WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2018 9 Professional Achievement Awards at Aquaculture America Distinguished Early Career Award Aaron Watson, Ph.D. Dr. Aaron Watson received his B.S from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, his M.S. in Marine Science in 2008 at the University of Texas in Austin working on early juvenile cobia energy budgets, then earned his Ph.D. in 2013 from the University of Maryland, College Park, evaluating the effects of graded levels of taurine in cobia diets. Dr. Watson then began working at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resource’s Marine Resources Research Institute in 2014, where he immediately hit the ground running, starting up a new aquaculture nutrition program in cooperation with a number of other federal and state entities. His research involves the use of cutting edge technology to analyze fish tissues to evaluate and improve diets important to marine fish aquaculture. Dr. Watson has received funding from competitive sources each of the last four years and has 11 publications (eight as first author) with another four currently in review. Dr. Watson is now responsible for all mariculture research at South Carolina DNR, including their extensive stock enhancement program and research at the Waddell Mariculture Center. Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award Thomas R. Zeigler, Ph.D. With a rare vision for the future, an undying passion for good science and innovation and a sound business compass, Dr. Tom Zeigler has been a pioneer and a leader in the development of US commercial aquaculture since the 1960s. After completing a Ph.D. from Cornell University in Animal Nutrition, Biochemistry and Veterinary Pathology, Tom joined the family business, taking over as President of Zeigler Bros. Inc. in 1967. He led the company from being a local manufacturer of farm animal feeds to an internationally recognized producer and distributor of aquaculture feeds and other specialty animal feeds. He created and led the research effort that found, researched, manufactured, marketed and in the end sold the technology and company associated with ascorbyl-2-tripolyphosphate, a novel, patented, and stable form of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). The commercialization of stable vitamin C technology had a highly significant impact on the industry, improving the performance of aquafeeds and improving formulation efficiencies. Dr. Zeigler has been a key player in the development of super-intensive shrimp aquaculture technologies and high-quality finfish feeds for a wide variety of species, further contributing to the development and growth of domestic aquaculture. At the same time, he led marketing efforts that created jobs and grew the company’s export and licensing business for aquaculture products and technologies, eventually resulting in being recognized as small business exporter of the year by the US Department of Commerce. As author or co-author of 19 scientific publications, and over 35 presentations by invitation, he has served as officer/director of eight scientific and/or trade associations, including President of the US Aquaculture Suppliers Association. Dr. Zeigler developed, formulated and marketed numerous unique feeds and supplements for exotic and endangered animals leading efforts to reduce dependence on live or fresh frozen feeds for aquaculture. Tom has been one of the most familiar faces of US aquaculture for many decades. A vast network of current and former employees, collaborators, colleagues, and customers all consider him as a true friend. As a man of great intellect, rare integrity and indominable spirit, his mission for over 50 years has been to build value to life through innovative nutrition. USAS Student Travel Award ($600) and USAS Spotlight Award – First Place ($500): Elizabeth Groover, Florida Keys Community College, for “Greenwater Culture and Larval Development of the Melanurus Wrasse Halichoeres melanurus.” USAS Student Travel Award ($600) and USAS Spotlight Award – Second Place ($200): John Grayson, Ohio State University, for “Partial and Total Replacement of Fish Oil with Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters in the Starter Diets of Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss.” USAS Student Travel Award ($600): Chelsea Walling, Kentucky State University, for “Effects of Varying Levels of Brewer’s Grains and Amino Acid Supplementation on Growth Performance of Juvenile Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus.” The RAS “Yellow Book” Award: Laura Cannella, Florida Keys Community College, for “The Spawning and Rearing of the Blue Neon Goby Elacatinus oceanops in a Low-Density System on a Small Budget.” AquaFish/USAS Best Student Abstract Award ($600): Nathan A. Kring, Kentucky State University, for “Polyculture of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and juvenile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in indoor biofloc aquaculture systems,” Shamim Naigaga, Auburn University, for “Suitability of basic water quality conditions for aquaculture in Uganda,” and Lay Nguyen, Auburn University, for “Efficacy of reduced protein diets and the effects of IAA supplements for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).” AquaFish Student Abstract Award for International Development ($400): Gifty Anane-Taabeah, Virginia Tech, for “The potential effect of aquaculture on the genetic purity of natural populations of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Ghana,” Mojibar Rahman Ripon, for “An overview of the status and potential of the mud crab fishery in coastal Bangladesh: prospect, strategies, approaches,” Gertrude Atukunda for “Actor perspectives on aquaculture extension service provision in central and northern Uganda,” Stephanie Ichien, Oregon State University, for “A geospatial analysis of the social and ecological tradeoffs of airbreathing fish aquaculture for decision making in a changing climate,” and Zach Halasi for “Consumer preferences and consumption patterns for fish in Uganda.”
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