooked over a charcoal grill.

Bill Bodin in his fish store. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Lake Superior fish caught by Bodin’s Fisheries. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Sated, we caught the ferry to Madeline Island where we walked through a drizzle on the Big Bay Town Park boardwalk and learned more about the park’s unique lagoon, which is surrounded by a floating fen mat and, on the other side, a beautiful Lake Superior beach.

We caught the ferry back to the mainland only to board another boat for a grand cruise on the Apostle Islands. During the hourlong ride, we learned about the rich history of human interaction with these islands in Lake Superior. We saw lighthouses and sea caves cut into the island sandstone by the lake. We also waved to one of the Wave Watch buoys as we motored past.

Devil’s Island, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

On the final day of our field trip, we drove to Superior, Wisconsin, where we met with Melonee Montano, one of the leads for a project that is investigating how Anishinaabe people connected to and homesteaded the lands of “Zhaagawaamikong Neyaashi” (Minnesota and Wisconsin points) and how they used fire to manage the landscape. She took us to both points and discussed the differences in habitats and uses.

Communications summer student Abigail Brown takes a photo of Melonee Montano on Minnesota Point for a video about her project. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

When the trip was over, I, for one, felt like my head was heavier from all the knowledge imparted by our speakers and experiences. These “crash courses” help greatly with our work to interpret Sea Grant research and outreach projects by providing us with vital background information. Plus, it’s not every day I get to watch a colleague hug a 20-pound salmon!

Editor Elizabeth White gets personal with a salmon at NADF while Emma Hauser looks on. Image credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

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Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

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Marie Zhuikov

Wisconsin Sea Grant staff contribute to special “Oceanography” journal issue

On: May 1, 2024

In: aquatic invasive species, Bonnie Willison, Emma Hauser, Jonathan Pennock, Julia Noordyk, Marie Zhuikov, Mona Behl, National Sea Grant College Program, oceanography, science communication, Sea Grant special issue, stormwater management at great lakes marinas, storytelling in the field, Tim Campbell

Sea Grant research and outreach projects took center stage in the latest issue of “Oceanography,” the official journal of The Oceanography Society. Published yesterday, the issue features 36 articles contributed by Sea Grant authors across 29 programs and the National Sea Grant Office.

“Sea Grant’s success and impact continues to rely on the power of collaboration,” said Jonathan Pennock, director of the National Sea Grant College Program. “This special issue showcases and celebrates the breadth of Sea Grant’s work.”

Articles cover a range of topics including aquaculture, marine debris research, green infrastructure, science communication and community partnerships, highlighting the wide scope of contributions Sea Grant makes to the environmental and marine sciences.

Tim Cambell, Julia Noordyk, Bonnie Willison and Marie Zhuikov with Wisconsin Sea Grant co-authored five articles with staff from other Sea Grant Programs across the country. Emma Hauser represented the Wisconsin program on the cover. Many other staff members helped review the articles, providing input and editing services.

Campbell, aquatic invasive species outreach specialist, contributed to two articles:

Examples of Sea Grant Efforts to Improve Aquatic Invasive Species Research, Outreach, and Management

SPOTLIGHT • Alien Language: Reflections on the Rhetoric of Invasion Biology

Noordyk, water quality and coastal communities outreach specialist, contributed to:

SPOTLIGHT • Advancing Stormwater Management at Great Lakes Marinas with Green Infrastructure: Outreach, Implementation, and Applied Research

Willison, video and podcast producer; and Zhuikov, senior science communicator; contributed to:

Storytelling in the Field with Sea Grant’s Science Communicators

Hauser, aquaculture education and outreach specialist, is featured in one of the cover images holding a net over an aquaculture tank.

Ultimately, this special issue is a reflection of Sea Grant’s scientific contributions and a look toward what is to come. Mona Behl, associate director of Georgia Sea Grant and a contributor to the special issue, said she hopes this issue will inspire new opportunities.

“Sea Grant is just one of many organizations that is committed to increasing the usefulness of science for societal good,” Behl said. “We invite readers of this special issue to join us in envisioning new pathways for collaboration, impact and innovation to propel toward a future where scientific advancements are accessible, equitable and transformative.”

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Wisconsin Sea Grant

Wisconsin & Minnesota Aquaculture Conference showcases the latest in fish farming education and research

On: March 13, 2024

In: aquaculture, Emma Hauser, Sharon Moen, Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin and Minnesota Aquaculture Conference 2024, Wisconsin Aquaculture Association

a graphic announcing the Wisconsin and Minnesota Aquaculture conference on March 22-23

The largest aquaculture event in the upper Midwest, the Wisconsin & Minnesota Aquaculture Conference, will be held March 22–23 at the Legendary Waters Resort and Casino in Red Cliff, Wisconsin.

