Automatic electrically-powered feeders are routinely used in aquaculture to reduce the labor associated with hand-feeding and improve fish-rearing efficiencies. However, mounting automatic feeders to tanks can be challenging because of the variety of types and sizes of fish-rearing tanks. This paper describes a simple, durable, easy-to-use, and relatively easy-to-fabricate bracket for mounting an automatic fish feeder onto a circular rearing tank. This mount uses a simple, reinforced flat aluminum frame secured to the tank with clamps. The feeder is attached to the mount with a solid aluminum rod. This mount has been continually used for over a year in six, 3.66-m diameter circular tanks at a production fish hatchery with no issues and no maintenance required.
The need for rapid and reliable on-farm bacteriological test methods to detect pathogens and assess the success of biosecurity practices in fish and shrimp farms has been increasing. This study compared on-farm and in-laboratory (after refrigerated transportation) analyses for black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) cultured in two outdoor earthen ponds in low-resource settings on the southeastern coast of Bangladesh, using basic bacteriological facilities. Water quality parameters, including temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH and salinity were determined at monthly intervals during summer (April to June). Water temperature in two farms ranged from 26.3°C to 29.3°C (27.7±1.6°C in Farm-1 and 27.4±0.9°C in Farm 2), within suitable limits for shrimp culture. DO levels varied from 5.1±0.2 to 5.4±0.5 mg/l, pH from 7.1±0.2 to 7.1±0.6, and salinity from 14.7±1.2 to 15.7±0.6 ppt, all within optimal ranges for shrimp farming. Bacterial loads showed slight variations between sampling periods. On-farm analyses consistently showed lower bacterial loads in shrimp samples compared to in-laboratory analyses with bacterial counts increasing over transportation time. Water temperature significantly influenced bacterial load as reflected by different sampling periods. The total bacterial load in farm water, sediment and shrimp samples showed notable differences between on-farm and in-laboratory analyses, reflecting the impact of environmental conditions, handling practices and time delays. It is concluded that on-farm microbiological analysis strategy is an effective method for detecting pathogens and assessing biosecurity practices in shrimp farms cultured in outdoor earthen ponds.
enthic macroinvertebrates are essential components of aquatic biotic communities, performing several ecological roles in aquatic ecosystem functioning including nutrient circulation and recirculation. The species diversity, abundance and seasonal dynamics of benthic macroinvertebrates in a fish pond and their relation with pond bottom soil and water quality parameters were examined for a duration of one year during January to December. A total of 21 genera under four (4) different major groups of benthic invertebrates were identified. The mean abundance and a number of genera of each benthic macroinvertebrate group during the study period were in the following order: Oligochaeta (13 genera) > Chironomidae (4 genera) > Ceratopogonidae (2 genera) > Mollusca (2 genera). Among the genera, Tubifex spp., Pentaneura spp. and Culicoides spp. were most abundant and frequently occurred in each month. The interaction of the water quality parameters and soil properties played an important role in the structure of the benthic communities. The total nitrogen (%) content of the sediments was found to be positively correlated with the occurrence and abundance of Chironomidae (r = 0.764; p < 0.01). The relationship between environmental variables and assessed soil quality properties with the diversity indices showed significant variation over months, whereas the Simpson diversity index (Ds) was judged to be a lower level of contamination. The Shannon-Wiener index (H´) and Richness Index (R) and Pielou evenness (J) revealed that the benthic community distribution was uniform, and the water quality and soil parameters revealed tolerable conditions for the productivity of the pond. Considering the presence of 21 genera of macroinvertebrates, diversity index and properties of the soil and water, the fish pond can be considered as a moderately productive pond.
The relationship between human societies, ecosystems, and sustainable agriculture has evolved significantly over recent decades. This chapter examines the shift from viewing nature solely as a resource for economic growth to recognizing it as the foundation for sustainable development. Starting with the rapid population growth from the 1950s to today, it highlights the increased demand for essential resources and the environmental challenges posed by this pressure. Using Mexico's New Vision for agriculture as a case study, it discusses strategies that incorporate biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, and sustainability in agricultural policies. This approach acknowledges the socioeconomic importance of agricultural lands and integrates often-overlooked stakeholders, such as small producers, women, and youth, to promote equitable development. The chapter explores the importance of ecosystem services, governance models, and policy interventions that consider spatial and temporal dynamics, externalities, trade-offs, and synergies. The goal is to encourage sustainable agricultural practices that balance human needs with ecosystem health, ensuring long-term well-being for both people and the environment.
The paper presents the results of long-term observations on the process of cultivation of some commercial invertebrates and algae. The results obtained allow optimizing the process of their cultivation and achieving its profitability. However, unfortunately, these results are not familiar to the staff of the VNIRO Branch - writers of technologies, and this affects the state of mariculture in the Krai.
This study was conducted in the area adjacent to the Apodi River Incised Valley, near the city of Areia Branca, RN, Brazil. The objective was to evaluate the responses of foraminiferal associations to environmental aspects. Ten surface sediment samples were collected from the northern shelf of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, along with the measurement of abiotic parameters. Granulometry (represented by silt content) was found to have the least influence on the dispersion of foraminiferal species, while physical water variables, mainly depth, showed a greater impact. An important observation in the northern region of the state was the absence of a single species dominating all stations. Instead, some stations were dominated by Quinqueloculina lamarckiana, while others were dominated by Amphistegina gibbosa.
