Participants may choose to participate in a tour to the Freshwater Institute. A separate fee of $50 is required and includes transportation, admission, and lunch. SPACE IS STRICTLY LIMITED, SO REGISTER EARLY as the tour is likely to fill before the conference begins.

Register for the tour on the conference registration form or at: Participant Registration

The Freshwater Institute, Shepherdstown, West Virginia and the nearby USDA Aquaculture Facility
(www.freshwaterinstitute.org)

The Freshwater Institute is the premier coldwater research facility in the world, conducting research on aquaculture technology development, application and demonstration. The Institute has a successful partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service as it works to research and develop technologies to increase food-fish production, reduce costs, and add to product value and quality, while encouraging industry-wide implementation of environmentally responsible production systems. Participants visit the wet lab where research is conducted on ultra intensive, large-scale recirculating systems, with a particular focus on the needs of cold- and cool- freshwater species, centered around a fish culture module built on a one-tenth commercial scale, with an annual production capacity of 50 tons of market sized product. The tankpad supports studies for improving fish health and growth by investigating new engineering designs for better systems management and effluent treatment, optimizing water quality, and improving husbandry. Past studies have included evaluation of non-proprietary double-drain technology for circular tanks, carbon dioxide exposure, and tank velocity studies. The trip from Roanoke to Shepherdstown is approximately three hours by bus through the beautiful Shenandoah Valley.

The tour departs from the North Lobby Entrance of The Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center at 6:00 a.m..