Dr. Ganesh Kumar Karunakaran

Bio

I take pride in meeting producers and discussing their production problems using scientific, yet practical means. In addition to working with catfish producers, I had opportunities to work in the shrimp, baitfish, sportfish, and largemouth bass industry. My area of specialization is in aquaculture economics and marketing.

Areas of Specialization

production economics; financial management; risk analysis; technology adoption; whole-farm economic modeling; mathematical programming;

Awards & Honors

Best paper award
Aquaculture Economics and Management

Distinguished Early Career Award
World Aquaculture Society

Best paper award
World Aquaculture Society

International Travel award
International Association of Aquaculture Economics and Management

MAFES Grantsmanship Award
Mississippi state University

Best PhD Dissertation award
International Association of Aquaculture Economics and Management

PhD dissertation International Travel award
International Association of Aquaculture Economics and Management

Chancellor Award
University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff

William M. Willingham award
University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff

2007 William M. Willingham award
University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff

MS Travel Award
International Association of Aquaculture Economics and Management

Gold Medal MS program
Indian Council of Agricultural Research

Junior Research Fellowship
Indian Council of Agricultural Research

Third Rank in national level entrance exam for post graduation
Indian Council of Agricultural Research

Education

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Fisheries/Aquaculture Science

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Master of Science (M.S.)
Fisheries/Aquaculture Science

Central Institute of Fisheries Education
Master of Science (M.S.)
Aquaculture

Kerala Agricultural University
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Aquaculture

Publications

2023

Cheatham, M., Karunakaran, G., Avery, J. L., Johnson, J. 2023. Economic risk of commercial catfish production strategies. Aquaculture Economics and Management 27(4):714-736. Download

Cheathm, M., Karunakaran, G. 2023. Research verification of four commercial scale split-pond designs. Aquaculture Engeneering 2023(103):102349.

Karunakaran, G., sun, L. 2023. Retail market trends for seafood in the United States. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 54(3):603-624.

Karunakaran, G., Sun, L. 2023. Retail market trends for US catfish and swai products in the United States. Aquaculture Economics and Management 27(4):544-568. Download

Karunakaran, G., Sun, L. 2023. Supermarket trends for rainbow and steelhead trout products: Evidence from scanner data. Aquaculture Reports 30(101579).

Karunakaran, G., Hegde, S. 2023. Cost of regulations on US catfish farms. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 54(1):32-53. Download

Karunakaran, G., Engle, C., van Senten, J. 2023. Pre- and post-pandemic seafood purchasing behavior in the U.S. . Aquaculture 2023(571):739491.

Karunakaran, G., Engle, C., van Senten, J., Hegde, S., Sun, L. K. 2023. Economic-sustainability perspectives from U.S. catfish farming. . Aquaculture 2023(574):739715. Download

Karunakaran, G., Engle, C. 2023. Ictalurus punctatus (channel catfish). CABI Compendium 79127(1):1-31. Download

Prodhan, M. H., Khan, M. A., Palash, M. S., Hossain, M. I., Karunakaran, G. 2023. Supply chain performance of fishing industry in Bangladesh: Emphasizing on information sharing and commitment. Aquaculture Economics and Management 27(4):523-543. Download

2022

Asche, F., Garlock, T., Camp, E., Guillen, J., Karunakaran, G., Llorente, I., Shamshak, G. 2022. Market opportunities for U.S. aquaculture producers: The case of Branzino. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 37(2):221-233. Download

Dharan, V. K., Khoo, L. H., Phelps, N. B., Karunakaran, G., Steadman, J., Bosworth, B., Aarattuthodi, S. 2022. An investigation into the pathogenesis of blue catfish alloherpesvirus in ictalurid catfish. Journal of World Aquaculture Society 53(2):384-400. Download

Engle, C., Hanson, T., Karunakaran, G. 2022. Economic history of the U.S. catfish industry: Lessons for growth and development of U.S. aquaculture. Aquaculture Economics and Management 26(1):1-35. Download