The rapid growth of aquaculture has increased the demand for fish meal and fish oil, essential components of fish feed, leading to higher production costs due to dwindling global supplies. As the industry seeks sustainable alternatives, insects, particularly the yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), are emerging as a viable protein source. With a nutritional profile comparable to fish meal and low environmental impact, insects offer an efficient and economical solution for feed production. The European Union's approval of mealworms for both animal feed and human consumption highlights their potential to support food security and environmental sustainability amidst rising global protein demands.
Recently, antimicrobial resistance has become a major public health concern as it threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by pathogens particularly bacteria. Phage therapy, the use of bacteriophages to target and destroy specific bacterial pathogens, has emerged as a promising alternative to antibiotics in aquaculture especially for combating antibiotic-resistant strains. This approach offers a targeted approach by employing naturally occurring bacteriophages that specifically infect and lyse bacterial pathogens without disrupting beneficial microflora. Recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of phage therapy in reducing bacterial infections such as Vibrio and Aeromonas in various aquaculture environments. This abstract highlights the advantages of phage therapy in addressing antibiotic resistance in aquaculture, outlines the steps for its implementation and discusses the associated challenges.
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies has revolutionized biodiversity assessment practices in recent years. This comprehensive review explores the various applications of AI and IoT in biodiversity assessment, highlighting their contributions to data collection, analysis, and conservation efforts. The synergy between AI algorithms and IoT sensors enables real-time monitoring of species diversity, habitat health, and environmental changes, thereby enhancing our understanding of ecosystem dynamics and supporting effective conservation strategies. Key methodologies discussed include automated species identification, species distribution modeling, wildlife monitoring and tracking, ecological forecasting, environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, and data integration and visualization. The review also addresses challenges such as data quality and standardization, ethical and privacy concerns, and the need for capacity building. Future directions emphasize advancements in sensor technology, AI algorithms, IoT networks, data integration, and public participation. This manuscript underscores the transformative potential of AI and IoT in advancing biodiversity science, promoting sustainable resource management, and safeguarding biodiversity for future generations.
A brief description of the bio-economic evaluation of the shrimp and sardine fisheries of the Gulf of California is made. These fisheries resources are the most important that are exploited in Mexico. It is considered that the evaluation of fisheries with a quantitative approach is the only option to make precise and informed recommendations for the management and conservation of fishing resources, taking sardine and shrimp fisheries as examples. The Fishing mortality and the age of the first catch are the variables used as a core for simulating the management options, then, yields and profits are the expected outputs of the models to be chosen as management options.
The success of the aquaculture sector relies on a consistent supply of healthy fish seeds. Rotifer has been identified as superior live food to artificial feed for nurturing fish larvae, the culture development of which largely depends on green microalgae. This study aimed to investigate the suitability of Chlorococcum sp. for enhancing the production of Brachionus calyciflorus. Two experiments were conducted to assess the effects of different food types and concentrations of Chlorococcum sp. on the growth of B. calyciflorus. In the first experiment, three food types were tested: live Chlorococcum sp. (1 x 105 cells/mL; T1), baker’s yeast (0.2 gm/L; T2), and a combination of live Chlorococcum sp. and baker’s yeast (0.5 x 105 cells/mL + 0.1 gm/L; T3). The highest population density and growth rate (r) of rotifers were observed in the T1 diet. In the second experiment, three concentrations of Chlorococcum sp. were tested: 0.5 x 106 cells/mL (T1), 1 x 106 cells/mL (T2), and 3 x 106 cells/mL (T3). Both the population density and growth rate of B. calyciflorus were found highest in the T3 diet. In conclusion, Chlorococcum sp. at a concentration of 3 x 106 cells/mL is suggested as the best food for the successful mass culture of the rotifer B. calyciflorus.
Bangladesh ranks as the third largest country in terms of inland freshwater resources. This study seeks to explore the current development of the inland cultured fish market value chain and the criteria for its expansion. A field survey was conducted across inland fishery farms in eight districts, representing all eight divisions of Bangladesh. From each district, four farms were selected, including small, medium, and large operations. Regression analyses were performed on various covariates in relation to total sells, with and without resampling. Key factors identified as significant include total production, farmer's age, farm size, electricity costs, minnow expenses, culture duration, loan transactions, and specific regional divisions. The findings suggest that as farmer’s age, expand their farm areas, and extend the culture period, total sells are likely to increase. According to the survey data, retailers enjoy the highest profit margin at 29%, while farm owners or farmers hold the second highest margin at 26% for inland carp fish.
hallow and deep-water oceanographic influences over shelf-edge environments affect the development of benthic habitats. We investigated the influence of an offshore vortex on a narrow (6 km wide) and shallow (25-80 m water depth) outer shelf with warm waters (27-30°C) through 84 sediment samples, CTD profiles, and underwater photographs. We analysed benthic foraminiferal content, organic matter, and carbonates in the inter-reef sediments of the newly discovered Açu reef in north-eastern Brazil between 25 m and the shelf edge closer to a recently described vortex. Benthic living Buccella peruviana, Peneroplis carinatus, P. pertussis, and the planktonic Globigerina rubra is directly associated with organically enriched sediments, and carbonate production where offshore vortices are likely to occur. The sedimentation pattern is evidenced by the deposition in one side and erosion in the other side on its forecasted pathway. Therefore, local vortices in thermocline associated with upwelling of cold waters in canyon heads on the Brazilian Equatorial shelf might be responsible for maintaining remains of living coral-algal systems on mesophotic outer shelves such as the Açu reef. Here we show that foraminifer-derived signatures at the sediment-water interface could serve as a potential tool to reconstruct paleo environmental and climate changes of habitats close to very dynamic water masses pathways.
