UA Pine Bluff Aquaculture Fisheries Center

09/21/2026

https://lnkd.in/p/eBxFtQj6

The Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) was proud to participate in "Pride Preview Day", welcoming prospective students to campus and sharing exciting opportunities in aquaculture, fisheries, aquatic sciences, and natural resource management. Ou...

09/17/2026

On Wednesday, the fisheries techniques class got the chance to learn hands on skills including, hooking a trailer to a truck, towing a boat on a trailer, reversing a truck hooked to a trailer and practicing the skills needed to back a boat down a boat ramp. These skills are important in fisheries careers as well as real life scenarios! Thank you to Dr. Erin Thayer for incorporating this lab into her class and providing students with the chance to gain hands on skills.

09/15/2026

Congratulations Dr Sinha! We are excited to see what you accomplish for the department!

Please help us congratulate Dr. Amit Kumar Sinha, who has been appointed as interim chair of the Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries at UAPB. In this position, he will provide administrative oversight and collaborative leadership to ensure the growth, stability and success of the Department.

In this role, Dr. Sinha will provide leadership for faculty, staff and students in the Department. He will also support undergraduate and graduate academic programs while promoting student recruitment, retention and success.

He will also advance innovation in research, Extension and integrated land-grant programming; encourage faculty development, mentoring and interdisciplinary collaboration; and strengthen partnerships with state, federal, industry and community stakeholders to expand opportunities for students, faculty and research initiatives.

From 2016 until his new appointment, Dr. Sinha served as an associate and assistant professor of water quality at UAPB. He came to UAPB from the University of Alberta, Canada, and the University of Antwerp, Belgium, where he was a post-doctoral researcher in water quality and marine biology.

“Through his research and leadership, Dr. Sinha has already made a significant impact at UAPB, across Arkansas and beyond,” Dr. Christopher C. Mathis Jr., interim dean and director of the School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences at UAPB, said. “As interim chair of the Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries, he is well positioned to strengthen our research and Extension efforts, expand partnerships and help prepare the next generation of aquaculture and fisheries professionals.”
https://uapbnews.wpcomstaging.com/2026/09/15/dr-amit-kumar-sinha-appointed-interim-chair-of-uapb-department-of-aquaculture-and-fisheries/

09/05/2026

It’s been a busy summer for one of UAPB’s PhD students, Samuel Garcia Vázquez, a PhD student under Dr Rebecca Lochmann spent the summer participating in training on flow cytometer (Sony cell sorter) at the University of New Hampshire, he had the opportunity and honor to work alongside Dr. Bonnie Brown and Dr. Bo-Young Lee. This training will help with his dissertation research of triploidy induction methods for sunshine bass production here in Keo, Arkansas!
But he doesn’t stop there, Samuel also was honored with winning the AFS travel award and the Fish Culture travel award at the 2026 AFS meeting. He also won the Conservation Access, Relevancy, and engagement stipend for the upcoming SEAFWA meeting in October.

Congratulations Samuel on all of your hard work, keep making UAPB proud!!

06/26/2026

Promising results from our latest study: Live Artemia feeding improved largemouth bass survival during summer heat. 🐟🌱

06/18/2026

Exciting progress at the dept. of Aquaculture and Fisheries!

We have successfully kick-started our catfish breeding program, led by Dr. Sujan Bhattarai and his team.

The newly bred catfish fry will be utilized in our semi-intensive culture ponds, where they will be raised using innovative feeding strategies.

A key feature of this initiative is the use of low cost sustainable backyard-cultured live feeds, which will be compared with conventional particle diets to evaluate growth performance, feed efficiency, and overall fish health.

This approach aims to identify cost-effective and environmentally friendly feeding practices that can benefit fish farmers and strengthen local aquaculture.

05/30/2026

Congratulations to our outstanding students, Ram Babu Kurapati and Zack McGowan from the dept. of Aquaculture and Fisheries, for their achievements at the 11th Annual Arkansas Bioinformatics Consortium (AR-BIC) Conference, held May 18–19, 2026, in Arkansas.

We are proud to share that Ram Babu Kurapati received 1st Place and Zack McGowan received 3rd Place in the Graduate-Level Poster Presentation Competition.

Please join us in congratulating Ram Babu and Zack on this well-deserved recognition.

