Center Facts

• Established: 1993.
• The Fish Technology Center is a component of the Warm Springs Regional Fisheries Center to improve and enhance management effectiveness. It provides consolidated technical operational support to regional fisheries operations and technical assistance to the public. Includes laboratories at Warm Springs, Georgia, and a field station in Bears Bluff, South Carolina.
• The staff at Warm Springs FTC includes five biologists.

 

 

Geographic Area Covered

The 10 states of the Southeast Region.

 

 

Center Goals

FTC staff handling a pallid sturgeon. Credit: USFWS Image

• Improve and enhance management effectiveness, by providing consolidated technical operational support to regional fisheries operations, fish culture techniques, and providing technical assistance to the public. Restore and manage interjurisdictional coastal and riverine fishes such as robust redhorse, shortnose sturgeon, Gulf sturgeon, and Gulf striped bass.
• Provide conservation genetics support for Regional fishery programs.
• Maintain the National Fish Strain Registry for dissemination of information and support of private, State and Federal broodstocks. Recovery of species listed under the Endangered Species Act, such as: the endangered shortnose sturgeon, the threatened Gulf sturgeon, and various small stream fishes.
• Develop culture techniques for native fishes.
• Develop hatchery product evaluation techniques.

 

 

Activity Highlights

• Cooperative studies are undertaken with various universities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and South Carolina.
• Support the Robust Redhorse Conservation Committee which includes the states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Fish and Wildlife Service, several power companies, Forest Service, Corps of Engineers, several additional state, federal and industrial entities.
• Cooperative efforts include the National Marine Fisheries Service; the Tennessee Aquarium; Gulf Coast Marine Fisheries Commission; and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission; and the National Broodstock Stations.
• Serve on the Ogeechee River Shortnose Sturgeon Working Group and the Tennessee River Lake Sturgeon Working Group.

 

 

Services Provided To

• Federal agencies including other Fish and Wildlife Service program offices.
• State agencies.
• Native American Tribes.
• Military bases.
• Universities.
• Non-governmental organizations (NGO’s).
• The public.

 

 

Public Use Opportunities

• Environmental education and public outreach opportunities to visitors, school groups, and various other organizations.
• Beautiful surroundings and natural environment.
• Aquatic display for off-site presentations.
• Co-located with Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery.