A UNIQUE STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY
The UWSP NADF joins only a handful of facilities in the nation that offer similar capabilities in research, demonstration and education.
IMPORTANCE OF AQUACULTURE
Aquaculture, or the culture of aquatic organisms, is currently the fastest growing segment of food production globally and now supports over 50% of seafood consumed. With the world’s population increasing and the high demand for seafood, aquaculture is working to meet this demand with wild caught fisheries.
PROTECTING AND PRESERVING WILD FISH WHILE PROVIDING SAFE, HEALTHY SEAFOOD FOR A GROWING WORLD
The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility (UWSP NADF) is the university’s northern most campus located in Bayfield, Wisconsin. The University’s College of Letters and Science directs the facility in collaboration with various partners based on projects and program goals.
ABOUT US
UWSP NADF is a one-of-a-kind facility in the Midwest and joins only a handful in the U.S. that provide applied research, demonstration, education and workforce development capabilities. The state-of the-art, dynamic facility, showcases new advances in aquaculture system technology such as sustainable land based recirculating aquaculture, while also providing traditional aquaculture systems such as flow through raceways and outdoor ponds for industry-based research projects.
The facility is located on the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Anishinaabeg tribal land in Red Cliff, Wisconsin. The facility is proud to be a part of the Gaa-Miskwaabikaang community and continue work that advances the culture, understanding, and conservation of the fish we study.
MISSION AND VISION
Our mission for the UWSP-Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility is to promote public education and advance the discovery, dissemination, and application of knowledge for sustainable aquaculture in a northern climate.
Our vision for the facility is a center that shall be recognized for promoting sustainable aquaculture among the public, private and tribal sectors through technology transfer, applied research, demonstration, and outreach.
Wisconsin’s has over 2,000 registered commercial fish farms, 14 state hatcheries, 2 federal hatcheries and all the resources needed to accommodate significant expansion. The facility serves as an incubator for new aquaculture practices, providing students and faculty resources for the development of life-long learning.
THE FACILITY
HISTORY
The facility was started from a 1999 budget bill drafted by the Wisconsin Aquaculture Association that appropriated funds for the development of an aquaculture demonstration facility in the Ashland area. During site evaluations, the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Anishinaabeg proposed Red Cliff as a possible location. In 2002, a land lease agreement was signed by the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Tribal Council and the Board of Regents (on behalf of UW-Superior and later transferred to UW-Stevens Point in 2006) that allocated a 40 acre parcel of re-patriated land for construction of the facility.
The result has been a great partnership leading to over 20 years of collaboration, research, and learning from the fish species studied. We are proud to be a part of the Gaa-Miskwaabikaang community and continue work that advances the culture, understanding, and conservation of the fish we study.
Commercial Application of Research and Demonstration
The facility operates a variety of semi-commercially scaled systems including incubation, larval and grow-out systems with tanks ranging in size from 260L to over 11,000L.
The facility’s main 790m2 (8,500 ft2) aquatic production barn contains adaptable, open work areas with access to both cold and heated water, aeration, and oxygen support.
The aquatic barn contains:
- Custom Bell jar and Heath tray egg incubation systems for various cold and coolwater fish.
- Two larval rearing rooms with 43 replicated 260L tanks with complete water temperature, turbidity, lighting, tank inflow, and environmental control.
- Two modern semi-commercially scaled 23,000 – 44,000L RAS grow-out systems (cool-water and cold-water, respectively) with 6-8 replicated tanks. These main recirculating systems utilized for grow-out include modern efficient technologies such as Cornel-style dual drain tanks, microscreen drum filter, fluidized sand biofiltration, degassing column, temperature control, oxygen cone or low head oxygenators, and ultraviolet sterilization.
- Six 1,780L replicated RAS systems with 24 tanks, 260L each. These systems include Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) controlled pumping stations, solids removal, moving bed biofiltration, various oxygen supplementation and UV sterilization.
- Analytical water quality testing and research laboratory.
Outdoors the facility operates:
- Four, 0.16-hectare aerated clay lined, drainable ponds with a common fish collection basin for harvest.
- A high-tunnel building containing two, linear raceways (20.4 m3) with flow through, degassed and aerated, cold (7.6°C) water.
- A second high-tunnel building containing partial RAS technology utilizing dual-drain round 1960L tanks with integrated radial flow separators, degassing/aeration column, common sump and pump station.
- Two effluent drainage settling ponds and a created wetland for final polishing of effluent water before discharge into an intermittent stream.
PARTNERSHIPS
The University’s College of Letters and Sciences directs the facility along with various partnerships based on projects and program goals. The facility has a wide range of partnerships from private, federal, state and tribal hatcheries and facilities to various schools, universities and other organizations. These partnerships may involve technology transfer, providing fish and assistance, outreach and demonstration, education, and research.
We emphasize partnerships with Red Cliff’s Treaty Natural Resources Department and currently together on workforce development and youth outreach while also collaborating on projects including improving Ogaa (walleye) stocking practices, developing a culture guide for Okewis (lake herring), and understanding the effects of sea lamprey parasitism on Namegos (Lake Trout).
“The NADF provides a range of invaluable and unique services for Wisconsin and the Midwest…Presently, we are working cooperatively with at least three stakeholders that rely heavily on the NADF facilities for research and support.”
-Dr. Steven Summerfelt
Past Director of Aquaculture Systems Research, The Conservation Fund Freshwater Institute, West Virginia
RECENT FACILITY NEWS
How are Salmon Raised in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems?
VIDEO
This video explains how salmon can be raised in indoor recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), which can produce salmon locally on land using sustainable practices to manage effluent, biosecurity, and water use. This video is part of a 17-objective project called Sustainable Aquaculture Systems: Supporting Atlantic Salmon (SAS2) funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Research on Advancing Atlantic Salmon Broodstock
Video
While indoor recirculating aquaculture systems have the ability to control the fish culture environment, broodstock optimization relies heavily on a solid understanding of the factors that facilitate maturation and reproductive success. This video provides an overview of several research objectives related to Atlantic salmon broodstock that looks to tackle critical gaps in knowledge.
METHOD FOR PRODUCING DIETARY PROTEIN FOR LARVAL FISH
AQUACULTURE FACT SHEET
This fact sheet explains the methodology in producing dietary protein for larval fish by hydrolyzing the muscle tissue of invasive carp species. This fact sheet was created for aquaculture feed manufacturers and is a deliverable from a project funded by the North Central Regional Aquaculture Center.
GETTING KIDS HOOKED ON FISH FARMING
VIDEO
UWSP NADF, Wisconsin Sea Grant and UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences are partnering on a project to build awareness of fish farming and boost training opportunities for young people. The project, funded by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, is a step towards developing an aquaculture workforce in the state. This video showcases the experiences of a group of students that were able to intern at various aquaculture facilities over the summer due to this project.
Influence of stocking density on growth and survival of larval walleye
Research Publication
The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of stocking density on the early growth performance and survival of intensively reared walleye by stocking fry at different densities in a replicated, flow-through larval culture system. The publication is free access through American Fisheries Society North American Journal of Aquaculture.