Mention university research and certain classic images come to mind: the lone scientist poised over the microscope, the scholar poring over reams of results to find the common thread. The reality of research at West Virginia University is much more complex, with experts from a range of fields approaching issues as a team, creating solutions and opportunities through collaboration.
A prime example of this is WVU's Aquaculture Food and Marketing Development Project. Researchers from WVU's Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences; College of Business and Economics; College of Engineering and Mineral Resources; and Extension Service have joined forces. They are working to enhance the production and marketing of farm-raised fish for food and recreation in private waters, boosting economic development and tourism, and creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs.
The
linchpin of the project is Ken Semmens, aquaculture specialist
with WVU Extension, and he summarizes the thinking behind the
project quite simply: "West Virginia has a growing reputation
as a sportsman's paradise. Our rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds
draw hundreds of thousands of anglers and generate hundreds of
millions of dollars for our economy."
It's the aquaculture team's mission to expand that industry through a variety of means, whether it's through market research, supporting individual entrepreneurs, studying fish species at the genetic level, or turning mine sites into fish farms.
Baiting the Hook
What are anglers looking for in a fishing experience? How can
West Virginia's fee fishing operators tailor their businesses
to draw more visitors? And what would induce out-of-state anglers
to visit more often and stay longer? These are some of the questions
asked in a marketing survey conducted by Cyril Logar of the College
of Business and Economics and Chad Pierskalla of the Recreation,
Parks, and Tourism Resources Program in the Davis College.
Surveying
over 800 anglers, Logar found out about species preference (trout
and bass are popular, in-state and out), what makes fishing worth
the fee (size and type of catch, and the cost), and what they
expect from the facilities they visit (cleanliness and safety).
Participants expressed an interest in package tours. Fishing
is often a family activity, and out-of-state anglers don't visit
just to fish, suggesting opportunities for related recreational
industries.
Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Resources faculty examined customer motives and standards of quality associated with various markets, including catch-and-harvest rainbow trout angling, catch-and-release catfish tournaments, hybrid bluegill fishing, youth fishing derbies, and senior fishing events. Over 300 customers returned a questionnaire at five different study sites throughout West Virginia. The study findings indicate that the different types of pay pond fishing examined represent different market niches that have different management requirements. A better understanding of each niche can help pay fishing businesses, anglers, and fish producers better utilize farm-raised catfish and rainbow trout in the recreation market.
Aquaculture's marketing experts are sharing their findings with fee fishing operators in the state. They've also begun the next phase of research, refining earlier survey findings and exploring what related activities-hiking, biking, rafting, and golf-mix well for the fishing traveler.
Mining for . . .Trout?
The coal industry is a mainstay of West Virginia's economy, but
it's a reality that no site is productive forever. The aquaculture
team is helping to make better use of reclaimed mine sites by
integrating fish production into reclamation plans.
"West
Virginia has a real advantage over other states that use mine
water in trying to commercially raise trout," said Dan Miller,
a research assistant in the Davis College. "The water from
the mines here stays at a constant 55 to 60 degrees all year,
and that is ideal for growing trout."
Beyond being an ideal growth environment for desirable species like trout, Miller sees other benefits of conversion from mining to fish farming. "The coal mining industry may save money in their reclamation efforts," he said. "Many of these sites are located in low-income, rural areas that could benefit from the economic boost; these sites are also close to markets for fish, like a processing plant in Sophia, West Virginia, or fee fishing sites that need to stock their waters."
Miller is working with a number of sites throughout the region, exploring the functional and economic possibilities of this new use for water from reclaimed mines.
Big Business
While marketing experts look at the user end of the aquaculture
equation, agricultural economists in the Davis College are exploring
the production side of the equation, studying the costs and returns
associated with aquaculture production, particularly in mine
site conversions. The results are promising.
