MNSG Aquaculture Lab

In a greenhouse, a woman in a blue shirt gestures while explaining an aquaculture system to a man. They are standing by a large grey tank with flowing water, surrounded by complex PVC piping and filtration equipment.

Established in 2022 on the University of Minnesota St. Paul campus, the Minnesota Sea Grant Aquaculture Lab is a shared facility supporting applied research, extension, training, and hands-on learning in aquaculture.

The lab provides modern infrastructure for demonstration, workforce training, and research. These experiences help students and prospective producers gain practical aquaculture skills.

Visitors can explore these working systems through in-person tours (by request), including:

Flow-through systems
Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS)
Multiple aquaponics system designs

Aquaculture Lab projects focus on two freshwater species important to Minnesota: the production of Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) for food, and raising Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas), for use as a popular bait fish important to recreational fishing. As of March 2026, the lab is the only source of indoor-reared and disease-free Yellow Perch fingerlings (small fish) in Minnesota for current and prospective farmers.

A group of people standing inside a glass greenhouse, with a woman in a blue t-shirt laughing while talking to a man in a navy polo shirt. They are surrounded by lush plants and various pieces of aquaculture equipment, including pumps and tanks.

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What is aquaculture?

Aquaculture includes the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of fish, shellfish, algae, and other aquatic organisms in all types of natural and human-constructed water environments. Aquaculture, essentially farming in water, occurs in coastal and inland areas and involves interventions in the rearing process to enhance production. Sustainable aquaculture is the ability to raise and harvest aquatic organisms without degrading or depleting the environment, and in an economically competitive manner that can be sustained indefinitely. (Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative, 2026)

Farming the Water: Aquaculture in the Great Lakes Region (2025 handout).

Facility description

A close-up of a person's hands gently cradling a small, vibrant green and yellow fish. The fish has dark vertical bars along its side and a slightly open mouth. The person's wet hands are positioned to support the fish's body, with the background showing a blurred, dark indoor environment.

The Minnesota Sea Grant Aquaculture Lab was established to advance aquaculture science and production in Minnesota. The facility provides a modern environment for applied research and development.

The Aquaculture Lab includes facilities for both flow-through and recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), along with greenhouse space dedicated to aquaponic systems. Fish raised in the Aquaculture Lab include Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) for food and Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) for bait. As of March 2026, the lab is the only source of indoor-reared and disease-free Yellow Perch fingerlings (small fish) in Minnesota for current and prospective farmers.

The Aquaculture Lab supports hands-on training and demonstration through internship and work opportunities for students and early-career stage aquaculture professionals. Tours are available upon request.

Lab tours

A group of people touring a greenhouse facility, with several men listening to a speaker in the foreground. In the background, a banner reads "Minnesota Sea Grant Aquaculture Lab" above a network of white PVC pipes and water filtration equipment.

Lab tours are for anyone interested in aquaculture. We encourage aquaculture producers, prospective farmers, researchers, or formal and nonformal educators in science, technology, engineering, math, business, or chemistry to join us.

Tours can be customized to meet group needs, participant age range, and time restrictions. Average tours take about an hour. Participants can expect to see fish and flow-through and recirculating aquaculture systems. Tour agendas are dependent on group size, age of the guests, topical interest, and what is currently in the lab.

Tours can be requested through the Tour Request form. After form submission, a project member of the lab will contact the requester to confirm the tour and request any additional information.

Current facility projects

The Aquaculture Lab facility supports various fisheries and aquaculture projects. Current projects using the facility include:

Why Minnesota Sea Grant?

The MNSG Aquaculture Lab supports Sea Grant's mission to enhance the practical use and conservation of coastal, marine, and Great Lakes resources to create a sustainable economy and environment. Specifically, this project supports our national and state focus area of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.

What have we done lately?

November 2025: The Aquaculture Lab team hosted a teacher workshop called “Experience Aquaculture at the University of Minnesota" as part of the 2025 National Science Teachers Association Conference. Over 20 K-12 educators completed an engineering and design challenge in which they built a model aquaponic system, toured the MNSG Aquaculture Lab, and learned about aquaculture in Minnesota.
October 2025: About 15 pounds of Yellow Perch fillets produced in the MNSG Aquaculture Lab were donated to the Women’s Environmental Institute for an outreach event.
September 2025: MNSG aquaculture staff harvested about 200 Yellow Perch, which will be processed locally and served as fresh, sustainable food at upcoming MNSG programs and events.
August 2025: The Fisheries and Aquaculture team hired four techs and one intern to keep the lab running.
June 2025: The Fisheries and Aquaculture team hosted Aquaculture Decision-Maker Day, where policymakers, lawmakers, and individuals part of the aquaculture industry toured the lab and learned more about aquaculture in Minnesota.
May 2025: MNSG's Fisheries and Aquaculture team hired two summer interns to continue expanding lab operations.