If you find problems with this website please drop me an e-mail.

Nutritional strategies for the maturation and rearing of red snapper. (Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium)

The red snapper is a commercially important species in terms of wild capture and aquaculture potential. Because of declining natural populations and it's potential in off shore cage culture the red snapper is a prime candidate for commercial culture. This research is geared to support other research projects in the development of culture techniques for this species. Current spawning data indicates that red snapper brood stock nutrition is significantly impairing the quality of eggs and larvae produced under captive conditions. Consequently, one component of this research will be to evaluate the influence of selected dietary components on egg and larval quality. The second component of the research is geared towards the development of basic nutritional data of juveniles and sub-adult fish. Such data is required not only to design nutritionally adequate diets but the data collected will also help us understand the growth potential of this species and there efficiency in using prepared feeds. Two important components required for modeling both pollution loading and economic returns of a commercial operation.
 
 

Development of techniques for inland saltwater shrimp farming.
(Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium)

Inland production of shrimp provides an alternative to traditional coastal culture where land costs and user conflicts can inhibit commercial development.  Currently, there are a few farms within the United States that produce shrimp in low salinity inland water.  Information from these farms is largely anecdotal, but they indicate that good growth rates and acceptable production can be obtained.  A couple of different inland saltwater sources have been identified in Alabama, and marine shrimp have been successfully cultured in at least one of these sources.  Many questions concerning nursery management and pond production in inland waters have not been addressed and published information on these unique environments is scars.  This proposal describes nine studies to be accomplished in nursery tanks and ponds over the course of three years.  These studies will provide information directly useful to inland producers about the appropriateness of different sources of inland saline water for marine shrimp culture; acclimation procedures; effects of low salinity on growth; nursery management procedures and effects on subsequent pond production; use of supplemental artemia and algae for nursery management; and potential environmental effects of impounding low salinity water.  Most studies will be carried out under controlled conditions at the Claude Peteet Mariculture Center in Gulf Shores, AL, but many nursery studies will be repeated on farms under producer control for demonstration and instruction.  Personnel involved in the proposed studies are directly involved with producers, and will be able to coordinate on-farm studies and information exchange between producers and researchers. Results of these studies will be published in scientific journals and extension circulars, and disseminated in producer workshops and conferences.
 

Development of hatchery technologies for yellow tail snapper.
(National Marine Fisheries Service, Saltonstall-Kennedy)

The world demand for seafood is rapidly increasing and is expected to reach 110 to 120 million tons by the year 2010. If this demand is to be met, the commercial production of seafood (mariculture) must continue to expand and over utilized wild stocks must be rebuilt. One of the primary limitations on the development of mariculture operations in the US has been the availability of culture technologies for native species. The commercial of a species must not only include the demand for the species, but the availability of viable eggs, and a steady supply of juveniles for growout. The yellowtail snapper is one of several snapper species that are listed as over fished and displays positive potential for development in the mariculture industry. Using temperature and photo period manipulation we have maintained spawning populations of wild fish since 1992 and currently have an F1 population of laboratory reared fish spawning with average weekly spawning of about 250,000 eggs/tank. Initial protocols for larval rearing using live and prepared feeds has resulted in an overall survival of 3% from egg to advanced juvenile.  This research will address the development of larval rearing technologies for the production of juvenile snapper for off shore operations. Results from this project are expected to a) diversify the number of culture species available to the mariculturist b)  expand our understanding of larval rearing requirements of snapper c) advance commercial technologies for the production of fingerlings.  The proposed research will build on previous projects which successfully developed maturation techniques for the year round spawning of yellowtail snapper as well as mass production techniques for other marine species such as red drum.

Nutritional strategies for the reduction of mariculture waste production. (Texas A&M University, Sea Grant College Program)

Given the current status of the world fisheries, continued expansion of marine products can only be achieved if aquaculture production is increased and significant improvements can be achieved towards the conservation and management of the world fisheries. The continued expansion of aquaculture has economic and environmental benefits; however, these systems produce waste products that can adversely effect the environment and negatively influence fisheries recruitment. Consequently, to meet the expanding demand for seafood products, steps must be taken to ensure that aquaculture is both economically viable and has a minimal effect on the environment. The proposed research seeks to utilize dietary manipulations to enhance nutrient retention and hence reduce waste loading of culture systems. This research will: determine the protein and energy requirements of sub-adult red drum and white shrimp for maintenance and growth; and evaluate phase feeding strategies for sub-adult red drum. Completion of these studies are expected to significantly improve growout feeds for these species. The transfer of improved feed technologies and improvements in feeding protocols are expected to reduce the nutrient loading associated with culture systems; thus resulting in reduced feed costs and nutrient loading of the culture systems and near coastal waters receiving effluent discharges.