Discoveries

AS A BLUEPRINT FOR BETTER BUSINESS

MSU ingenuity aimed to shore up U.S. aquaculture industry

By Vanessa Beeson, Photos by Beth Wynn

Mississippi State has long been a big fish in aquaculture economics research, trawling the waters of opportunity to help improve profit and productivity. As home to the Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center—the nation’s largest aquaculture research facility—MSU is invested in boosting not only catfish productivity but the whole U.S. aquaculture industry.

Mississippi’s Fresh Catch

As the country’s largest catfish producer, Mississippi accounted for $226 million of the United States’ overall $370 million production value in 2020—proving the strength of a statewide industry that’s been building for more than 50 years.

Mississippi’s commercial catfish industry began in the 1960s and by the 1980s was well on its way to positioning catfish as a staple on America’s dinner plate. Along the way, MSU helped develop the tools and innovations catfish producers needed to grow and thrive— from establishing enterprise budgets to researching improved production practices to studying nutrition, diseases and more.

The industry continued to grow through the 1990s until the mid-2000s when it began to feel a squeeze, driven in part by low-priced and low-quality imported pangasius catfish flooding the U.S. market. The contraction forced catfish farmers to concentrate more on maximizing profit and production efficiency.

Jimmy Avery, an Extension professor and director of the NWAC Southern Regional Aquaculture Center, explained that MSUdriven research helped catfish producers pivot their production models by focusing on economics, production practices and systems, nutrition, water quality, fish health management, genetics and breeding.

“One response to competition from foreign supplies of catfish-like products is to create more intensive systems that increase efficiency and, hopefully, decrease production costs,” Avery said. “Research on more intensive systems was conducted by NWAC and USDA Agriculture Research Service scientists, and farmers began adopting these systems. Their continuous use combined with the complementary use of hybrid catfish in these systems, are the principal reasons we have been able to increase per-acre yields from 4,000 pounds per acre to 6,800 pounds per acre.”

L-R: Jimmy Avery and Ganesh Kumar in front of a catfish pond at the Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center.

Avery said catfish feed—the industry’s largest production cost—has been a research focus at Mississippi State for decades.

“MSU scientists have researched ways to reduce feed costs through alternative feed ingredients, lower protein concentrations and elimination of non-essential ingredients,” Avery said. “It is estimated that nutrition research alone saves the industry between $95 and $140 per ton of feed.”

Another example of MSU researchers collaborating to save producers money is the development of a vaccine and vaccine delivery system to treat enteric septicemia, an endemic disease causing significant economic loss across the industry.

“This technology has resulted in a net economic benefit to fingerling producers of $1,200 to $2,400 per acre,” Avery said.

He added that since 2016, Mississippi catfish acreage has remained relatively constant, and in 2020, Mississippi accounted for 54% of the nation’s foodfish acreage, 65% of the fingerling production and 83% of the broodfish production.

“MSU researchers have helped these numbers stabilize through their work on improved technologies that enhance farm productivity and economic viability,” Avery said.

There are many university partners in aquaculture research and outreach at MSU, representing a close-knit, interdisciplinary and collaborative effort, including scientists from the university’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, College of Veterinary Medicine and the MSU Extension Service, along with the USDA Agricultural Research Services’ Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit.

Navigating into Larger Waters

Mississippi State University aquaculture economics research reaches well beyond Mississippi’s catfish ponds. In fact, the university is gaining national attention as the recipient of a newly funded grant to establish national economic metrics for all U.S. aquaculture.

Ganesh Kumar, an assistant research professor, guides a team of nearly a dozen researchers from eight universities. As part of a $1 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Sea Grant College Program, the team will analyze the economic viability, impact and management measures of the U.S. aquaculture industry, which includes everything from freshwater fish such as

