Dr. Myron Kebus is the regional aquaculture outreach veterinarian for Michigan State’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Kebus is funded by USDA-NIFA’s North Central Regional Aquaculture Center (NCRAC) for his work on USDA-NIFA’s two-year project “Improving fish health in the NCR by integrating extension with the development of alternative disease prevention methods.”

Kebus is working with the NCRAC team to develop practical and usable fish health tools for fish producers and fish health professionals including farm visits, trainings, and the creation of pragmatic resources for use by fish farmers, veterinarians and other fish health professionals, and fishery managers. Specifically, Kebus is:

• Designing and conducting a regional fish health survey: Design and conduct an NCR-wide fish health survey and analyze survey results to identify additional pressing fish health concerns for NCR aquaculture producers. Survey data will simultaneously fill project-related knowledge gaps and serve as the foundation of continued fish health monitoring within the NCR, as well as identify avenues of research inquiry for the future.
• Providing outreach veterinary expertise: Support NCR fish farmers by optimizing rapid responses to fish health needs; define best management practices for NCR farms; create fish health-related, multi-media resources; and offer training opportunities for producers and fish health professionals.
• Visiting farms: Conduct farm visits throughout the NCR to support the industry and the NCRAC-funded project.
  • Want to learn more about the farm visits?
    Reach out to Dr. Kebus.
• Offering additional training opportunities: Provide on-farm training and workshops for veterinarians, veterinary students, and NCR producers, and actively work to assist and support local aquaculture veterinarians and fish health professionals throughout the NCR.

After the project’s initial two years, Kebus will continue to serve as a resource from MSU to Michigan, the Great Lakes, and the surrounding regions to support ongoing and new efforts to protect and improve the health of farmed and hatchery-reared aquatic animals.