Warm Springs Fish Technology Center provides leadership in the science-based management of aquatic resources through the development of new concepts, strategies, technologies, and techniques to solve problems and develop innovative efficiencies for hatchery operations and for aquatic resources conservation across the country.

What We Do

The Fish Technology Center was established to improve and enhance management effectiveness by providing consolidated technical operational support to Regional fisheries operations, fish culture technical development, and the Service鈥檚 technical assistance to the emerging private aquaculture industry. The Fish Technology Center is comprised of a Cryopreservation Laboratory in Warm Springs, Georgia, and a Conservation Genetics Laboratory located at Auburn University.

Our Organization

A man is fishing in a boat with three young girls. The kids are excitedly pulling a fish out of the water.
Healthy fisheries and waters are the foundation of America鈥檚 outdoor traditions and give us the freedom to fish, boat, and enjoy the benefits of outdoor recreation. The Fish and Aquatic Conservation programs work with states, tribes, and communities to provide a comprehensive approach to freshwater...
Program
Falls Church,VA
Close up of a California condor. Its pink featherless head contrasts with its black feathers.
We provide national leadership in the recovery and conservation of our nation's imperiled plant and animal species, working with experts in the scientific community to identify species on the verge of extinction and to build the road to recovery to bring them back. We work with a range of public...
Program
Baileys Crossroads,VA
Orange fish eggs on a white background.
The National Fish Hatchery System is a global leader in conservation aquaculture. Across the United States, 71 national fish hatcheries raise millions of fish and aquatic wildlife each year to enhance state and tribally managed recreational fisheries, boost local economic development, fulfill...
Program

Our Species

Warm Springs Fish Technology Center is working with federal, state, and agency partners to provide management support of inter-jurisdictional coastal and riverine fishes, such as Robust Redhorse, Lake Sturgeon, Pallid Sturgeon, and Brook Trout. The Conservation Genetics Laboratory is implementing research projects on numerous freshwater mussels, and threatened and endangered species such as the Spotfin Chub and the Round Rocksnail. The Cryopreservation Laboratory works on the collection, cryopreservation, and storage of sperm to provide a management tool for conserving genetic resources to enhance fisheries programs and reverse the population decline of threatened and endangered fishes. Currently, the Cryopreservation Laboratory is working with Pallid Sturgeon, Apache Trout, Gila Trout, and numerous aquatic species and freshwater mussels.

Projects and Research

Conservation Genetics

Research in the lab addresses conservation issues pertaining to brood stock management, systematics of imperiled aquatic organisms, and population genetics for species of concern or management interest in the southeast. We also study the evolution of aquatic animals using genomic tools. The lab provides technical coordination for numerous southeastern aquatic species, focusing on fishes and mollusks.

Aquatic Species Restoration

Sixty-two percent of all US fish species, 91 percent of all US mussels and more than two thirds of all North American species and sub-species of crayfish are found in the Southeast United States.  The Fish Technology Center conducts research on aquatic species to develop and improve on culture programs.

Latest News

Canister full of cryogenic samples being pulled out of a liquid nitrogen filled dewar.
Science and Technology
Atlantic Salmon Cryopreservation
What do you do if you need to hold fewer fish, but still maintain your production levels? Well, Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery found itself facing this dilemma after scrutiny by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection due to high phosphorus effluent. The Craig Brook National Fish...
Big Black rocksnails in water
Science and Technology
Extinct Mississippi snail rediscovered: landowner partnerships key to conservation success
Scientists found a living population of an assumed extinct Mississippi freshwater snail, the Big Black rocksnail, according to a study published in Biodiversity and Conservation, March 25, 2024.
Uwharries Elktoe Inner Shell
Science and Technology
A New Freshwater Mussel Species - Meet Uwharries Elktoe
A team of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and North Carolina Natural Resources Commission biologists recently discovered and described a new species of freshwater mussel.
A jet black, scaly snake with a burnt orange colored face curled up in some grass
Endangered Species Act
Fighting for Endangered Species - Just Below the Surface
Fifty years ago, facing the catastrophic loss of species across the country, the nation passed a landmark law which mobilized a generation of conservation. The Endangered Species Act was a collective commitment to protect and preserve biodiversity across the globe 鈥� for all creatures great and...
Biologists in the process of weighing Lake Sturgeon and recording weight.
Science and Technology
USFWS Region 4 Hatchery Staff Work Together to Monitor Lake Sturgeon Released in the Tennessee River
What happens to hatchery-raised Lake Sturgeon after release in the Tennessee River?
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Get Involved

Whether you want to further conservation, learn more about nature or share your love of the outdoors, you鈥檝e come to the right place. Warm Springs Fish Technology Center provides many opportunities for you to help your community and fish and wildlife by doing what you love.

Warm Springs Fish Technology Center partner with volunteers, youth groups, landowners, neighbors and residents of both urban and rural communities to make a lasting difference. There are opportunities for everyone to get involved!

Location and Contact Information