The aquaculture club at Lake Superior State University is currently 11 members strong and a proud student subunit of the U.S Aquaculture Society. Our club was formed in 2020 with 15 members. We have three deep water culture aquaponic systems, a recirculating aquaculture system, a vertical aeroponics system and zebra fish research tanks. Our aquaponic systems are growing Atlantic salmon, yellow perch, koi, and goldfish. We grow a variety of plants, anything from herbs and house plants to fruiting plants and trees.
The club puts on plant sales every month to have a continuous fundraiser. This schedule allows us time between sales to empty out the grow beds, clean and sanitize, before moving the next set of sprouts into the systems. We hold a yearly tie dye event where community and club members get to tie dye their very own fishman shirt or tote bag. The club has also hosted cooking demonstrations and soap making events.
We hold numerous tours of our facility throughout the year for K-12 groups, campus events, and community outreach. Our goals as a club are to educate the club members and community about aquaculture and aquaponic systems and practices. We also love to tour other aquaculture or aquaponic facilities. These activities allow the club members to gain knowledge about how others run their systems.
The club sends members to different conferences each year. Five members attended the Wisconsin/Minnesota Aquaculture conference in Bayfield, Wisconsin in February 2024. Two of those members had oral presentations and made posters, and all attendees made connections with local industry workers. The members also got the opportunity to visit the Red Cliff Fish Hatchery and Northern Aquacutlure Demonstration Facility before heading back to campus. Our advisor, two student sub-unit members, and one former sub-unit member gave talks at the San Antonio 2024 World Aquaculture conference. The opportunity to go to the conference was an eye opening and educational experience. The club looks forward to new members and new experiences each year.