This year’s conference is being hosted and organized by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility (UWSP NADF) and Wisconsin Sea Grant. The conference will feature more than 40 presenters from industry, state, federal and tribal facilities discussing current research and best management practices. Attendees will also have the opportunity to tour one of four local facilities: the Red Cliff Tribal Hatchery, Red Cliff Fish Company, Bodin Fisheries’ processing facility and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility.

Presentation topics are wide ranging and cover subjects such as water quality management, the economics of aquaculture, workforce development, fish health and how to bring aquaculture into the classroom. The event will also feature a trade show, silent auction, cooking demonstrations and student poster competition.

Attendees interested in learning more about recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) can sign up for a half-day workshop on March 23 at the UWSP NADF facility.

“This conference brings together such an amazing group of experts across our region, including representatives from state, federal, tribal and private industries and organizations,” said Emma Hauser, aquaculture outreach specialist with UWSP NADF and Wisconsin Sea Grant. “The most exciting aspect of this event is that it supports important networking opportunities, critical for building relationships within the aquaculture industry.”

Hauser will participate in a panel discussion with Dong-Fang Deng, aquaculture outreach and extension specialist with Wisconsin Sea Grant and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, on the workforce development issues and needs in the industry.

Said Hauser, “Workforce development continues to be one of the major bottlenecks to the aquaculture industry’s growth. I am thrilled to have aquaculture education experts, including Sea Grant, from across the country featured on this panel, to share their experiences, current educational pathways as well as help us strategically plan for workforce development into the future.”

The Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative, a major sponsor of the conference, is also supporting underrepresented students from around the region to attend and present on aquaculture topics. These student groups include Emerging Ladies Academy, Lakota Youth Development and Fiber Arts Omaha.

Tiffany Gamble, founder of Emerging Ladies Academy stated, “Engagement in the conference for the academy ensures our curriculum stays current, fostering connections with industry professionals for potential collaborations and resources. This aligns with our commitment to empowering women in diverse fields, including aquaculture, and enhances our overall educational experience.”

Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Sharon Moen, food-fish outreach coordinator, will also facilitate an aquaculture marketing panel to showcase strategies and opportunities from various industry and state agencies. Moen will then don her chef’s hat alongside Titus Seilheimer, fisheries outreach specialist, as they demonstrate how to cook dishes featuring locally raised fish.

Conference registration is $125 for general admission and $80 for students. There is an additional $100 registration fee to attend the RAS workshop on March 23.

The conference is supported by the Wisconsin and Minnesota aquaculture associations, the Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative, Wisconsin Sea Grant, Minnesota Sea Grant and UWSP NADF, as well as various business sponsors.

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A peek inside Superior Fresh

On: December 5, 2023

In: aquaponics, Atlantic salmon, Emma Hauser, Hixton Wisconsin, Kyle Woolever, Marie Zhuikov, Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, recirculating aquaculture systems, Sam Heward, Sharon Moen, Superior Fresh

Sea Grant staff learned more about aquaponics from a tour of the Superior Fresh facility in Wisconsin. Here they stand in front of some Atlantic salmon being readied for market. From left to right: Sharon Moen, Jenna Mertz, Marie Zhuikov, Emma Hauser. Image credit: Kyle Woolever, Superior Fresh.

Superior Fresh knows what it takes to raise fish on land and plants in water.

The aquaponics business, located on 800 acres of rolling woodland and prairie in Hixton, Wisconsin, has been raising Atlantic salmon and growing salad greens in its indoor facilities since 2017. The business reports it’s the largest of its kind in the world, producing 1.5 million pounds of salmon per year plus organic-certified salad greens.

It’s a big operation, and one I had the chance to tour in late October with a small group from Wisconsin Sea Grant that included Sharon Moen, food-fish outreach coordinator; Emma Hauser, aquaculture outreach and education specialist with Wisconsin Sea Grant and the UW-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility (NADF); and Marie Zhuikov, fellow science communicator.

It was good opportunity for me, a newcomer to Sea Grant and the world of aquaculture, to learn more about fish farming and Superior Fresh’s recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). Wisconsin Sea Grant supports aquaculture research, including Hauser’s work in outreach, education and workforce development at NADF. Many of the interns NADF hosts go on to work at Superior Fresh—a fact evidenced by all the friendly faces Hauser recognized during our tour.

After pulling plastic coverings over our shoes (which required some artful hopping on my part), we followed Kyle Woolever, director of operations and a UW-Stevens Point graduate, as he showed us around the facility, which recently experienced a 60,000-square-foot expansion. He explained that the building houses half a million fish, all of which are reared in and transferred between tanks based on fish size and stage of lifecycle. Salmon are raised from egg to market size—which is about 10 pounds in just over two years.

