The Aquaculture Research Center (ARC) is the only such facility in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Facilities at the ARC include 33 research ponds (twenty-four 0.1 acre and nine 0.05 acre). A 3,000-square-foot hatchery houses spawning, holding, and experimental tanks. The 3,500-square-foot nutrition laboratory contains a wet laboratory for aquarium studies.
A classroom/multi-purpose building for instruction, research, library resources, and distance learning was completed in 2005. The building also includes a Fish Disease Diagnostic Laboratory that is fully equipped with incubators, microscopes, and video microscopy. The Aquaculture Production Technologies Laboratory was completed in 2012, with 14,400 square feet and allows aquaculture researchers to test and develop technologies for raising fish in a controlled environment so that several fish species can be produced year-round. This facility is an indoor closed-system aquaculture laboratory designed for the controlled growth of fresh- and saltwater species. It contains numerous intensive recirculating systems, a water quality lab, and a state of the art genetics lab which can all be used for student research and teaching. 1985, A 4,000-square-foot office/laboratory building includes a histology laboratory, offices, and conference/classroom space; this is the original Aquaculture program building and it is a converted pole barn.
Aquatic species, which are currently investigated at KSU’s Aquaculture Research Center, are the Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Hybrid Striped Bass, Tilapia, Koi, Paddlefish, Freshwater Prawns, African River Prawn, Australian Red claw Crayfish, Saltwater Shrimp, and Freshwater Mussels.