Gosh, K., Hanson, T. R., Drescher, D., Robinson, D., Bugg, W., Chatakondi, N., Karunakaran, G., Jeffers, C., Dunham, R. A. 2022. Economic effect of hybrid catfish (channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, ♀ x blue catfish, I. Furcatus, ♂) growth variability on three production systems. North American Journal of Aquaculture 84(1):25-41. Download

Hegde, S., Karunakaran, G., Engle, C., Hanson, T., Roy, L. A., van Senten, J., Johnson, J., Avery, J. L., Aarattuthodi, S., Dahl, S., Dorman, L., Peterman, M. A. 2022. Economic contribution of the U.S. catfish industry. Aquaculture Economics and Management 26(4):384-413. Download

Hegde, S., Karunakaran, G., Engle, C., Hanson, T., Roy, L. A., Cheatham, M., Avery, J. L., Aarattuthodi, S., van Senten, J., Johnson, J., Wise, D. J., Dahl, S., Dorman, L., Peterman, M. 2022. Technological progress in US catfish industry. Journal of World Aquaculture Society 53(2):367-413. Download

Hegde, S., Karunakaran, G., Engle, C., Avery, J. L., Aarattuthodi, S., Johnson, J., van Senten, J. 2022. Production economic relationships in intensive U.S. catfish production systems. Aquaculture Economics and Management 26(3):314-331. Download

2021

Asche, F., Anderson, J. L., Botta, R., Karunakaran, G., Abrahamsen, E. B., Nguyen, L. T., Valderrama, D. 2021. The economics of shrimp disease. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 186:107397. Download

Avery, J. L., Hegde, S., Karunakaran, G. 2021. U.S. Catfish Production is Becoming More Efficient. World Aquaculture 52(3):52-54.

Engle, C. E., Christie, T. W., Dorr, B. S., Karunakaran, G., Davis, J. B., Roy, L. A., Kelly, A. M. 2021. Principal economic effects of cormorant predation on catfish farms. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 52:41-56. Download

Engle, C. R., Karunakaran, G., Van Senten, J. 2021. Resource use efficiency in U.S. aquaculture: Farm-level comparisons across fish species and production systems. Aquaculture Environment Interactions 13:259-275. Download

Karunakaran, G., Hegde, S., Wise, D. J., Mischke, C. C., Dorr, B. 2021. Economic Losses of Catfish to Avian Predation- A Case Report . North American Journal of Aquaculture 83(3):127-137. Download

Karunakaran, G., Engle, C., Avery, J. L., Dorman, L., Whitis, G., Roy, L. A., Xie, L. 2021. Characteristics of early adoption and non-adoption of alternative catfish production technologies in the U.S. Aquaculture Economics & Management 25(1):70-88. Download

2020

Engle, C. R., Karunakaran, G., van Senten, J. 2020. Cost drivers and profitability of U.S. pond, raceway, and RAS aquaculture. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 51(4):847-873. Download

Garlock, T., Asche, F., Anderson, J., Bjorndal, T., Karunakaran, G., Lorenzen, K., Ropicki, A., Smith, M. D., Tveteras, R. 2020. A Global Blue Revolution: Aquaculture Growth Across Regions, Species, and Countries. Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture 28(1):847-873. Download

Griffin, M. J., Greenway, T. E., Byars, T. S., Ware, C., Aarattuthodi, S., Karunakaran, G., Wise, D. J. 2020. Cross‐protective potential of a live‐attenuated Edwardsiella ictaluri vaccine against Edwardsiella piscicida in channel (Ictalurus punctatus) and channel × blue ( Ictalurus furcatus) hybrid catfish. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 51(3):740-749. Download

Karunakaran, G., Gaunt, P. S. 2020. Medicated-feed intervention in catfish farming: An economic perspective. North American Journal of Aquaculture 82(2):190-199. Download

