---
title: "In Aquaponics Lab, UMD Researchers Make a Splash"
date: 2026-10-05T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/in-aquaponics-lab-umd-researchers-make-a-splash"
section: Articles
---
# In Aquaponics Lab, UMD Researchers Make a Splash

*October 5, 2026* — by [Maryland Today Staff](/author/maryland-today-staff)


> Sustainable agriculture finds home in lab that feeds innovation as well as Terps in the dining halls.

[Aquaponics](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDGxMOm-XZQ)



<span>The next time you dig into a plate of crispy tilapia or a leafy salad at one of the University of Maryland dining halls, you might just be savoring one of the benefits of having an aquaponics lab on campus.</span>

<span>Housed in a 1,200-square-foot greenhouse just up the hill from the Xfinity Center, it’s led by Jose-Luis Izursa, senior lecturer in the Department of Environmental Science and Technology. Aquaponics combines aquaculture, or fish farming, with hydroponics, growing plants in water instead of soil. It’s a practice that uses just 10% of the water of traditional farming, without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. </span>

<span>Join Maryland researchers and students as they explain the benefits of aquaponics for sustainability and health in the latest installment of "</span>[<span>Enterprise: University of Maryland Research Stories</span>](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoGjqglwdLfzO1QmPWl5iCadBKw1mQ_sZ)<span>."</span>




**Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research)


**Tags:** [Environmental Science and Technology](https://today.umd.edu/topic/environmental-science-and-technology), [Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/research)


**Units:** [College of Agriculture and Natural Resources](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-agriculture-and-natural-resources)