Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago

---

Question: How much do you know about where the fish you eat come from?

Brian Small is the director of the University of Idaho Aquaculture Research Institute and a professor of fish physiology in the College of Natural Resources. In this episode, he explains how research on fish nutrition, alternative fish diets and sturgeon caviar supports both the aquaculture industry and conservation efforts. He also shares what it’s like to raise millions of fish in Idaho’s spring-fed waters.

Chapters
0:00 Where do the fish you eat come from?
3:38 Getting to know Brian Small
4:11 Inside the Aquaculture Research Institute
7:30 Life as a fish at the hatchery
11:35 Inside the science shaping Idaho’s sustainable aquaculture
17:01 Sturgeon, caviar and conservation
21:08 Why aquaculture matters in Idaho
23:28 Final thoughts

Read Brian's bio at https://go.uidaho.edu/4oLfkzy

Learn more about U of I's Aquaculture Research Institute at https://go.uidaho.edu/49wNXVx

Learn more about U of I's College of Natural Resources at https://go.uidaho.edu/4hZSZMq

Find more Vandal Theory Podcast episodes at https://uidaho.edu/newsroom/the-vandal-theory