04/28/2026

UAPB Students Honored at the World Aquaculture Society Meeting

Samuel García-Vázquez, a Ph.D. student at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, is conducting aquaculture research to improve production techniques for commercial sunshine bass. His research, titled "The Development of Triploidy Induction Methods for Sunshine Bass Production in Commercial Aquaculture," aims to develop reliable and efficient protocols for producing triploid fish.
Triploid fish are of particular interest in fisheries management because they are sterile and often exhibit enhanced growth, making them ideal for producing trophy-size fish in recreational fisheries. Additionally, the use of triploid fish can help mitigate ecological risks associated with reproduction, including genetic introgression due to backcrossing with wild populations.
Garcia was selected as one of two recipients of the Best Abstract Travel Award from the American Fisheries Society Fish Culture Section. The award provided $600 in travel support to attend the Aquaculture America 2026 meeting, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, from February 16–19, 2026. García is conducting this research under the supervision of Dr. Dayan A. Perera, Dr. Rebecca Lochmann, and Dr. David L. Straus.
FMS Abdal, also a PhD student supervised by Dr. Uttam Deb, was selected as our Subunit's Outstanding Member. Mr. Abdal won the Aquaculture America 2026 Student Subunit Travel Award. This award covered the registration fees for this conference, held in Las Vegas.

04/24/2026

Meet Isaiah Atoe, a sophomore and captain of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff fishing team. Atoe leads a dedicated group of student anglers including Kiedron Warner, Dalton Chennault and Chris Townsend, and Amaurie Captain who are making waves nationally as the first HBCU team to compete in the Bassmaster College Series.

Under Atoe’s leadership, the team has evolved into more than just a competitive group. What once began as a tournament-focused team has grown into a well-rounded organization.

“Honestly, it’s a little bit different now, the team has kind of done a rebrand,” Atoe said.

In addition to competing at a high level, the team has worked to expand its impact through outreach and collaboration, creating opportunities for students both on and off the water.

“We’ve got our tournament anglers, but we also have people behind the scenes helping with photography, media and management,” Atoe said. “It’s kind of like this big present that’s been wrapped together.”

The team’s recent recognition comes after competing in one of the most prestigious collegiate fishing platforms in the country. For Atoe, the experience represents more than competition, it represents history and opportunity.

“No other HBCU has ever fished Bassmaster College,” he said. “It’s like our version of the Super Bowl.”

Founded by Scott Jones, the program continues to serve as a platform for student leadership and growth, driven by the passion of each new group of anglers.

“It’s a vehicle that’s always been there,we just need students to drive it,” Jones said.

Through dedication, preparation and perseverance, the UAPB fishing team has qualified for major regional and national tournaments, continuing to build momentum within the sport.

“We fish about eight large tournaments a year, some with hundreds of boats,” Atoe said. “We’ve qualified for a regional championship and another national championship back-to-back.”

Atoe credits the team’s growth to collective effort, resilience and a shared vision for success. As the program continues to develop, the team remains focused on representing UAPB and HBCU excellence at the highest level.

“It’s something that’s still building,” Atoe said. “But what we’re doing now—it’s bigger than just fishing.”
UA Pine Bluff Aquaculture Fisheries Center

04/10/2026

Please help us congratulate our students from the UAPB Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries who earned top recognition at the Arkansas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society meeting, held Feb. 11–13 in Russellville, Arkansas!

Three UAPB students received awards for their research presentations and contributions to the field.

Sophomore aquaculture and fisheries science major Isiah Atoe won Best Undergraduate Presentation for his research, “Does the Use of Analogy Change Angler Attitudes More Than Scientific Evidence Alone?” The award recognizes the top undergraduate oral presentation at the conference.

Graduate student Allison Shea Copeland earned Best Graduate Presentation for her research titled “Juvenile Recruitment and Habitat Use of Silver Carp in the Lower Arkansas and Lower White Rivers.”

In addition, Nolan Miller, a graduate student, was recognized as the Outstanding Student Member of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Club by the Arkansas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.
More details here:
https://uapbnews.wpcomstaging.com/2026/04/10/uapb-students-earn-top-honors-at-arkansas-southern-fisheries-society-meetings/
UA Pine Bluff Aquaculture Fisheries Center