All those fish, of course, require a constant flow of water. Gesturing toward the big tanks, Woolever talked about the water footprint of the facility.

“Two small wells are raising all of what you’re going to see on 50 [gallons per minute],” he said. (Residential wells pump between five and 10 gallons per minute.)

How does Superior Fresh raise salmon using relatively little water? The answer is their RAS, which includes high-tech equipment and monitoring to effectively clean and recycle the water throughout the facility. This water is also used in the greenhouse, where leafy greens further remove the nutrients they need to grow. The water then returns to the fish, and the cycle restarts.

Superior Fresh captures all wastewater from the production system by irrigating over 50 acres of native grasses and alfalfa, while operating with zero wastewater discharge. The grasses and alfalfa are cut and baled several times annually and are used by local farmers for cattle bedding. The business also uses other regenerative farming practices, such as creating a soil amendment from digested fish manure, which can be injected into fields before planting.

After touring the aquaculture facility, Woolever led us to the greenhouse, where the thrum of churning water faded to the quiet sound of plants photosynthesizing. It’s here where the nutrient-rich fish water fuels the growth of Superior Fresh’s organic salad greens.

Entering the greenhouse was an arresting sight. Rows of white rafts filled with lettuce, kale, mustard, arugula and sorrel floated in long tanks of water. Sam Heward, greenhouse manager, explained how plants make a linear journey from one side of “the pond” to the other. Baby greens spend about three weeks on the water before harvest.

The greenhouse is warm and bright and, we joke, the perfect place to be in winter. And it’s not just plants and humans that enjoy the summer-like conditions.

“It’s a perfect environment for plants,” said Heward, “which makes it also a perfect environment for [plant] diseases.”

The team is vigilant about watching for root disease and will change varieties or flush the tank if problems arise.

By the end of the tour, it was clear that Superior Fresh is working so that Atlantic salmon don’t have to be airfreighted across oceans from Chile or northern Europe—they can come from your local community—and greens don’t have to be grown thousands of miles away in sun-soaked states. In other words, they’re successfully forging another way to eat Wisconsin fish (with a side of salad).

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Filling water shoes

On: August 21, 2023

In: Alison Mikulyuk, aquaculture, Dong-Fang Deng, Emma Hauser, Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, Sharon Moen, Summer Research Opportunities Program

Two new grants set to build water-related workforce development

The labor landscape in Wisconsin is closely bound to demographics and it comes down to this simple reality: shoes are not being filled.

U.S. Census data shows Wisconsinites of traditional retirement age, 65, have increased 42% since 2005. At the same time, the number of people entering the workforce is contracting because state birth rates have slowed and there are fewer young people. Another aspect of this workforce-shortage trend is that young people are bypassing Wisconsin, choosing to work and live elsewhere as they chase their American dreams.

Now, thanks to an infusion of two new grants, Wisconsin Sea Grant is positioned to facilitate the paths young people are considering as they sort through workforce choices, including where they may eventually want to find training and education, take a job and make a home.

With $592,332 in support from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin (FWC) over two years, the Freshwater@UW Summer Research Opportunities Program will continue its work to develop Wisconsin’s next generation of freshwater scientists.

The program matches water-related mentors from throughout the University of Wisconsin System with undergraduates to guide them in an immersive research experience and acquaint them with the many graduate school opportunities in Wisconsin.

The program just wrapped up its second summer, which attracted 31 students from across the nation to work on the system campuses at Eau Claire, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee, Oshkosh and Superior.

Alison Mikulyuk is coordinating the work of summer research scholars.

Sea Grant’s Alison Mikulyuk coordinates the program which, she said, is growing freshwater research and the workforce through collaborative, cross-system programming that trains and will, ultimately, recruit, retain and diversify the next generation of water professionals.

“The program attracts talented students to the Badger State where they gain skills that are directly applicable to future work in Wisconsin,” Mikulyuk said. “Having just seen these young people through the summer, I’m incredibly inspired. The students made an impressive showing at the recent Summer Research Symposium, and so many of them have had life-altering experiences that I know will fuel their future accomplishments.”

The second two-year FWC grant will provide $207,400 for a project called “Partnering to Boost Aquaculture Workforce Development in Wisconsin.”

Sharon Moen, food-fish outreach coordinator, conducted a 2020 needs assessment of Wisconsin’s food-fish farmers and heard over and over again the need to bring young people into the industry.

“The U.S. imports more than 70% of its fish and shrimp. About half of these imports come from overseas farms. Meanwhile, consumers are calling for locally produced food that supports American jobs, and the health of themselves and their loved ones. Wisconsin aquaculture, aquaculture being another word for fish farming, is primed to meet that demand,” Moen said. “The industry just needs workers and this project will expand training opportunities, linking commercial fish farms in the state to high schools, colleges and universities to foster farm experiences and skill-building workshops.”