farm-raised catfish, trout and bass to offshore species like oysters, shrimp and salmon. While Americans annually consume around 16 pounds of seafood per person, much of it comes from waters beyond the U.S. Kumar noted that more than 90% of seafood in the U.S. is imported, "MSU scientists have producing a seafood trade deficit of $17 billion researched ways to per year. reduce feed costs “This trade deficit through alternative only can be reduced by promoting the domestic feed ingredients, lower aquaculture sectors. protein concentrations Providing basic, farm-level and elimination of non- economic information and essential ingredients. It farm management tools is fundamental toward is estimated that nutrition such progress,” Kumar research alone saves the said. “Mississippi State industry between $95 and University, with a rich tradition of aquaculture $140 per ton of feed." economists, is identified ~ Jimmy Avery as the leading research institute in aquaculture production and economic research. This is a rare opportunity to create an economic framework for regional and national aquaculture stakeholders.” The team, which includes MAFES researchers Suja Aarattuthodi and Benedict Posadas, will develop economic information for catfish, mollusks, crustaceans, centrarchids like bass, recreational and ornamental fish, and other aquaculture industries, while also assessing the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic impact across U.S. aquaculture sectors. One goal, Kumar said, is to create a farm-level database that helps producers and researchers better understand farm production and risk on a large scale. “Aquaculture entrepreneurs need accurate information to assess production, marketing and financial risk. Until a basic framework is in place, competing with other countries will be difficult,” Kumar said. “By delivering the information domestic producers need to grow and thrive, we’ll improve the economic welfare of the U.S. aquaculture industry as a whole.” n

Mississippi State University provides an estimated annual economic impact of $1.8 billion to the Magnolia State, a recently completed analysis shows.

The study, conducted by international economic modeling company Emsi on behalf of MSU, shows that the university provides a strong return on investment for taxpayers, students and society. MSU’s $1.8 billion economic impact supports 29,016 jobs, or one out of every 55 jobs in Mississippi, with every $1 of public money invested in the university generating $2.30 in value. Emsi’s study, conducted last year, is based on data from fiscal year 2018-2019.

“MSU drives our state’s diverse and growing economy in so many vital ways, whether it’s producing highly qualified graduates in hundreds of fields, creating an innovative economic environment where research and development thrive, or directly assisting the people of Mississippi with strategic extension and outreach in every Mississippi county,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “This study confirms that MSU is a great investment for the taxpayers of Mississippi as we meet our mission of learning, research and service.”

MSU’s $1.8 billion total economic impact represents the sum of several areas that were studied by Emsi, including:

$935.8 million in impact from MSU alumni; $297.3 million from operations spending; $245.3 million from the MSU Extension Service; $213.1 million from research spending; $45 million from student spending; $42.5 million from visitor spending; $32.6 million from MSU’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems-Extension; $20.8 million from faculty and student start-up and spin-off companies; $14.8 million from construction spending.

In addition to metrics quantified in Emsi’s report, MSU supports economic development in several ways. The university works closely with economic development officials at the state and local levels to support industrial recruitment and retention efforts. A wide variety of university outreach programs support the development of strong communities across the state. Additionally, university researchers regularly collaborate with industry to solve problems and foster new innovations in sectors such as automotive, aerospace, agriculture and manufacturing.

“As the state’s leading research university, our extensive R&D capabilities make MSU and the state of Mississippi a trusted partner in public and private research activity,” said MSU Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan. “Additionally, we support start-up companies founded as a result of MSU research, helping to create new economic opportunities focused on innovative technologies.”

Among the top 5% of universities nationally for agriculture and natural resources research, MSU historically has supported the state’s $7.35 billion agriculture industry. The university’s Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine manages four research and extension centers and 16 branch stations strategically located throughout Mississippi, in addition to Extension offices in all 82 counties of Mississippi. Emsi’s analysis showed that the increased productivity of Mississippi farmers and ranchers from working with Extension yielded $245.3 million in added income for the state, which is equivalent to supporting 4,889 jobs.

“Mississippi’s producers are competing in national and international markets to sell their products, and that activity is vital to the state’s economy,” said MSU Vice President for the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine Keith Coble. “Through Extension and MSU’s robust agricultural research activities, we are supporting the state’s top commodities such as poultry, soybeans and forestry while also tailoring outreach and research programs to meet the needs of Mississippi’s diverse agricultural regions.”

Examining the economic benefits of MSU for students, Emsi found that the average bachelor’s degree graduate from MSU working in Mississippi will see an increase of $19,400 each year compared to a person with a high school diploma or equivalent. The study also found that societal benefits of having a more educated Mississippi population amount to $4.3 billion. n

A virtual reality greenhouse, developed as part of Mississippi State’s Future Growers Technology Initiative, will help reshape some of the most high-risk aspects of the agriculture industry. Funded through a federal grant, the project is a partnership of MSU’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems.

