Our Projects

Researching and Restoring West Virginia’s Declining Brook Trout Population
West Virginia’s native brook trout populations are struggling. A collaboration between the West Virginia...

Supplementing Brown Trout for Maryland Anglers
A collaboration between the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and The Conservation Fund’s Freshwater...

Supporting Matorka's Sustainable Expansion
Icelandic seafood producer Matorka has been growing Arctic char since 2010. As the company...

Increased Research Capacity at New Aquaculture Research Laboratory
For 30 years, The Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute has led the way in the...

Supporting Sustainability at Chatham University
Chatham University set out to develop their Eden Hall Campus with a goal in...

Superior Fresh
At the Freshwater Institute, we know that the future of sustainable seafood lies in...

SINTEF & Freshwater Compare the Economics & Carbon Footprint of Salmon Farming
A collaboration between the Freshwater Institute and SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture examines two types...

Seafood's "40 under 40": John Davidson
John Davidson is a senior research associate at the Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute. Since...

Supporting Sustainable Fish Farming with Marine Harvest
For three decades, The Freshwater Institute has conducted research to develop and improve technologies...

CtrlAQUA Research Center and The Freshwater Institute
The Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute, a recognized expert in the technology and design of...

Reviving a Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico
Runoff of nutrients from farmland in the Mississippi River Watershed is contributing to a...

Creating a Catch for Maryland Anglers
Every year thousands of anglers cast a line into Maryland’s waters in hope of...

Monitoring Water Quality in the Great Valley Region
In 1986, the Freshwater Institute began monitoring nine natural springs—with an eye toward water...
Woodchip Bioreactor Research
The Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute, supported by a USDA-ARS cooperative agreement, performed pilot research...

Fish Hatchery Water Reuse Evaluation – Chelan County, WA
The Chelan County Public Utility District (PUD) in Washington State produces over four million...

Hatchery Planning and Partial Water Reuse System Design
White River NFH participates in the stock mitigation and reestablishment of Atlantic salmon in...

Improving the Sustainability of Land-Based Closed-Containment Systems
Research at The Freshwater Institute focuses on developing and improving technologies to enhance the...

Land-Based Closed-Containment Aquaculture with the Atlantic Salmon Federation
In 2011 two conservation organizations came to the same understanding, an idea formed probably...

Pacific Salmon Restoration Program Planning
The Chelan County Public Utility District (PUD) rears Pacific salmon and steelhead associated with...

Recirculating Aquaculture Systems Design
The National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center (NCWMAC) is a new research facility established...

Freshwater Institute Partnership with Wegmans Food Markets
The Freshwater Institute, a program of The Conservation Fund, is one of the nation’s premier...

Trout Hatchery Planning, Design, and Construction
A new hatchery was designed and constructed for the Rolling Rock Club that consolidated...

Conservation Priority Mapping in West Virginia
West Virginia Conservation Action Plan
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) developed the...

Get to Know the Freshwater Institute’s Spring Hill Salmon
At the Freshwater Institute, we are leaders in the development and design of aquaculture...

Development of Sustainable Land-Based Aquaculture Production Systems
A Cooperative Agreement funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.
Downloadable...

West Virginia Tributary Strategies for Chesapeake Bay Restoration
While the Chesapeake Bay has played important roles in our nation’s heritage, the current...

Potomac Valley Audubon Society Watershed Education Initiative
Freshwater Institute staff assisted with the “Watershed Education Initiative,” an environmental education program offered...

Green Infrastructure Plan in West Virginia
Jefferson County, West Virginia, confronts haphazard growth that disrupts normal ecosystem functions and community...