Ron Hardy, Professor

Director, Aquaculture Research Institute

Office Location Hagerman Fish Experiment Station 3059F Nat Fish Hatchery Rd. Hagerman, ID. 83332 Phone: (208) 837-9096 rhardy@uidaho.edu Aquaculture Program

Education

PhD--1978, Fisheries, University of Washington

MS--1973, Nutrition, Washington State University

BS--1969, Zoology, University of Washington

Professional Experience

1996-present: Director, Aquaculture Research Institute,

University of Idaho

1992-present: Affiliate Professor, School of Fisheries,

University of Washington

1984-1992: Affiliate Associate Professor, School of Fisheries, University of Washington

1984: Research Associate Professor, School of Fisheries

RESEARCH STATEMENT

 My research area is fish nutrition and feeds, and my current research focus is in three areas.  First, my program has focused for years and continues to actively seek alternative feed ingredients for fish meal and fish oil for use in salmon and trout feeds.  We have evaluated a large number of potential feed ingredients, including soy products, grain protein concentrates (corn, wheat, barley, oats), and other plant-derived products, such as full-fat linseed, pea protein concentrate, and similar products.  I am also deeply involved in a research program that seeks to recover and utilize portions of the seafood processing by-product stream from marine fisheries in Alaska.  In all of these areas of research, the effects of diet modifications on nutrient retention and effluents is a major focus, as is product quality and healthfulness of farmed fish.  Second, I have a strong interest in molecular genetics in relation to somatic growth, nutrient partitioning, and effects of diet on immune function.  Finally, I have a growing program in ornamental fish production using geothermal water resources in Idaho.  The latter program includes zebrafish, both as an ornamental species and as a research species for molecular studies.

In addition to my main interests, I continue to be involved in several aspects of conservation fisheries, such as diets for wild salmonids and for captive broodstock, particularly for endangered salmonid stocks.  I am developing programs to evaluate wild-hatchery fish interactions using replicated streams.  These programs will range from functional genomics to fish behavior.