W1 Overview/ Economic Impt.
What is one example of a food product and one non food aquaculture product?
Pearls, decorative shells, fertilizer, cosmetics, biofuels
What type of aquaculture system(s) would the following species would be farmed in?
Goby larvae
Adult gobies
Adult yellowtail tuna
Goby larvae: tanks
Adult gobies: tanks
Adult yellowtail tuna: cages/ pens
What is the purpose of broodstock in aquaculture?
A. To produce more individuals through spawning
B. To serve as a source of live feed
C. To monitor water quality
D. To enhance habitat conservation
A. To produce more individuals through spawning
Which live feed is known to be the easiest to culture but deficient in long-chain fatty acids?
A. Ciliates
B. Copepod nauplii
C. Copepods adults
D. Rotifers
D. Rotifers
True or false: A trait is the genetic makeup of an individual.
False (A trait is an observable or measurable characteristic.)
Where is the earliest example of aquaculture? What did they farm?
China (Zhou dynasty in 221 B.C.E.)
Carp
An inland site has nutrient-rich soil but is located in a semi-arid region with limited water supply.
What type of aquaculture system would you recommend for food production?
What species would you culture?
A recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) in tanks would be ideal because it minimizes water use and recycles water efficiently, making it suitable for areas with limited water resources.
Shrimp, food fish (e.g., tilapia, transgenic salmon)
True or False: The lunar cycle does not affect the Pacific threadfin's (moi) fertility; they produce the same number of eggs and fertilized eggs throughout the month.
False
What copepod stage did Dr. Callan determine to be vital for feeding larval yellow tang and successfully closed the culture loop?
A. E13
B. C6
C. N1
D. E12
C. N1
Which of the following is NOT an example of genetic manipulation?
a) Transgenics
b) Selective breeding
c) Polyploidy
d) Hybridization
b) Selective breeding
Which region/ country is the top producer for aquaculture products (Fig. 5 from FAO, 2022)?
A. China
B. Europe
C. Americas
D. Africa
A. China
Figure 5 from FAO, 2022
A community in a semi-arid region with high evaporation rates and limited water resources is interested in aquaculture.
What system and food species would you recommend?
Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) recycle water efficiently.
Food species like tilapia or catfish would be well-suited due to their adaptability and lower water requirements.
____larvae require parental care, are more developed, and consume rotifers as a first feed. Whereas, ______ larvae are underdeveloped at hatching and require a smaller live feed like copepod nauplii.
A. Precocial; altricial
B. Altricial; precocial
A. Precocial; altricial
What are three key attributes that make a prey item suitable for marine fish larvae?
What is the difference between genotype and phenotype?
The genotype is the genetic makeup of an organism, while the phenotype is the observable expression of those genes.
Compare and contrast aquaculture and capture fisheries in terms of production (e.g., in millions of tons) since the 1950's.
1950-1990: primarily capture fisheries and no aquaculture production.
1990-2020: Capture fisheries have plateaued since the 1990's and aquaculture production has increased.
Is farming bivalves environmentally sustainable? Explain why or why not.
Yes! Overall, net environmental benefit
Filter feeders- removing POM and enhancing the water quality.
Mitigating HAB's
Enhancing the ecosystem (increasing biodiversity)
Describe two problems of salmon farming.
•Habitat Destruction
•Waste Accumulation below nets/cages
•Escaped Farmed Salmon
•Stress and Mortality
•Reduced growth rates
•Disease and Parasite Spread
•Antibiotic Overuse
•Risks to ecosystems and human health
•Feed Dependency
•Fishmeal and fish oil made from wild-caught fish
•Pressure on wild fisheries
•Carbon Footprint
•Intensive farming practices
•Global transportation contributes to greenhouse gas emissions
Overcoming Feed Distribution Challenges
Your offshore aquaculture farm is located in an area with strong surface currents and deep water. Feeding efficiency is low because much of the feed is being carried away by the surface currents before fish can consume it. Your worker feeds each cage at 9:00 AM.
What type of feed (floating or sinking) would work best in this situation? Would switching to a different feeding method improve efficiency?
•Switch to sinking pellets to reduce feed loss due to surface currents.
•Adjust feeding frequency to match fish activity levels and minimize uneaten feed.
What are two species that were traditionally farmed in loko i'a? What are two invasive species that negatively impact loko i'a today?
Hawaiian Mullet, milkfish (herbivore); surgeonfish (manini, kole), pacific threadfin (moi), goatfish, Hawaiian flagtail (a’holehole)
Mangrove trees and invasive fish like tilapia, eels, octopus, barracuda, introduced Australian mullet, crabs, tilapia, snappers, jellyfish
Describe four reasons for aquaculture's growing importance.
Increasing human population and demand
Environmentally sustainable method to produce food
Cultural heritage (loko i'a)
Nutritious protein source
Economic opportunities
What are three major environmental or sustainability issues associated with shrimp farming?
1.Overuse leads to antibiotic resistance, human health risks, and ecosystem disruption
2.High water demand and untreated wastewater pollute local supplies
3.Efficiency- low feed conversion and frequent disease outbreaks reduce productivity
4.Fishmeal Dependence
5.Shrimp farming destroys mangroves, reducing biodiversity and coastal protection
Describe pertinent background information, larvae type (e.g., precocial or altricial), and first feed for one of the following marine ornamental species:
Clownfish, dottybacks, damselfish, gobies, cardinal fish, yellow tang
Why is it important for the aquaculturist to be familiar with background information?
An aquaculture facility raising omnivorous catfish is struggling with high operational costs, and feed expenses make up the majority of the budget. Their feed is made of 40-50% of the pellet made up of animal protein intended for carnivores. They hand feed for ~25 minutes per tank until they are satiated.
What strategies could they use to reduce costs while maintaining fish health and growth?
Would adjusting feed formulation, feeding style, or feeding frequency help?
Feed formula
Optimizing feed protein levels to match the species' needs (25–35% for omnivores) prevents waste.
Using alternative protein sources such as plant-based ingredients or insect meal can lower costs.
What are two traditional and two modern challenges that affect loko iʻa?
Modern:
Invasive plants or fish
Water quality and sedimentation
Global warming
Government permits
Traditional
Predation, natural weather disasters, seed stock