"Additional costs incurred in aquaculture production from mine water can be less than with a conventional aquaculture operation," said the Davis College's Gerard D'Souza. "One reason is because government regulations require mine water to be treated before it is discharged, thus providing an aquaculture production facility access to a relatively low-cost resource and simultaneously contributing to conservation of this resource. Benefits can be sizable and accrue to mining companies, the aquaculture industry, and to statewide economic development as well."
According
to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, commercial food
fish sales across the state amounted to over $800,000 in 2001,
a 35 percent increase from the previous year. An additional $1.4
million of trout was stocked for conservation and recreation,
making the aquaculture production sector in West Virginia a $2
million+ annual activity.
"By virtue of its linkages with other sectors of the economy, such as recreation, we find that a $1 million increase in annual aquaculture production increases total output in the state by an estimated $2 million annually, generates an additional $1 million in income and business taxes, and adds 55 jobs," D'Souza said.
High-Tech Hatcheries
While the economics of mine water aquaculture are promising,
the WVU team knows that technological feasibility is critical
to promoting the method of production. That's where WVU's College
of Engineering and Mineral Resources comes in.
Headed by Julio Davalos and Roger Viadero, engineers from the college's Civil Engineering Department are exploring everything from water quality and volume to facility design, using composite materials developed for bridge construction and by the aerospace, naval, and defense industries.
One of those products, honeycomb fiber-reinforced polymer, has been used in three prototype sites. Engineers working with biologists developed the first-ever modular raceway system with this new material to raise fish. They later refined their initial design and installed the second system at WVU's Reymann Memorial Farm in Wardensville. More recently, they have implemented a more economical modular system as an in-pond floating design at a pond at Warwick Mine in nearby Pennsylvania. Their ongoing efforts are being directed to the development of economical raceway systems, using recycled materials and easy-to-assemble modular designs to reduce costs.
Building a Better Trout
Of course, microscopes and reams of results will always have
their place. In terms of aquaculture at WVU, that place is in
the laboratories of animal scientists in the Davis College. The
researchers there are constructing a detailed genetic map of
trout species.
The goal in this corner of the aquaculture universe is to identify economically important traits-resistance to disease, growth rate, muscle development-and find the genes that are linked to these traits. A new tool in this search is the DNA micro-array reader, which can scan tens of thousands of genetic samples in a fraction of the time other methods demand.
Jianbo Yao, an animal scientist in the Davis College, oversees the ongoing rainbow trout genome project. Yao's group is ready to apply their findings to some physiological experiments, seeing how identified genes express themselves in fish and how selective breeding can yield stronger, healthier trout.
Other concerns on the animal science end focus on the effect of water quality and stress on the consistency and quality of fresh trout fillets and value-added smoked trout products.
Spreading the Word
The final aspect of the multifaceted project is perhaps the most
important: communicating findings to West Virginia's growing
aquaculture industry and helping entrepreneurs apply them to
make their efforts more productive, profitable, and successful.
Semmens coordinates these efforts, scheduling workshops and short courses for producers and organizing an annual aquaculture forum. Semmens and Miller also interact with hundreds of individuals a year on a more casual basis, answering questions that come in by phone and via e-mail. These contacts come from mining companies intrigued by new potential uses for their sites, land owners interested in starting a fee fishing operation, and representatives of local, state, and regional government. Project investigators also coordinate with partners like the Freshwater Institute, the National Center for Cool and Coldwater Aquaculture, the Canaan Valley Institute, Kansas Structural Composites Inc., and the West Virginia Departments of Agriculture and Education and Division of Natural Resources. Genesis for the project can be attributed to the vision and leadership provided by Senator Robert C. Byrd through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"I think what drives this project is a desire to communicate the possibilities of aquaculture in West Virginia and the region," Semmens explained.
"We want to show people what could
be, how we can use resources we already have to create new economic
opportunities in parts of our state that badly need them,"
he added. "And West Virginia University is positioned to
communicate that message and back it up with our research expertise."