Partitioned Aquaculture Systems

Publisher Summary Low capital cost and the relative reliability offish production are the major advantages offish culture in earthen ponds. Disadvantages of pond production are the need for continuous management of dissolved oxygen concentrations, as well as other fluctuating water quality variables. Labor requirements (especially for harvesting) and problems with off-flavors, predators, and diseases represent additional management difficulties. These issues, combined with land, water, and environmental resource constraints, have stimulated a search for technological improvements in aquaculture practices. Shifting production to more energy-intensive systems is one solution, either through application of increased aeration (2 to 38 kW/ha; 1 to 20 hp/acre) in ponds, or by abandoning the land-intensive pond altogether and shifting production to higher density recirculating tank or raceway systems. Researchers and producers have made significant efforts to address the need for intensification of pond aquaculture while minimizing environmental impacts. Pond aquaculture productivity is limited first by oxygenation of the water column and second by accumulation of ammonia to levels toxic to the cultured organisms.