FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 30, 2025) — You don’t need the ocean to raise flounder. Kentucky State University’s School of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science (SAAS) is showing how—using recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) that bring marine fish production onto land.

A new article in The Fish Site highlights Kentucky State’s work with olive flounder and the promise of RAS for U.S. marine finfish. The Fish Site, based in Cork, Ireland, is an international aquaculture publication with a global contributor network.

“Our olive flounder trials are delivering strong growth and feed efficiency at commercial densities in RAS,” said Dr. Andrew Ray, chair of the School of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science. “We’re seeing the kind of performance that makes inland seafood production economically feasible.”

The research is anchored at Kentucky State’s Aquatic Research Center (ARC), a campus hub with marine and freshwater RAS, a working hatchery, fish nutrition facilities, aquaponics capacity, and fish health diagnostics. The setup allows the team to test production strategies under commercial-style conditions while tracking fish health, water quality, and cost drivers over time.

RAS gives producers control over temperature, water chemistry, and biosecurity — factors that drive growth and survival. It enables year-round production and lets facilities locate where logistics, workforce, and market access are strongest. For high-value species like olive flounder, those advantages reduce risk beyond the coast.

“This is our land-grant mission in action — research that producers can use in commercial settings,” said Dr. Marcus Bernard, dean of the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources and director of the Land Grant Program. “Dr. Ray’s team is generating the data industry needs to de-risk marine RAS at scale, strengthen Kentucky’s blue economy, and build a more sustainable seafood supply for Kentucky and beyond.”

Research contact:

Dr. Andrew Ray, Chair, School of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science • andrew.ray@kysu.edu

Read the article:
The Fish Site — “Will the flounder industry’s output stay flat?
https://thefishsite.com/articles/will-the-flounder-industrys-output-stay-flat

About the School of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science
SAAS is Kentucky State University’s only Program of Distinction, with research, teaching, and Extension focused on sustainable production systems — including RAS and biofloc — and on workforce pathways in aquatic food systems and water quality. Current academic options include the M.S. in Aquaculture and Aquatic Science, an undergraduate minor in aquaculture, an Aquaculture Systems option within the B.S. in Agriculture, Food and Environment, and a certificate in Aquaculture and Aquatic Science.

Learn more about the Aquatic Research Center: https://www.kysu.edu/academics/college-ahnr/school-of-anr/facilities/aquatic-facilities.php