News

Image Alternative Text: Fig. 4 shows the average output dimension scores for salmon (n = 4), tilapia (n = 6), carp (n = 9), shrimp (n = 12), mollusk (n = 9), catfish (n = 4), and seaweed (n = 2).

Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability in Aquaculture: The Aquaculture Performance Indicators

In this peer-reviewed journal article featured in Nature, the authors—one of whom is a Fish Innovation Lab Asia Regional Coordinator, Madan Dey—identify high-performing aquaculture typologies and species and highlight opportunities to improve economic, social, and environmental performance.

Image Alternative Text: Photo of Gina Rico Mendez

MSU Faculty Member Dives Into Sustainable Aquatic Food-Based Solutions at United Nations Event

On June 18, 2024, Gina Rico Mendez, the research and learning manager for the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish, represented Mississippi State University and the Fish Innovation Lab during the 24th United Nations Open-Ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea.

Image Alternative Text: Taken during a research site visit in December 2022, the research team identified food safety issues at wet markets in Bangladesh in order to come up with an intervention strategy to improve food safety and hygiene practices. The photo shows both packaged and unpacked fish in a local fish market to show the need for better food safety measures in local markets. (Photo by Mohammad Aminul Islam.)

Safe Food for a Healthy Future

Ensuring food safety is not just about preventing illness, rather it is about securing a healthier, smarter, and more prosperous future for the nation. Read Mohammad Aminul Islam and Mohammed Badrul Amin's Agrilinks blog post to learn more about food safety for a healthier tomorrow.

Image Alternative Text: the photo shows using a clean bowel and water along with a lime to clean fish

The Shifting Tides of Food Safety and Nutrition: Risks and Benefits of Fish Consumption

Food safety and nutrition go hand-in-hand. The Fish Innovation Lab prioritizes these elements in several research activities to achieve both safe and nutritious aquatic food products. Read this Agrilinks blog post written by Lora Iannotti, our Nutrition Advisor, to find out more.

Image Alternative Text: Mark Lawrence is on the left, and Lorin Harvey is on the right in a photo of two side-by-side headshots.

MSU Faculty Appointed to National Boards Advising U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Congress

Two Mississippi State University faculty members are serving on national boards that provide insight and advice to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and Congress, one of which is our Director, Mark Lawrence, who was reappointed to serve on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Board.

Image Alternative Text: First page of brief

Fish Innovation Lab Resilience Brief: Highlights of Program Achievements and Recommendations

The Fish Innovation Lab has strengthened the resilience of key aspects of aquaculture and fishery systems in countries spanning Bangladesh, Kenya, and Nigeria, to name a few. In the process, researchers, implementers, and communities have contributed specialized knowledge on what is needed to further strengthen resilience for the most vulnerable in varied contexts. This brief shares insights through cases and context-specific recommendations for the scaling and adoption of USAID-funded innovations in aquaculture and fisheries.

Image Alternative Text: a photo of a woman harvesting small fish in Bangladesh

Funding Opportunity: Fish Innovation Lab Request for Applications

The Fish Innovation Lab is pleased to release a Request for Applications for research activities to promote food security through nutrient-rich aquatic foods. Concept notes are due May 15, 2024.

Image Alternative Text: This graphic shows how overfishing is detrimental to food security and how ending overfishing is the best way to secure increased nutrient production from small-scale fisheries.

Tropical Fishery Nutrient Production Depends on Biomass-based Management

The Achieving Coral Reef Fishery Sustainability activity in Kenya has a new journal article in iScience. Overfishing drives lost nutrient production in the Western Indian Ocean artisanal fisheries, so tropical fishery management should focus on restoring biomass to achieve maximum yields and sustainability, particularly for herbivorous fishes. Read the full summary for more information.

Image Alternative Text: A map with locations of sites surveyed using the Fish Epidemiology and Health Economics tool (version 1.13) in Ogun and Delta States, Nigeria.

Understanding Aquaculture Biosecurity to Improve Catfish Disease Management in Ogun and Delta States, Nigeria

The Improving Biosecurity activity has a journal article in Aquaculture. Read the abstract here to learn more about the existing biosecurity management practices and risk factors in Nigeria that could potentially lead to mortality in catfish production systems.

Image Alternative Text: photo of Dr. Mark Lawrence

Lawrence Named MSU’s 2024 SEC Faculty Achievement Award Winner

Fish Innovation Lab Director Mark Lawrence receives prestigious SEC Faculty Achievement Award for outstanding teaching accomplishments and nationally and internationally recognized scholarship.