Sharon Moen will work with colleagues on aquaculture industry workforce development.

She said one such idea for that skill-building will be supporting high school teams to participate in an existing annual aquaculture competition. Students design and build a system to grow fish.

Moen will work with Sea Grant colleagues Dong-Fang Deng and Emma Hauser, both aquaculture outreach and education specialists. Deng is based at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Hauser works out of UW-Steven’s Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility on the Bayfield Peninsula, not too far from Lake Superior.

“With Dong-Fang’s and Emma’s connections and our collective enthusiasm for this project, we are looking forward to successfully inspiring young people to enter the aquaculture workforce. It can offer a good standard of living and a remarkable quality of life,” Moen said.

The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin is a partnership of Wisconsin’s 13 public universities, connecting with industry partners, local communities, policymakers and advocacy groups. Its mission is to establish Wisconsin as a world leader in freshwater science, technology, entrepreneurship and economic growth. The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin is training the next generation of scientists to solve global water resource problems through academic programs, collaborative research and career development across the UW System.

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Moira Harrington

Summer scholars dip toes into water-related careers: Part two

On: August 21, 2023

In: Anne Moser, aquaculture, Climate change, Emma Hauser, Gavin Dehnert, green infrastructure, herbicides, Natalie Chin, PFAS, Sharon Moen, Summer scholars, Tim Campbell, Wisconsin Water Library

In this second part of a two-part series on Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Summer Outreach Opportunities Program Scholars, we introduce six more scholars working on five projects.

***

What did you do this summer?

A seagull enjoys summer at Bradford Beach in Milwaukee.
Photo credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

It’s a question that, in the middle of August, might prompt panicked reexamination of how you spent the long, warm days of a fleeting season.

For Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Summer Outreach Opportunities Program scholars, the answers come easily.

This summer, 12 undergraduate students from across the country spent a jam-packed 10 weeks collaborating with outreach specialists on coastal and water resources projects across Wisconsin. Scholars conducted research, engaged kids and adults and shared the stories of Great Lakes science, all while working alongside mentors to explore careers and graduate education in the aquatic sciences.

Whether they wrangled fish in Green Bay or researched green infrastructure in Ashland, scholars have much to share about how they spent their summers. Here’s a snapshot of the final five projects in our series.

Project: Climate Change and Green Infrastructure

It’s summer in Ashland, Wisconsin, and summer scholar Alexander Wuethrich is already thinking about winter.

Summer scholar Alex Wuethrich. Photo credit: Alex Wuethrich

Wuethrich, a senior at Northland College majoring in climate science with a minor in physics, is working under the mentorship of Climate and Tourism Outreach Specialist Natalie Chin to research the ways the city of Ashland can use green infrastructure to absorb and slow the flow of stormwater into Lake Superior. He’s focusing on rainwater—but also snow.

Wuethrich explained that the city receives so much snow in winter that crews remove it from city streets and take it to a snow dump site. The current location makes it easy for polluted runoff to enter local waterways.

“Right now, [the site] is at the top of a ravine that leads into a river,” said Wuethrich. As the snow melts, water carries all the sediment, salt and pollutants picked up from city streets into the river, which leads to Lake Superior.

One option is constructing a wetland, which can slow down water and allow sediments to settle out. Wetland plants can also remove heavy metals. Said Wuethrich, “It’ll bring out a lot of those contaminants that we want to keep out of the water system.”

The city can also take measures to prevent pollutants from being on the street in the first place. Enter the street sweeper.

“Learning about how much of a difference [street sweeping] can make was a real eye-opener for me,” Wuethrich said. Working along sweeper routes for three days, he discovered they do more than just tidy up roads. “[Street sweepers] can also pick up heavy metals and other things from cars…like lead and copper that’ll naturally wear off.” Street sweepers also collect dust and sediment before rainwater washes them into the lake.

In addition to getting a crash course in public works, Wuethrich has been using GIS to map storm sewers and catchment basins in the city and developed educational materials on green infrastructure and how to maintain stormwater ponds in the city. He also created a list of trees that, if approved by the city council, would shape what trees can be planted along city streets. The list prioritizes salt- and drought-tolerant native species that could adapt to a warmer, climate-changed future.

The summer scholar experience has underlined that getting involved matters. Said Wuethrich, “It makes a big difference what your local administrators are doing.”

Project: Eat Wisconsin Fish

For Jojo Hunt and Crow Idnani, this was the summer of fish. Paired with Food-Fish Outreach Coordinator Sharon Moen and Aquaculture Outreach and Education Specialist Emma Hauser in Superior, Wisconsin, the scholars spent their summers immersed in the commercial fishing and aquaculture industries across the state: visiting producers, learning about the industry and sharing what they’ve learned. Both scholars completed projects that seek to educate and connect consumers with fish caught or farmed in Wisconsin.

