36 DECEMBER 2013 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG In the United States, the value of imported seafood has increased dramatically, from $3 billion in 1980 to $17.5 billion in 2011. However, sales of channel catfish, the aquaculture sector that comprised half of the U.S. industry a decade ago, declined from 300,000 t processed in 2003 to 137,000 t processed in 2012 on sales of $341 million, which represents a decline of 55 percent. This decrease is the result of consumers eating less channel catfish during this time period (0.52 kg per person in 2003 compared to 0.25 kg per person in 2011). Further, the U.S. aquaculture industry has also contracted during the period, resulting from a variety of factors. It is against this backdrop that the mission of SNARC takes on critical importance. Research conducted at SNARC is predicated on the goal of helping to identify and solve the industry’s biggest challenges, while concurrently providing for a safe, nutritious and economical protein source for consumers. The mission of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart The Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center Carl D. Webster National Aquaculture Research Center (HKDSNARC) is to conduct cutting-edge research that addresses the highest priorities of the U.S. aquaculture sector. This article provides information about who we are and what we do and, because the full name of the facility is a mouthful, I will simply use the acronym “SNARC” when referring to it. Brief History In 1958, Congress enacted the Fish-Rice Rotation Farming Program Act, directing the Secretary of the Interior, in cooperation with the USDA, to develop a program to solve problems related to production and harvest of warmwater fish. The idea was to establish a program to grow fish in flooded ricefields in rotation with the rice crop. The Fish Farming Experimental Laboratory (FFEL) opened in 1961 and was devoted to conducting research, extension and fish disease diagnostics. The facility was located on 34.8 ha of land, 14 km east of Stuttgart, Arkansas. The FFEL consisted of research ponds of various sizes, several FIGURE 1. Melanoma cells stained with Mitotracker Red. One can see mitochondria (red dots), KISS1 proteins (green) and nuclei (blue).
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