Paige O’Malley, Chris Green, Matthew Moroney and Courtney Stauderman attempt to net an adult alligator gar that recently spawned in a holding tank at the LSU AgCenter Aquaculture Research Station in Baton Rouge. (Photo by Craig Gautreaux)

Matthew Moroney and aquaculture researcher Chris Green remove an alligator gar from a net and prepare to move it to a pond on the LSU AgCenter Aquaculture Research Station in Baton Rouge. The gar recently spawned in holding tanks, and the young gar will be used for research projects for various government agencies and educational institutions. (Photo by Craig Gautreaux)

News Release Distributed 03/13/15

BATON ROUGE, La. – Christopher Green, associate professor at the LSU AgCenter Aquaculture Research Station, received the Distinguished Early Career Award at the United States Aquaculture Society’s annual meeting.

“The award honors a professional who has worked in aquaculture for 10 years or less. It recognizes outstanding leadership or innovation in research, education, extension or industry development in the field of agriculture,” according to a United States Aquaculture Society press release.

“I had no idea I was going to get it,” said Green. “After the announcer started reading some research accomplishments, my graduate student said, ‘I think they’re talking about you.’”

Green began working for the LSU AgCenter in 2008. His lab work has focused on applied reproductive fish physiology and the specialized discipline of endocrinology, the study of fish hormones and hormone secretions, an area that affects functions such as reproduction, metabolism and movement.

Green’s research projects have produced valuable data relevant to a range of freshwater and estuarine aquaculture species, including catfish, tilapia, bass, alligator gar and baitfish and crawfish.

After the 2010 Horizon oil spill, Green participated in research projects to evaluate potential microbial biosurfactants for oil-spill remediation and to analyze dispersant effects and other variables on the toxicity of Gulf crude oil.

Green had previously done extensive research on the physiology and endocrinology of killifish, commonly called cocahoe minnows, a popular baitfish. Drawing upon that prior research, Green’s role in the Gulf oil studies was to determine levels of toxicity in killifish, which was used as a chief indicator species.

Green continues to teach courses such as biology of fishes and ichthyology to undergraduate and graduate students.

“I’ve tried to do things out of the ordinary – building more creative labs that give them experience toward a professional career,” Green said. “How many students get to squeeze eggs out of fish, inject them with hormones and cause fish to reproduce?”

“I want to make sure that people that come through my labs get jobs,” Green added.