Gilmer FFA Member Cultivates Agriscience Fair Project From Fishing Hobby
Tuesday, January 15, 2019 | Author: Natalie Boyd, Texas FFA News Staff
Gilmer FFA member Cameron Gipson cultivated a unique and innovative Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) that originated from his love of fishing.
Gipson planned and conducted a scientific experiment that consisted of using probiotics to enhance the growth rate of channel catfish and small baitfish.
“My hobby, combined with my growing passion for aquatic research, lead to this project being born,” said Gipson.
Early in planning the project, he set a goal to complete the process without the loss of any fish. At the conclusion of the testing period, he was pleased to find that he had not lost any. In addition, his experiment was successful in increasing the growth of the fish significantly.
“Probiotics are a beneficial bacterium that aid the digestive system of fish in order to gain more nutrients,” said Gipson. “They also turn the ammonia in the water into nitrogen, which allows for a healthier ecosystem for the fish overall.”
Gipson’s successful agriscience fair project was recognized as the 2018 Texas FFA proficiency winner in Environmental and Natural Service Systems and as a national finalist in Agriscience Research-Integrated Systems.
According to Gilmer FFA advisor, Kyle Keahly, due to Gipsons influence, multiple students within their program have started to show interest in participating in agriscience fairs across the state.
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