SBIR Phase I: Inserting Microalgae and Oysters into RAS for Waste Management Purposes

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将确定是否可以从离岸鲑鱼养殖场引进综合多营养水产养殖(IMTA)，在这些养殖场，这一概念正在被率先引入陆地循环水产养殖系统(RAS)。RAS公司和缅因州大学水产养殖合作研究中心已经在使用一箱黑鱼(Centroprtis Striata)，直接用管道连接到含有沙子和以沉积物为食的多毛类(Nereis Virens)的赛道上，以证明这些蠕虫将消耗几乎所有的颗粒粪便和未消耗的饲料，从而消除中间过滤设备，同时产生一种有价值的副产品。第一阶段建议在下游增加一个藻类生物反应器，以培养微藻，这些微藻将从水流中清除二氧化碳、硝酸盐和磷酸盐，同时补充氧气。多余的植物细胞将通过相邻的蓄水池流动来提取，这些蓄水池中含有过滤喂养的牡蛎(Crassostrea Virgiica)，因此会产生第二个副产品。将开发一个计算机模型系统来维持四个营养级别的平衡。成功的结果将是拥有IMTA-RAS软件，该软件可以预测从特定负载的鱼的粪便中培养出多少公斤的诱饵虫、微藻和牡蛎，从而确定每个营养水平的最佳承载能力。该项目的广泛影响/商业潜力将使陆上和室内鱼类生产成本更低、更有利可图和有机，从而更可持续。近海网箱养殖鳍鱼的扩展受到自然条件、环境限制和竞争使用空间的限制，而RAS技术正准备得到更大的改进。对水产养殖最常见的两种批评是：(1)产生废物；(2)鱼饲料中的鱼粉来自野生饲料鱼。该项目将证明废物是宝贵的资源，如果在内部使用，可以产生两种副产品：诱饵虫和牡蛎，如果与微藻一起种植。这是通过用生物方法而不是机械方法代替水处理来实现的。虽然休闲和商业渔民代表着诱虫的一个巨大市场，但也已证明多毛类是很好的鱼类饲料，因此是鱼粉和鱼油的潜在替代品。在尝试提取大比目鱼废料来喂养沙虫后，CCAR得出结论，10公吨鱼收获将产生1.0公吨沙虫(Brown，2011年)。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will determine whether integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) can be imported from off-shore salmon farms where the concept is being pioneered into on-land recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). RAS Corporation, and the University of Maine's Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research are already employing a tank of black sea bass (Centropristis striata) plumbed directly to raceways containing sand and deposit-feeding polychaetes (Nereis virens) to demonstrate that the worms will consume virtually all of the particulate fecal waste and unconsumed feed, thereby eliminating intermediate filtration equipment while generating a valuable by-product. Phase I proposes to add an algae bioreactor downstream in order to culture microalgae that will cleanse CO2, nitrates and phosphates from the flow while adding back oxygen. Excess plant cells will be extracted by flowing them through adjacent impoundments, containing filter feeding oysters (Crassostrea virginica), hence a second by-product. A computer model system will be developed to maintain the balance of the four trophic levels. Success will result in having IMTA-RAS software that projects how many kilos of baitworms, microalgae and oysters can be grown from the waste of a certain load of fish, determining the optimum carrying capacity of each trophic level. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will make on-land and indoor fish production less costly, more profitable and organic in character, thus more sustainable. Expansion of offshore cage culture of finfish is limited by natural conditions, environmental constraints and competing uses for space while RAS technologies are poised for greater enhancements. The two most common criticisms of aquaculture are: (1) it generates waste; and, (2) the fishmeal in fish feed is derived from wild-caught forage fish. This project will demonstrate that wastes are valuable resources, which, if used internally, can yield two by-products; baitworms and oysters if grown in concert with microalgae. This is achieved by substituting biological versus mechanical methods for water treatment. While recreational and commercial fishermen represent a large market for baitworms, it has also been demonstrated that polychaetes make excellent fish feed, hence a potential substitute for fish meal and oil. After trial extraction of halibut waste to feed sandworms, CCAR concluded that 10 mt of fish harvest would yield 1.0 mt of worm harvest (Brown, 2011).