The latest survey from the National Science Foundation again affirms Mississippi State’s status as the state’s leading research university. Among all institutions in the NSF’s just-released Higher Education Research and Development Survey, MSU moved up the rankings to No. 92 nationally with more than $264.5 million in research and development expenditures for fiscal year 2019, an increase of $20 million from the previous year. An NSF top 100 research university for nearly two decades, MSU boasts 30 disciplines and subdisciplines ranked in the top 100 in the latest report. The university has reported an increase in research and development expenditures for six consecutive years, capping a decade that saw MSU report $2.3 billion in research expenditures from FY10-FY19.

Southern Company and Mississippi State University are proud to announce a new collaboration that will expand the energy company’s use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to map critical infrastructure, assess weather-related damage and conduct routine utility inspections. The collaboration between Southern Company and Mississippi State’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory will enable the use of larger, more sophisticated UAS in pursuing beyond visual line of sight operations approval from the FAA for the energy company’s inspection and mapping efforts.

Wenmeng “Meg” Tian, an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, recently received $515,000 from a National Science Foundation CAREER award to advance her research in additive manufacturing. The funding will support her project aimed at strengthening additive manufacturing processes for small and medium-sized manufacturers while protecting confidential design information.

Lamiaa El Fassi, an associate professor in MSU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Catherine Ayuso, an MSU postdoctoral research associate, were included in a February issue of Nature, a national publication featuring top-quality peer-reviewed research in all fields of science. Their paper, is titled “The asymmetry of antimatter in the proton.”

Steven Grice has been named executive director of Mississippi State’s National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center, or NSPARC. An MSU alumnus who has spent over a decade at NSPARC, Grice has led the research center on an interim basis since last spring.

Dave Spencer, a doctoral student in agronomy, is the sole recipient of a top international scholarship award from Gamma Sigma Delta, the leading agricultural honor society. The Collierville, Tennessee, native earned the organization’s Graduate Student Scholarship, which will help support his research on conservation practices. Spencer holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from MSU and is now studying at the university’s Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville. Andrew K. Lawton, an assistant professor in Mississippi State’s Department of Biological Sciences, received more than $870,000 from the Faculty Early Career Development Program, one of the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty. He will use the five-year grant to initiate research on brain development—specifically how the brain folds during development. He also will incorporate the research into a special course for undergraduate students and provide a refresher course for local educators.

Ali Gurbuz, an assistant professor in MSU’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is being recognized for his early-career success and impactful research with a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER award. He is receiving $500,000 to support his research developing sophisticated smart sensing systems, which have the potential to improve the data collected and processed by everything from autonomous vehicles to precision agriculture to medical imaging machines. Gurbuz is co-director of the Information Processing and Sensing Laboratory (IMPRESS), which conducts basic and applied research in sensing systems and information processing.

John J. Green is bringing a career immersed in Southern sociology and community development to his new position as director of the Southern Rural Development Center headquartered at Mississippi State University. An MSU graduate, he was previously a professor of sociology and senior research associate with the Center for Population Studies at the University of Mississippi.

Two seniors in Mississippi State’s Bagley College of Engineering and one senior in the university’s College of Arts and Sciences have been accepted into the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship program. They are: Zoe M. Fowler, an electrical engineering major from Columbus; Cameron J. Gruich, a chemical engineering major from Ocean Springs; and Nathan C. Frey, a chemistry major from Slidell, Louisiana. Fowler and Frey also are students in the university’s Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College.

Kaylee Bundy, a senior majoring in biomedical engineering, has become the second Bulldog in the last four years to earn the C. William Hall Scholarship from the Society for Biomaterials. A native of Covington, Louisiana, Bundy earned the prestigious award based on her outstanding scholastic achievement and her stated objectives for future research. Mississippi State has received formal approval to build the Northern Gulf Aquatic Food Research Center, a multi-million-dollar facility in Ocean Springs and the first of its kind on the Mississippi Coast. It is funded in part through the RESTORE Act, administered through the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. The center will provide the Gulf Coast seafood industry with robust safety testing and quality assurance. To be constructed in three phases, the first phase includes construction of a biosafety laboratory and an analytical chemistry laboratory for measuring chemical residues in water and aquatic food products, capabilities that are currently exported out of the state.

WE’RE ON A FAST TRACK TO THE FUTURE

With the introduction of our new Orion system, MSU now stands as the nation’s fourth fastest academic supercomputer site, providing solutions to large-scale problems in automotive designs, cybersecurity, concussion research, weather and ocean modeling and more. But that’s only part of the story. As a leading research university, we see it as our responsibility to bring even bigger ideas to the world. And that’s a commitment you can count on today and for years to come. WERINGTRUE.MSSTATE.EDU