IN US AQUACULTURE, EFFICIENCY IN PROCESSING IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR PRODUCT FLOW, WORKER SAFETY, AND ULTIMATELY INDUSTRY GROWTH. IN THE US CATFISH INDUSTRY, THE LARGEST AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY IN THE US, FISH ARE ELECTRICALLY STUNNED PRIOR TO EUTHANASIA TO RENDER FISH UNCONSCIOUS. THIS PROCESS HELPS TO PREVENT WORKER INJURY FROM FISH WITH SHARP SPINES AND ALLOWS EFFICIENT AND HUMANE SLAUGHTER PRACTICES. ENSURING STUNNING EFFECTIVENESS ON THE ENTIRE BATCH OF FISH AND MAXIMIZING DURATION OF UNCONSCIOUSNESS ARE IMPORTANT FOR PROCESSING EFFICIENCY. IN THIS STUDY, THREE OBJECTIVES WILL BE EXAMINED TO PROVIDE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE SLAUGHTER PROCESS: 1) STUNNING EFFICIENCY WILL BE COMPARED BETWEEN CURRENT STUNNING DESIGNS AND A NEW DESIGN THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE SPECIFIC BODY ORIENTATION, 2) THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STUNNING WILL BE EVALUATED ACROSS THE RANGE OF SIZES OF FISH AND RANGE OF SEASONAL TEMPERATURES AT PROCESSING, AND 3) EFFICACY OF EUTHANASIA WILL BE COMPARED BETWEEN CURRENT AND THREE OPTIONAL METHODS. ALL OBJECTIVES WILL USE THE GOLD STANDARD FOR EVALUATING STUNNING: MEASURES OF BRAIN RESPONSIVENESS VIA ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM (EEG) MEASUREMENTS. THE RESEARCH INVOLVES COLLABORATION WITH COMMERCIAL PROCESSORS AND WILL BE USED TO GUIDE IMPROVEMENTS IN PROCESSING WHICH ARE IMPORTANT FOR US AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY RESILIENCE AND GROWTH.