Jojo Hunt gives the thumbs up next to a large tank of fish

Jojo Hunt at the UW-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility. Photo credit: Jojo Hunt

Hunt, a junior at the University of Denver majoring in GIS with minors in computer science and math, is updating the fish finder map on the Eat Wisconsin Fish website, which helps consumers find local businesses that raise or sell Wisconsin fish.

“The main goal of the map is to bring more attention and awareness to where [the businesses] are and what they do and hopefully break some of those stereotypes,” she said, pointing to the misconception that farm-raised fish is unsustainable.

Hunt is also experimenting with different map-making tools to feature profiles of the producers alongside the data. “I thought it’d be kind of nice to see those right under the map to make the points have a story,” said Hunt.

Crow Idnani at the UW-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility. Photo credit: Crow Idnani

Idnani is also working to dispel myths about aquaculture by suggesting updates to A Consumer’s Guide for Wisconsin Farm-Raised Fish, a publication of the UW–Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility (NADF) and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The current guide provides an overview of the aquaculture industry in Wisconsin but can get overly technical. Idnani, a sophomore at Cornell University majoring in environmental science with an eye toward science communication, is reviewing the guide through a consumer lens so that it is more useful for the general public.

A creative piece is in the works, too. Idnani is also writing an article tracing the life of an Atlantic salmon at NADF, from when the fish hatches to when it is harvested. Idnani, Hauser and Moen plan to pitch the story to a regional publication to get it in front of audiences outside the aquaculture industry.

From measuring and sorting Atlantic salmon at the NADF facility to preparing shore lunches and teaching kids about aquaculture, the scholars have—unsurprisingly—learned a lot about all things fish.

Said Idnani, “I never grilled a fish until coming here; I never handled a live fish until coming here. It’s been a lot of firsts, but I’ve enjoyed it.”

Projects: PFAS Bioaccumulation in Plants and Animals Associated with Aquatic Ecosystems

Assessing Aquatic Plant Management Tools for Invasive, Native and Nontarget Organisms in Lake Ecosystems

Summer scholar Britta McKinnon. Photo credit: Britta McKinnon

Britta McKinnon and Heidi Wegehaupt spent their summers in lakes and labs working to paint a more complete picture of how contaminants enter and impact aquatic ecosystems. The scholars participated in two research projects: one focused on poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and the other on herbicides.

McKinnon, a junior at UW–Milwaukee majoring in aquatic sciences, focused primarily on PFAS. Under the direction of Emerging Contaminants Scientist Gavin Dehnert, she identified potential sources of PFAS in northern Wisconsin. McKinnon paid special attention to airports, which use PFAS-containing foams to extinguish fires, as well as landfills and papermills. She noted lakes that may be affected by contaminated runoff.

PFAS can persist in water for a long time. Sometimes called “forever chemicals,” they do not break down easily and can get taken up by plants and animals—and eventually humans—in a process known as bioaccumulation. McKinnon developed a series of factsheets explaining what PFAS are, how they enter and move through the environment and the concerns they pose for human health.

In sharing information with others, she learned a lot about PFAS herself. For example: PFAS are not one substance but many. “I had no idea that there are thousands of different types,” said McKinnon.

Herbicides, not PFAS, were the subject of Heidi Wegehaupt’s research this summer. Working with Dehnert and aquatic invasive outreach specialist Tim Campbell, Wegehaupt collected water and fish samples across three lakes in northern Wisconsin to determine how the herbicide 2,4-Dicholrophenoxyacetic acid affects nonnative Eurasian watermilfoil, the intended target, and nontarget aquatic organisms.

Said Wegehaupt, “Each waterbody has a unique ecological composition, meaning they all react to herbicides differently.”

Knowing how the herbicide affects nontarget species like fish will help lake associations make informed decisions about how to manage invasive species on their lake.

In collecting samples from different lakes, Wegehaupt, a senior at UW–Madison majoring in conservation biology with a certificate in environmental studies, learned she loved fieldwork.

“My favorite part of this experience so far has been spending time at the lakes we’re sampling and just taking the time to enjoy being outside. Getting to know the lakes we work on and talking with locals has been enlightening to my experience as a whole,” said Wegehaupt.

McKinnon, on the other hand, was excited about the lab work. In addition to her PFAS research, McKinnon helped the research team test the impacts of herbicides on fish scale growth. It reminded her of her favorite class, chemistry. Said McKinnon, “I found that I’m in love with the laboratory aspects.”

Neither scholar had previous experience in environmental toxicology but both used the summer to explore which aspects of the research process resonated with them.

