Project Number: 6225-63000-008-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Nov 03, 2009
End Date: Mar 31, 2011

Objective:
Objective 1: Determine nutrient requirements and develop feeding strategies and diets for optimal growth, efficiency, and reproductive success of marine fish reared in low-salinity recirculating systems. Subobjective 1A. Develop nutrient digestibility values for traditional and novel feed ingredients, resulting in broader ingredient choices for Florida pompano. Subobjective 1B. Determine indispensable amino acid (IAA) requirements for Florida pompano juveniles in low-salinity and/or seawater. Subobjective 1C. Reduce the utilization of fish meal and fish oil during the life-cycle production of Florida pompano reared in low salinity. Subobjective 1D. Evaluate dietary strategies to improve growth and performance of marine fish reared in low-salinity environments. Objective 2: Develop year-round spawning strategies for captive broodstock and larviculture methods for sustainable seed production of high-value marine finfish for culture in low-salinity environments. Subobjective 2A. Develop improved spawning protocols for sustainable seed production of high-value marine finfish. Subobjective 2B. Develop improved larviculture methods for sustainable production of high-value marine finfish. Subobjective 2C. Develop optimal methods for acclimatizing larval or juvenile Florida pompano to low-salinity culture conditions. Objective 3: Develop and evaluate solutions that improve efficiency of water and energy utilization and waste management technologies for environmentally sustainable low-salinity recirculating aquaculture systems. Subobjective 3A. Improve efficiency of system components in a low-head recirculating aquaculture system that will result in less water and energy use, greater carrying capacity, and increased cost efficiency. Subobjective 3B. Develop a cost-effective effluent management strategy that will provide treatment and reuse of effluent water and sludge from a low-salinity recirculating aquaculture facility. Subobjective 3C. Evaluate sustainable production of market size Florida pompano in low-salinity recirculating systems.

Approach:
Florida pompano will serve as a model species. Key nutrient requirements and availability of nutrients from alternatives to fish meal and fish oil will be determined and diets developed for production in recirculating, low-salinity systems. Strategies for inducing Florida pompano to spawn, and less labor-intensive and economical methods for rearing larval fish will be developed to provide a consistent supply of fish for year-round culture. Culture system components will be designed and evaluated to develop cost-effective methods for maintaining a healthy environment for marine fish reared in low salinity, and effluent treatment strategies developed to reduce environmental impacts of rearing fish to market size.