374-4 Water Quality and Waste Production within Intensively Operated Recirculating Aquaculture Systems: The Potential for Use of Nutrient-Rich Effluents in Aquaponics and Agronomics.
See more from this Division: ASA Section: Environmental QualitySee more from this Session: Innovations in Sustainable Resource Use for Tomorrow: The Role of Aquaculture and Animal Agriculture
Several research projects will be overviewed that describe the water quality produced within six replicated RAS (1/10th of commercial scale) and within the effluents from these systems. Key studies to be discussed include: 1) Comparing the effects of alternative protein diets without fish meal and traditional fish meal-based diets on fish performance, water quality, and waste production; and 2) Comparing waste and nutrient accumulation within RAS operated at high and low water exchange rates. Concentrations of the following water quality parameters will be reported for each study: nitrogen, phosphorous, suspended solids, dissolved metals and nutrients, pH, and alkalinity. The results indicate: 1) Inclusion of alternative protein ingredients in aquaculture diets can alter the nitrogen, phosphorous, and nutrient concentrations within RAS effluents, and 2) RAS effluent water quality can vary substantially depending on the water flushing rate of the system.
The goal of the presentation is to provide specific water quality data from relevant scale aquaculture systems operated under various conditions in order to demonstrate the potential for the integration of aquaculture with other agricultural sectors that could benefit from the use of nutrient rich waste streams.
See more from this Session: Innovations in Sustainable Resource Use for Tomorrow: The Role of Aquaculture and Animal Agriculture