DEVELOPING A VISITOR LEARNING CENTER FOR PUBLIC AQUACULTURE/AQUATIC EDUCATION

David Cline*
 
Extension Aquaculturist
203 Swingle Hall
Auburn University, AL 36849
clinedj@auburn.edu
 

The state of Alabama has tremendous aquatic resources, including the highest diversity of freshwater fish, freshwater mussels, crawfish, turtles and snails if all of the U.S. states.  It is also the second largest aquaculture producer in the U.S.  However, this is not common knowledge among Alabama residents.   Auburn University has what they believe is the largest freshwater aquaculture research facility in the U.S. and perhaps the world.  The E. W. Shell Fisheries Center has over 1800 acres, 313 ponds and over 2000 tanks and aquaria.  For many years this facilities interaction with the public has been limited to fish market sales for 4 hours each Saturday.   For the last 5 years AU faculty have been working on the development of a visitor education center to be housed at the E.W. Shell fisheries station and it is finally complete.  The learning center, now filled with interactive and electronic displays along with live fish is open for the public to see and explore.   In 2017, the center provided an exciting interactive adventure for more than 1500 people from 22 states and 17 countries and we expect that number to more than double now the center is complete.   The details of the journey to develop the visitor-learning center should be of interest to anyone who is involved in educating the public about aquaculture and aquatic resources.