The aim of this cooperative project between auburn university S southeastern cooperative fish parasite and disease lab AKA AU fish disease lab, AU FDL, auburn, AL and the US fish and wildlife…

This $2.5 million project grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 4, under the Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance federal grant program (CFDA 15.608), will increase diagnostic capacity at the Auburn University Southeastern Cooperative Fish Parasite and Disease Laboratory and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fish Health Center. Personnel from Auburn University and the Fish Health Center will collaborate on fish disease diagnostics to support state and federal partners in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Missouri. The funding will accelerate partnerships between university and federal entities in critical areas like hatchery biosecurity, surveillance of wild fish populations for emerging pathogens and aquatic nuisance species, and cross-training of methodologies between laboratory staff. By routinely interacting and cooperating on diagnostics, the laboratories aim to assist partners in addressing demands that exceed existing infrastructure. The five-year project began October 1, 2022 with a total award amount of $2,499,999.

The aim of this cooperative project between auburn university S southeastern cooperative fish parasite and disease lab AKA AU fish disease lab, AU FDL, auburn, AL and the US fish and wildlife service S fish health center USFWS FHC, warm springs, GA is to increase capacity for fish disease diagnostics demand for fish disease diagnostics clearly exceeds existing infrastructure at AU FDL and USFWS FHC these funds will directly benefit the state fisheries agencies already in cooperation with AU FDL I E , AL, GA, SC, NC, TN, WV, MO while also providing a supporting role to the USFWS FHC these funds will hasten further university federal entity partnerships in fish health, including the mission critical focus areas of state and federal hatchery system biosecurity, surveillance of wild fish populations for new and emerging pathogens including exotic invasive species and aquatic nuisance species , and in service training and cross fertilization of methodologies and approaches between the AU FDL and USFWS FHC personnel from both labs will routinely interact and cooperate on disease diagnostics to assist state and federal partners