Location: Aquatic Animal Health Research
Project Number: 6010-32000-027-036-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jun 1, 2024
End Date: May 31, 2028
Objective:
To optimize production techniques, alternative feed ingredients, feed management strategies, and evaluate culture conditions that result in optimum growth performance and overall improved health of warmwater aquaculture species in the domestic aquaculture industry in the near term (<5 years). Integrative approaches drawn from current techniques in aquatic animal health and physiology, aquatic animal nutrition and production aquaculture will be employed to help solve aquaculture industry problems including disease, low survival, poor production, and reduced profitability.
Approach:
U.S. producers of catfish, shrimp, crawfish, and, largemouth bass are seeking to improve efficiencies and expand production through the development and adaptation of new technologies. For example, poor survival due to health issues at specific production stages of shrimp is reducing production by 40-60% thus reducing potential output. The health status of these species can be enhanced through improved production, nutrition, and hatchery techniques, the use of naturally occurring bioactive compounds, immune stimulants and natural supplements. Further improvement in production can be found using new technologies for production and determining optimal water quality conditions for growth, as well as finding solutions for ongoing production issues (bird depredation, big fish problem in the catfish industry, etc). The project involves both laboratory and on-farm research using new innovative production technology, improved feeds targeted at improving health of warmwater aquaculture species, more efficient feed management strategies, examining bird depredation issues on commercial farms, and evaluating the big fish problem in the catfish industry. ARS and Auburn scientists will collaborate in these areas to improve the efficiency of U.S. commercial fish, shrimp, and crawfish farmers with the goal of attaining long-term sustainability and growth of the industry.