Karunakaran, G., Engle, C., Hegde, S., van Senten, J. 2020. Economics of U.S. catfish farming practices: Profitability, economies of size, and liquidity. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 51(4):829-846. Download

Karunakaran, G., Wise, D. J., Li, M. H., Aarattuthodi, S., Hegde, S., Rutland, B., Pruitt, S., Griffin, M. J., Khoo, L. H. 2020. Effect of understocking density of channel catfish fingerlings in intensively aerated multiple-batch production. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 52(1):30-40. Download

Li, M. H., Wise, D. J., Karunakaran, G., Bosworth, B., Mischke, C. C., Aarattuthodi, S., Rutland, W., Lucas, P. 2020. Effects of long-term restricted feeding followed by full feeding on growth, processing yield, fillet proximate composition, and economics of market-size hybrid catfish, ♀ Ictalurus punctatus × ♂ Ictalurus furcatus. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 51:931-943. Download

Li, M. H., Wise, D. J., Mischke, C. C., Karunakaran, G., Greenway, T. E., Tiwari, A., Lucas, P. M. 2020. Reducing dietary protein concentrations and replacing fish meal with porcine meat and bone meal do not affect growth or feed conversion of pond‐raised fingerling channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 51(2):364-372. Download

Wise, D. J., Greenway, T. E., Byars, T. S., Karunakaran, G., Griffin, M. J., Khoo, L. H., Chesser, G. D., Lowe, J. W. 2020. Validation of Edwardsiella ictaluri oral vaccination platform in experimental pond trials. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 51(2):346-363. Download

2019

Karunakaran, G., Byars, T. S., Greenway, T. E., Aarattuthodi, S., Khoo, L. H., Griffin, M. J., Wise, D. J. 2019. Economic assessment of commercial-scale Edwardsiella ictaluri vaccine trials in U.S. catfish industry. Aquaculture Economics & Management 23(3):254-275. Download

Karunakaran, G., Li, M. H., Wise, D. J., Mischke, C. C., Rutland, B., Tiwari, A., Aarattuthodi, S., Griffin, M. J., Khoo, L. H., Ott, B., Torrans, L., Tucker, C. S. 2019. Performance of Channel catfish and Hybrid catfish in single‐batch, intensively aerated ponds. North American Journal of Aquaculture 81(4):406-416. Download

2018

Karunakaran, G., engle, c., Tucker, C. 2018. Factors driving aquaculture-technology adoption. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society.

Karunakaran, G., 2018. Aquaculture production and marketing: A peek into the world of producers and consumers. Aquaculture Economics & Management 22(3). Download

Karunakaran, G., 2018. Economics of alternate catfish production technologies. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 49(6):1039-1057. Download

Karunakaran, G., Engle, C. R., Hanson, T. R., Tucker, C. S., Brown, T. W., Bott, L. B., Roy, L. A., Boyd, C. E., Recsetar, M. S., Park, J., Torrans, E. L. 2018. Economics of alternative catfish production technologies. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 49(6):1039-1057. Download

Li, M. H., Wise, D. J., Mischke, C. C., Karunakaran, G., Lucas, P. M. 2018. Response of Pond-raised Fingerling Hybrid Catfish, ♀ Ictalurus punctatus × ♂ Ictalurus furcatus , to Dietary Protein Concentrations and Sources. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 49(5):912-918. Download

2017

Karunakaran, G., Engle, C. 2017. Optimal investment pathways for new catfish production technologies. A recursive programming approach. Aquaculture Economics & Management. Download

Karunakaran, G., Engle, C. 2017. Economics of Intensively Aerated Catfish Ponds. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. Download

Karunakaran, G., Engle, C. 2017. Optimal investment pathways for split-pond and intensively aerated catfish pond technologies. Aquaculture Economics & Management 21(1):144-162. Download

2016

Karunakaran, G., Engle, C. R. 2016. Technological advances that led to growth of shrimp, salmon, and tilapia farming. Reviews in Fisheries Science 24(2):134-147.

