NSF Award
9310758
9310758 Gladue Pollution, overfishing, health concerns and increased consumer demand have enhanced the importance of acquaculture as a source of edible seafood. However, increased production of cultured marine finfish will depend on improvements in larval culture, currently hampered by inadequate supplies of rotifers (B. plicatilis), which are used as larval fish food. And rotifers feed on microalgae, which can be difficult and expensive to produce. Heterotrophic (without light) production of algae should significantly reduce the cost and difficulty of rotifer production while significantly reducing water usage. This Phase II project will measure the growth and survival of larval red drum (Sciaenops ocellata) on rotifers that are fed heterotrophic vs. photosynthetic algae. The ability of the heterotrophic algae to be cultured at high biomass densities in laboratory- and production-scale fermentors will also be evaluated.
