The Alabama Fish Farming Center (AFFC) was established in 1982 to provide assistance to a growing catfish industry. Since that time, the AFFC has assisted commercial farmers raising catfish, crawfish, sportfish, tilapia, and marine shrimp in west Alabama using Extension, research, and fish disease diagnostic programs. The catfish industry is the largest aquaculture sector in Alabama, with approximately 60 commercial farms located on the west side of the state. Alabama is the second-largest catfish producer in the United States, with approximately 14,000 water acres in production.

The AFFC is staffed by faculty and staff from the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences of Auburn University at a facility housed in Greensboro, Alabama. The AFFC has an aquatic animal health diagnostic laboratory, water quality lab, microbiology lab, small-scale recirculating tank systems for basic research, office space, and a conference room for producer workshops and meetings. Faculty at the AFFC carry out applied Extension and research programs to help support and solve problems faced by the aquaculture industry and work closely with west Alabama farms, feed mills, catfish processing plants, and other stakeholders. Often, research and Extension demonstration programs are strengthened by the participation of undergraduate and graduate students in aquaculture from Auburn University. Many of the research projects based out of the AFFC are conducted on commercial farms. Faculty at the AFFC collaborate with Auburn University campus faculty and staff to provide the most comprehensive service possible to the commercial aquaculture industry. In addition, the AFFC offers recommendations on managing private ponds and lakes for recreational fishing.