Said Wegehaupt, “I still have one year left at UW, so hopefully this opportunity helps me form a path for the future.”

Project: Expanding Voices Heard in the Wisconsin Water Library

India-Bleu Niehoff helps children with an activity at the library. Photo credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

As a summer scholar with the Wisconsin Water Library at UW–Madison, India-Bleu Niehoff learned quickly that working at a small library means variety is routine.

“It’s a special academic library, which basically means you do everything,” said Niehoff.

There’s the minding of books, of course—over 35,000 about the Great Lakes and waters of Wisconsin—but then there’s the sharing of books through blog posts, book clubs and library programming across the state. Alongside Senior Special Librarian and Education Coordinator Anne Moser, Niehoff led lessons on shipwrecks and sturgeon and coached kids how to use remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) constructed from clothes hangers.

A rising graduate student in library and information studies, Niehoff was game for it all.

One of her projects was to help coordinate the fall edition of the Maadagindan! Start Reading! book club. A collaboration between Wisconsin Sea Grant, the Wisconsin Water Library and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Maadagindan! brings together parents and educators to discuss children’s books about Ojibwe culture and language. Meetings also feature an honored guest, usually the author, illustrator or a member of the Ojibwe community who speaks to the themes or importance of the book.

Niehoff researched and helped select the four books, all of which are written by Indigenous women authors. It was difficult to choose just four. As she learned, it’s easy to get lost down the dazzling rabbit hole of books.

“Once you start searching, you keep finding,” she said.

Niehoff also wrote blog posts for the Water Library’s Aqualog blog, the first of which centers on underrepresented groups in nature. The two-part post outlines resources about the history of racism in conservation as well as organizations working to make the outdoors accessible to everyone. The second post, currently under development, will feature resources about Indigenous women in STEM.

India-Bleu Niehoff leads an activity about Great Lakes shipwrecks

Niehoff leads an activity about Great Lakes shipwrecks. Photo credit: Wisconsin Sea Grant

Said Niehoff, “I’ve really enjoyed looking into stuff I’m passionate about and interested in and then accumulate it and make it something that’s available to other people.”

And let’s not forget about the shipwrecks and sturgeon. Niehoff and Moser travelled across the state, from Madison to Sheboygan to Eau Claire, delivering Great Lakes education programming for kids at local libraries. They read books, led kids in the Japanese art of gyotaku and printed fish on paper and played Great Lakes trivia. Watching Moser, Niehoff learned how to engage kids when reading aloud.

Everybody was learning something.

“Going to local communities and sharing this information [was] really enjoyable. Especially because it’s not just kids, it’s parents and whatever grown-up that’s with them,” said Niehoff.

The summer scholar experience allowed Niehoff to experience many different aspects of working at a library, from cataloguing books to leading kids in crafts. Struck by the breadth of the discipline, she’s got a lot to think about going into her first year of grad school.

Said Niehoff, “There are so many different directions you can go.”

The post Summer scholars dip toes into water-related careers: Part two first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

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New aquaculture guide helps fish farmers raise walleye for commercial production

On: June 14, 2023

In: Emma Hauser, recirculating aquaculture, UWSP NADF, walleye

Good news for fans of the Friday fish fry: locally raised walleye may soon be coming to a plate near you.

This past spring, the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility (NADF) released the “Walleye Culture Guide,” a manual for fish farmers on how to raise walleye from egg to market-size fish using indoor recirculating aquaculture systems.

Cover of the Walley Culture Guide, which features four images of walleye at different life stages

The “Walleye Culture Guide” helps fish farmers raise walleye using indoor recirculating aquaculture.

According to lead author and aquaculture outreach specialist Emma Hauser, the guide is the culmination of years of research and a great enthusiasm for the fish, especially in the upper Midwest where it’s enjoyed both as a game fish and one that’s good to eat.

“The facility has been raising walleye for probably the last 15 years now, and there’s been such a strong interest in raising the species indoors for food fish,” she said.

The 65-page guide features findings from Wisconsin Sea Grant-funded research investigating how to raise walleye using indoor tanks for commercial production. Projects explored different starter feeds for walleye, the optimal density of fish per tank, and more recently, how to manipulate light levels and water temperature to ensure they spawn year round.

The process of raising walleye indoors, however, is a tricky one. NADF research program manager and coauthor Tyler Firkus noted that walleye physiology presents a unique challenge.

“When walleye hatch, they’re the size of your eyelash and are very, very delicate,” said Firkus. “It’s really difficult to provide the right conditions for them to thrive and begin accepting a commercial feed, where those issues are easier to overcome with Atlantic salmon or rainbow trout.”

