Claude E. Boyd

Pond aquaculture water quality management

Preface. Selected Atomic Weights. Customary Metric Conversion Factors. 1. Water Quality and Aquaculture: Preliminary Considerations. 2. Ecology of Aquaculture Ponds. 3. Water Quality Requirements. 4. Water Use. 5. Liming. 6. Fertilization. 7. Aeration. 8. Water Circulation. 9. Turbidity and Appearance of Water. 10. Aquatic Weed Control. 11. Off-Flavors and Harmful Algae. 12. Pollution. 13. Chemical, Physical, and Biological Treatments. 14. Waste Management. 15. Measurement of Water Quality. 16. Sustainability and Environmental Issues. References. Index.

Bottom soils, sediment, and pond aquaculture

Preface. Symbols. Abbreviations. Atomic weights. Soils in pond aquaculture. Physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties of soils. Soil nutrients. Exchange of dissolved substances between soil and water. Soil organic matter, anaerobic respiration and oxidation-reduction. Sediment. Relationships to aquatic animal production. Pond bottom management. Pond bottom soil analyses.

Guidelines for aquaculture effluent management at the farm-level

Abstract Pressure from environmental groups will force most governments to impose effluent regulations on aquaculture. Shrimp and fish producers are concerned that these regulations will be unnecessarily restrictive and expensive. Most pond aquaculture cannot be conducted without discharge. Fish and shrimp farms tend to be concentrated in specific regions, but typically they are sprawling operations where large volumes of relatively dilute effluents are released at many points. Effluents from pond aquaculture resemble non-point sources of pollution more than point sources. Thus, application of traditional effluent treatment methods to meet effluent standards, as done for point source pollution, will be difficult or impossible. Many involved in aquaculture believe that application of best management practices (BMPs) could be a reasonable and affordable way to improve the quality and reduce the volume of pond effluents. During recent years, several organizations have suggested systems of BMPs for making pond aquaculture more environmentally responsible. These include international development organizations (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and International Finance Corporation), industry groups (Global Aquaculture Alliance, Australian Prawn Producers Association, Marine Shrimp Culture Industry of Thailand, and Alabama Catfish Producers), a research center (Coastal Resources Center, University of Rhode Island), and state agencies in the USA (Missouri Department of Natural Resources and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services). The contents of BMP documents presented by the different groups are remarkably similar. Although the BMP approach is largely a “paper list” at present, the topic is being discussed widely, and producers are becoming more aware of environmental issues. There is an obvious attempt by producers in Latin America, Asia, Australia, and the United States to improve production practices, and some producers are voluntarily adopting BMPs. Many shrimp producers in several nations have installed settling basins, and a few large shrimp farms monitor effluent quality. The Aquaculture Certification Council (ACC) plans to implement a certification program based primarily on compliance with BMPs during 2003. There also is considerable discussion among producers and governmental agencies in several nations regarding BMPs, and it is expected that regulatory programs based on BMPs will be forthcoming.

Vascular aquatic plants for mineral nutrient removal from polluted waters

Aquatic plants have potential as feedstuffs in certain nations, but the economics of harvesting and processing would prohibit their direct utilization as a forage in technologically advanced nations. However, nutrient pollution is accelerating rates of eutrophication of natural waters in many areas. Aquatic plants produce large standing crops and accumulate large amounts of nutrients. Systems based on the harvest of aquatic plants have potential application in removing nutrients from effluents and natural waters.

Chemical Budgets for Channel Catfish Ponds

Abstract Budgets for water, nitrogen, phosphorus, chemical oxygen demand (organic matter), and dissolved oxygen (DO) were estimated over a growing season (March-October) for three Alabama ponds used for culture of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. In addition to rainfall and runoff, 190 cm of water were applied from a pipe line to offset seepage and evaporation. Production of each kilogram of live fish required 1.32 kg of feed and released to the water in metabolic wastes 51.1 g nitrogen, 7.2 g phosphorus, and 1.1 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD). Metabolic wastes resulting from production of 1 kg of fish led to the synthesis of an additional 2.59 kg of COD in photosynthesis. Thus, 1 kg of live fish resulted in 3.69 kg COD. Fish harvest accounted for only 26.8% of nitrogen, 30.1% of phosphorus, and 25.5% of organic matter (COD) applied in feed. The remainder of the nitrogen and organic matter was apparently lost from ponds for no accumulation of these substances was detected in muds. Denitrification and...

