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As the world’s population grows, continuing to provide affordable, nutritious food becomes a major concern — and a major opportunity for meaningful careers. Cheyney has created an academic/professional specialization in the culture of growing aquatic animals and plants in controlled environments. The Aquaculture Research and Education Laboratory (AREL) was founded in 2003 to prepare our students for emerging career opportunities, and to meet the education, extension and research needs of our region and its critical waterways.

Our goals are to:

  • Improve the efficiency of U.S. aquaculture production through research on regionally and nationally important problems
  • Improve the sustainability and environmental compatibility of aquaculture production through the introduction of recirculating system technologies to urban centers and the restoration of extirpated species
  • Train individuals who can compete for professional jobs in various scientific arenas in the United States and abroad
  • Improve the marketing of U.S. aquaculture products through the training of students and entrepreneurs in various marketing and business strategies which can then be applied to aquaculture businesses

At Cheyney, students have the opportunity to get hands-on experience building and maintaining aquaculture and aquaponics systems. They also have the opportunity to actively participate in our development of research and education programs in urban aquaculture and fish nutrition/physiology, while furthering their education in the core foundation of our program which includes various aspects of aquatic animal biology, as well as marine and freshwater biology and ecology.

AREL research provides opportunities for faculty and students to participate in projects through Cheyney’s partnerships with academic, public, and private entities. These projects prepare students to compete for professional jobs in a variety of scientific arenas, while providing opportunities to share new and promising research results with consumers, the scientific community, industry representatives, and other students.