The guide explains the procedures NADF has been refining over the past 15 years to navigate such challenges and features photos and diagrams of protocols, equipment and fish at different life stages. Firkus hopes the visuals make the information more accessible to fish farmers and easier to understand.

“One of the big problems is that a lot of the information that farmers would need to raise walleye is in difficult-to-access or difficult-to-read academic journals,” said Firkus. “And while that’s a great avenue for disseminating this work to the academic community, for the average fish farmer, that’s not the most effective mode of transferring that science.”

A person holds up a market-size walleye produced at NADF.

A market-sized walleye raised at the UWSP Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility. Credit: Emma Hauser

Prospective walleye producers can also consult NADF’s video series, the “Walleye Culture Video Manual,” to learn how to perform the basics of raising walleye indoors, like cleaning tanks and hatching fish. The video series and the guide complement each other: one demonstrates the nuts and bolts of walleye aquaculture, and the other provides the details.

Both the manual and video series are free and available to the public. Said Firkus, “What I hope is that [fish farmers] who are on the edge of deciding what species to raise can decide to go for walleye with a bit more confidence because they have this wonderful guide.”

Walleye continues to be a species with substantial aquaculture potential as a food fish due to well-established markets, high value and fast growth when raised indoors in water reuse systems. Currently, most of the walleye consumed in the Midwest is imported from Canada. With the help of this guide, restaurants across the country could soon feature walleye raised a little closer to home.

Said Hauser, “To be able to raise fresh, locally produced walleye to market is a major benefit not only to consumers but to our local fish farmers.”

The post New aquaculture guide helps fish farmers raise walleye for commercial production first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/new-aquaculture-guide-helps-fish-farmers-raise-walleye-for-commercial-production/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-aquaculture-guide-helps-fish-farmers-raise-walleye-for-commercial-production

In: A Taste of Wisconsin Waters event, Bodin Fisheries, Charlie Henriksen, Emma Hauser, Henriksen Fisheries, Ho-Chunk Nation, Hoop's Fish Market, Marlon White Eagle, Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, Preston Cole, Rock Springs Free Spring water, Sharon Moen, Steve Summerfelt, Superior Fresh, United Nations Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

A Taste of Wisconsin Waters

On: December 22, 2022

A Wisconsin Sea Grant event held in Madison this fall celebrated Wisconsin’s water, from drinking water to water on which businesses rely for their livelihoods. These include commercial fishing and aquaculture operations.

A centerpiece at the Taste of Wisconsin Waters event featured a floating candle, cranberries and rocks. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

This first-ever, invitation-only event was organized by Sharon Moen, food fish outreach specialist. She got the idea from conducting a needs assessment with commercial fishermen and fish farmers in Wisconsin.

“They told me what they would really like Sea Grant to help them with was articulating the importance of their industries to decision-makers,” Moen said. She incorporated that into the event by inviting state legislators and natural resource professionals. Two other objectives were to celebrate Wisconsin Sea Grant’s 50th anniversary and the United Nations’ Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture.

“The U.N. really took a bold stand on supporting local fishing communities and what they bring to society,” Moen said. “Certainly, aquaculture and fisheries in Wisconsin could be considered artisanal compared to some of the big operations.”

A Taste of Wisconsin Waters featured a water bar where event-goers could sample nine waters from around the state and vote for their favorite. Same for a fish spread table, which featured eight spreads donated by commercial fisherman and fish farmers throughout the state.

The favorite Wisconsin water was Rock Springs Free Spring water from a natural spring near Madison. The favorite fish spread was a tie between Bodin Fisheries and Hoop’s Fish Market. Both are located in Bayfield, Wisconsin, and used whitefish as their base ingredient.

An event participant samples Wisconsin water from the water bar. Credit: Bonnie Willison, Wisconsin Sea Grant

“People had a good chance to network with each other and taste some appetizers made out of the fish and listen to some speeches,” said Moen. “I was really pleased that Preston Cole was able to join us. He’s the secretary of the Department of Natural Resources in Wisconsin, and then Marlon White Eagle, the president of the Ho-Chunk Nation was able to join us, too. So, it was really great to have dignitaries and scientists and fish producers all mingling together and to hear those conversations.”

Speeches were also offered by Wisconsin Sea Grant Director Jim Hurley; Steve Summerfelt, chief science officer for Superior Fresh, an aquaponics business that raises Atlantic salmon and grows leafy greens in Hixton, Wisconsin; and Charlie Henriksen of Henriksen Fisheries.

Cole outlined current challenges facing water systems in Wisconsin. “There’s a lot of places in the state of Wisconsin that people don’t have surety when they turn on their tap that they’re going to have clean fresh drinking water,” he said. “A lot of the circumstances are lead laterals in some of our older cities. I think there’s probably about 100 communities still in Wisconsin spread all across the state that still have lead laterals. And for children, there is no safe level for lead. We know that emerging contaminants like PFAS [per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances] in our drinking water do serious harm where we’ve been finding legacy contaminants from firefighting foam.”

