ABSTRACTA study was initiated to determine the suitability of utilizing some of the thousands of hectares of estuarine oil‐pipeline canals in Louisiana for mariculture purposes. Channel catfish (Ictaluruspunctatus), pompano (Trachinotuscarolinus), and white shrimp (Penaeussetiferus) were selected as test animals. Preliminary catfish culture results are reported here. Channel catfish stocked in a 2.55 ha brackish‐water oil‐field pipeline canal averaged 323 g after 6 months. Growth rates, water quality, and pathogenic organisms remained within acceptable parameters. Predation, overbank flooding, and harvesting were the most obvious problems, and are addressed separ