Founded: 1976
Full Time: 2
Part Time: 1
Budget:110,000 plus grants
Director: Jay V. Huner
University of Louisiana at Lafayette –
Crawfish Research Center
1031 W. J. Bernard Road
St. Martinville, Louisiana 70582
Telephone: 337/394-7508 FAX: 337/394-8949
E-Mail: juh0660@louisiana.edu
Research Areas:
The Crawfish Research Center was
established in 1976 at the University of Southwestern Louisiana.
It serves the regional aquaculture community through research,
demonstration, outreach, and training. Activities center around
the crawfish industry with ancillary work with finfish
aquaculture which is assuming greater significance in the area.
Additional studies include development of fishing gear for both
aquaculture and commercial fisheries in the region; tertiary
treatment of waste waters from animal lagoons in aquaculture
units producing ornamental wetland plants and fishes; and
development of an agricultural biodiversity initiative for the
region with attention to associated Eco-Tourism opportunities.
On-going projects include: Louisiana Crawfish Pond Ecology, Avian
Predation in Aquaculture, Finfish and Crawfish Polyculture,
General Crawfish Production Research, Crawfish Reproductive
Physiology Study, a Water Quality- Crawfish Pond Effluent Study,
Documentation of the Bird Fauna and the Wildlife Flora of the
Atchafalaya Basin, and an Agro-Biodiversity Initiative.
Past projects have included: Alligator Biofiltration Project,
Shrimp Gear Development Project, Use of Constructed Wetlands for
Tertiary Treatment of Dairy Lagoon Wastes—Aquaculture
Applications, Soft Shell Crawfish and crawfish Purging/Holding
Research.
Areas of Expertise:
Special Capabilities and Facilities:
The Crawfish Research Center has over 60 acres of research ponds located approximately 20 miles southeast of Lafayette at the University's 600 acre Experimental Farm between the small village of Cade, Louisiana and the small town of St. Martinville, Louisiana . It is the only research unit in the USA devoted primarily to crawfish research. There are three commercial scale crawfish research and demonstration ponds – 4.75 ac, 14.4 ac, and 17.7ac; 17, 0.3 acre shallow research ponds for crawfish and finfish; a 1.5 acre koi carp/catfish production pond; 1, 0.8 acre miscellaneous pond; a 2 acre watershed recreational fish pond, two sets of anaerobic and aerobic oxidation ponds associated with the farm's beef and dairy units (approximately 0.3-0.5 ac); a 25 acre "Green Tree Reservoir" and an 18 acre "Forested Wetland" that provide wintering habitat for waterfowl and spring nesting area for resident ducks. A state-of-the-art 250+ pound capacity closed recirculating soft-shell crayfish system is located on the main campus in Lafayette. This unit offers opportunities for improving production methods for soft-shell crawfish and various finfishes, especially high value ornamental species. The Crawfish Research Center is the permanent home office of the international crawfish organization, the International Association of Astacology. Species currently under study or subjects of past studies include: red swamp crawfish, white river crawfish, dwarf crawfish, noble crawfish (Finland), mosquitofish, green molly, channel catfish, black bullhead, bowfin, largemouth bass, sunfishes, crappies, common carp, koi carp, goldfish, and American alligators. Biological diversity initiative has, documented over 263 species of birds, 25 species of reptiles and amphibians, 25 species of mammals, and 25 species of fish on the farm The center personnel have published 5 books and well over 200 technical, semi-technical, and non-technical articles since 1988.
Research Equipment:
("s" indicates shared
equipment)
28+ earthen research pond units, 0.3-17.7 acre(s)
250 pound capacity recirculating aquaculture unit(s)
2--5000 lb and 1--1000 lb "Load Cells"(s)
Shrimp trawls and fish harvesting nets(s)
Keywords:
0201066 Aquaculture/Hydroponics
0201030 Fish and Fisheries
0201022 Conservation/Agriculture
0201042 Migratory Animals and Birds
0201065 Animal Ecology
0201063 Wildlife
0201015 Animal Feeds/Nutrition
0201018 Animal Physiology/Morphology
0201104 Sustainable Agriculture
0201060 Waste Management (Agriculture)
0201020 Animal Waste
0201027 Farm Machinery
0201036 International Agriculture
0201035 Horticulture
0606010 Environmental Engineering
0606045 Waste Water Treatment
1007026 Wetlands
1007025 Waste Management
1007023 Natural Resources Management
1007008 Water Pollution
1255005 Buildings, Commercial Energy Use
1255060 Energy Testing/Analysis