Cole also shared some thoughts on a “Taste of Wisconsin Waters.”

“I think this is awesome. For folks in this room tonight, from commercial fishermen, to researchers, to restauranteurs, people who count on that fishing industry, people who count on the research that’s occurring – I met a couple of those researchers this evening – and I think it’s a wonderful way to look forward by relishing how far we’ve come in the past and providing clean water and research around our water systems.”

Summerfelt with Superior Fresh was also impressed by the event. “I’m ecstatic that Sea Grant put this together to recognize how Wisconsin uses water for food and brought in aquaculture. Sea Grant has not only helped educate consumers about eating Wisconsin seafood, which is so good for them because there’s nowhere else you can get omega-3s, which are good for your brain and heart, like you can get it from seafood. And then, Wisconsin Sea Grant has also been instrumental in funding research that’s helped the technology develop that’s used in Superior Fresh.”

Depending on funding, similar events may happen in the future, and they may be open to the public.

Preston Cole. Credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Many of the outcomes will take a while to manifest, but Moen explained that one connection was made right away. “A thousand arctic char from the Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility that is operated through the University of Wisconsin-Steven’s Point, got homes. One of the fish producers, because he heard about them being available, came and collected them and took them back to his farm for growing out as an experiment. So that was a big plus,” Moen said.

She also said that networking among the event-goers led to site visits to research and education facilities and that she’s received invitations to host similar events in two other Wisconsin communities. Moen and Emma Hauser, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s aquaculture and education outreach specialist, recently met with staff from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to discuss working together to support the food-fish industry. “This happened as a direct result of the Taste of Wisconsin Waters,” Moen said.

The post A Taste of Wisconsin Waters first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/a-taste-of-wisconsin-waters/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-taste-of-wisconsin-waters

Marie Zhuikov

Lake Talks series to explore sustainable, land-based fish farming

On: March 7, 2022

In: Cat Frederick, Catherine Frederick, Emma Hauser, fish farming, Jesse Trushenski, Lake Talks, RAS, recirculating aquaculture, recirculating aquaculture systems, seafood, sustainable seafood

Many Wisconsinites may be surprised to learn that the state’s agricultural sector includes seafood raised on land, such as Atlantic salmon. Fish farming—also known as aquaculture—here in the U.S. is one way to reduce America’s reliance on imported seafood. Estimates, depending on how they are calculated, indicate that between 65% and 90% of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported. In addition to this trade deficit, this situation means that seafood often travels great distances to reach your plate.

A free, online panel discussion hosted by Wisconsin Sea Grant will look at one form of sustainable fish farming known as recirculating aquaculture systems. “Fish on land? The growth of land-based fish farming” will take place Thursday, March 17, from 7 to 8 p.m. (central time) as part of Sea Grant’s “Lake Talks” series.

Registration is required and is open now. The hour will include time for audience questions.

Land-based water reuse systems, like the tanks shown here, can provide an optimal, carefully controlled environment for fish to thrive. Pictured here are Atlantic salmon. (Photo: NADF)

Also called RAS, recirculating aquaculture systems use large tanks and efficient reuse of water to raise fish on land. Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has made major investments in furthering RAS research and workforce development, building upon earlier support from the National Sea Grant College Program, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Attendees of the March 17 panel will learn about cutting-edge aquaculture research and outreach happening in Wisconsin. They will also gain a broader, national view of recirculating aquaculture and how it can help with America’s seafood trade deficit, provide nutritious food and reduce food’s carbon footprint.

Speakers will also address how U.S. fish farming and wild-caught fisheries can go hand in hand to supply sustainable seafood to American consumers. The evening will also touch upon the role that aquaculture plays through fish hatcheries that support recreational and commercial fishing and the recovery of imperiled species.

Panelists are:

Emma Hauser, Aquaculture Outreach Specialist/Research Associate, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility and Wisconsin Sea Grant
Dr. Catherine Frederick, Extension Associate for the Recirculating Aquaculture Salmon Network (RAS-N) and Sustainable Aquaculture Systems Supporting Atlantic Salmon (SAS2), University of Maryland Extension and the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology
Dr. Jesse Trushenski, Chief Science Officer and Vice President for Animal Welfare, Riverence; Past President and Fellow, American Fisheries Society

For Lake Talks event and registration information, visit the Sea Grant website, or follow Wisconsin Sea Grant on Facebook or Twitter. You can register for the March 17 presentation now.

For questions about this series, contact Wisconsin Sea Grant science communicator Jennifer Smith.

The post Lake Talks series to explore sustainable, land-based fish farming first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.