Karunakaran, G., Tucker, C. S., Engle, C. R. 2016. Economics of split-pond systems. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 47(3):327-340.

Karunakaran, G., Engle, C., Tucker, C. 2016. Costs and Risk of Catfish Split-pond Systems. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 47(3):327–340. Download

2014

Karunakaran, G., 2014. OPTIMIZING CATFISH FEEDING AND STOCKING STRATEGIES OVER A TWOYEAR PLANNING HORIZON. Aquaculture Economics & Management. Download

Kumar, G., Engle, C. R. 2014. Optimizing catfish feeding and stocking strategies over a two-year planning horizon. Aquaculture Economics & Management 18(2):169–188.

2013

Engle, C., Kumar, G., Lochmann, R., Bosworth, B., Thompson, M. 2013. Effects of 28% Protein Diets Differing in Quality on Channel Catfish Performance, Processing Traits, and Production Economics in a Multi-Batch System. Journal of Applied Aquaculture 25(2):102–112.

Karunakaran, G., Engle, C. R. 2013. Costs of Winter Feeding of Channel-blue (♀ Ictalurus punctatus×♂ Ictalurus furcatus) Hybrid Catfish. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 44(4):511-519. Download

Kumar, G., Engle, C. R. 2013. Costs of Winter Feeding of Channel-blue (♀ Ictalurus punctatus$$♂ Ictalurus furcatus) Hybrid Catfish!!!. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 44(4):511–519.

2012

Lochmann, R., Engle, C., Karunakaran, G., Li, M. H., Avery, J. L., Bosworth, B. G., Tucker, C. S. 2012. Multi-batch catfish production and economic analysis using alternative (low-cost) diets with corn gluten feed and traditional diets with meat and bone meal. Aquaculture 366:34–39. Download

2011

Engle, C. R., Kumar, G. 2011. Biological feasibility and costs of production of large Channel Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, for a specialty product market. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 42(5):667–675.

Engle, C., Kumar, G. 2011. The effect of cash flow and credit constraints on financial feasibility and stocking strategies on US catfish farms: a mixed-integer multi-stage programming approach. Aquaculture Economics & Management 15(3):193–213.

Karunakaran, G., 2011. THE EFFECT OF CASH FLOW AND CREDIT CONSTRAINTS ON FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY AND STOCKING STRATEGIES ON U.S. CATFISH FARMS: A MIXED-INTEGER MULTI-STAGE PROGRAMMING APPROACH. Aquaculture Economics & Management. Download

Kumar, G., Engle, C. 2011. The effect of hybrid catfish fingerling prices on the relative profitability of hybrid channel catfish. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 42(4):469–483.

2010

Engle, C. R., Kumar, G., Bouras, D. 2010. The economic trade-offs between stocking fingerlings and stockers: a mixed integer multi-stage programming approach. Aquaculture Economics & Management 14(4):315–331.

Kumar, G., Engle, C. 2010. Relative Production Performance and Cost of Food Fish Production from Fingerlings of Channel-Blue F1 Hybrids, Ictalurus punctatus–Ictalurus furcatus, and NWAC-103 Channel Catfish, I. punctatus. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 41(4):545–554.

2008

Karunakaran, G., 2008. FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE FREQUENCY OF PURCHASE OF CATFISH BY U.S. HOUSEHOLDS IN SELECTED CITIES. Aquaculture Economics & Management. Download

Kumar, G., Quagrainie, K., Engle, C. 2008. Factors that influence frequency of purchase of catfish by US households in selected cities. Aquaculture Economics & Management 12(4):252–267.

Kumar, G., Engle, C. R., Quagrainie, K., others, . 2008. Household preferences and consumption patterns for farm-raised catfish in the US. Cooperative Extension Program, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, US Dept. of Agriculture and county governments cooperating.

2001

Kumar, G., Sharma, R. 2001. Probiotics-the mainstay in aquaculture health management. .