Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Shrimp Aquaculture Systems Through Microbial Resource Management

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This research seeks to answer several questions pertaining to development of indoor shrimp aquaculture in the United States. Aquaculture is a rapidly growing food production system that is a potential solution to overfishing and fisheries depletion worldwide. Two competing systems for indoor shrimp culture, recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and bio-floc systems (BFS), will be evaluated and compared using lab-scale systems. Techniques will include advanced molecular biology and stable isotope methods and will address the following questions: Will the promotion of a more diverse microbial community of nitrifiers create a more stable RAS? Can the waste produced on RAS biofilters be recycled back into the production tanks to improve feed utilization efficiency? Will the performance of BFS be improved by manipulating solids retention times? How susceptible are shrimp raised in the two systems to an opportunistic bacterial pathogen? Additionally, a comprehensive cost benefit analysis using life cycle assessment will be performed. The research outcomes are anticipated to enhance the competitiveness of American shrimp aquaculture. Under represented group students will be involved in the research.