Dynamics of Pond Aquaculture

Introduction, H.S. Egna, C.E. Boyd, and D.A. Burke History of the Pond Dynamics/Aquaculture Collaborative Research Program, H.S. Egna Water Quality in Ponds, J.S. Diana, J.P. Szyper, T.R. Batterson, C.E. Boyd, and R.H. Piedrahita Fertilization Regimes, C.K. Lin, D.R. Teichert-Coddington, B.W. Green, and K.L. Veverica Climate, Site, and Pond Design, A.M. Kelly and C.C. Kohler Pond Bottom Soils, C.E. Boyd and J.R. Bowman Environmental Considerations, W.K. Seim, C.E. Boyd, and J.S. Diana Attributes of Tropical Pond-Cultured Fish, D.R. Teichert-Coddington, T.J. Popma, and L.L. Lovshin Factors Affecting Fish Growth and Production, R. Soderberg Fry and Fingerling Production, B.W. Green, K.L. Veverica, and M.S. Fitzpatrick Feeding Strategies, J.S. Diana Diseases of Tilapia, K. Tonguthai and S. Chinabut Computer Applications in Pond Aquaculture-Modeling and Decision Support Systems, R.H. Piedrahita, S.S. Nath, J. Bolte, S.D. Culberson, P. Giovannini, and D.H. Ernst Experimental Design and Analysis in Aquaculture, C.F. Knud-Hansen Economic Considerations, C.R. Engle, R. Balakrishnan, T.R. Hanson, and J.J. Molnar Developing and Extending Aquaculture Technology for Producers, K.L. Veverica and J.J. Molnar Index

Fresh-water plants: a potential source of protein

Exploitation of aquatic flora as a source of edible protein has received little attention. Large stands of vascular plants and nonplanktonic algae are produced in many natural and impounded waters and frequently interfere with beneficial uses of water to such an extent that various control measures are necessary. In view of the problems associated with the control of water weeds and the worldwide need for additional sources of food, research to evaluate the nutritional value of aquatic plants is of iml)ortance. As a result of studies on the mineral metabolism of lakes, a considerable amount of information was obtained on the mineral content of aquatic plants. Data on mineral composition have been reviewed (3). Workers in the United States reported that aquatic plants contain large amounts of crude protein and have lower fiber levels than forage plants (2, 12, 19). Some submersed water weeds have a high xanthophyll content and impart excellent yolk coloration when fed to poultry (8). However, practical applications have not resulted. In Europe and Asia, limited use of water weeds as fodder was reported (10, 16, 21), but no information on nutritive value was obtained. Available data indicate that aquatic plants may have value as a food and additional research has merit. The pre~nt study was the preliminary phase of a program to determine the food value of aquatic plants. Data were obtained on the chemical composition of dried plants to evaluate their potential as roughages. Extractability of leaf protein was determined for several species. Leaf protein can be used in human or non-ruminant animal diets (22). Plants employed were selected according to their availability in the Auburn, Alabama,

Seaweed biofilters as regulators of water quality in integrated fish-seaweed culture units

Abstract The water-quality characteristics of a new system for the integrated culture of fish ( Sparus aurata L.) and seaweed ( Ulva lactuca L.) were examined. Seawater was recirculated between intensive fishponds and seaweed ponds. The seaweed removed most of the ammonia excreted by the fish and oxygenated the water. A model consisting of several tanks and a pilot consisting of two 100-m 3 , 100-m 2 ponds were studied. In both, the metabolically dependent water-quality parameters (dissolved oxygen, NH 4 + -N, oxidized-N, pH and phosphate) remained stable and within safe limits for the fish during over 2 years of operation. The design allowed significant increases in overall water residence time (4.9 days), compared with conventional intensive ponds, and produced a high yield of seaweed in addition to the fish. The design provides a practical solution to major management and environmental problems of land-based mariculture.

Nitrogen transformations and balance in channel catfish ponds.

A nitrogen (N) budget was developed for four, 400-m 2 ponds stocked with 550 channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) fingerlings that were fed to satiation daily for 133 days with a ration containing 4.85% N. Feed accounted for 87.9% of the N input to ponds. Abundant N from ammonia (NH3), ammonium (NH4 ), and nitrate (NO3 ) and the high total N: total phosphorus ratio in pond waters prevented appreciable biological N2 fixation. There were four main N losses: fish harvest (31.5%); denitrification (17.4%); NH3 volatilization (12.5%); accumulation in bottom soils (22.6%). Nitrification averaged 70 mg N m 2 d 1 , denitrification averaged 38 mg N m 2 d 1 , and phytoplankton removed NO3 Na t 24 mg Nm 2 d 1 . Mineralization of feed N to NH3 averaged 59 mg N m 2 d 1 . As feed is the largest N input in catfish ponds, improved feeds and feeding practices can increase the proportion of N recovered in fish and reduce the amount of NH3 excreted by fish. Efficient aeration and water circulation also should enhance nitrification and oxidation of organic N.

Indicators of Resource Use Efficiency and Environmental Performance in Fish and Crustacean Aquaculture

The aquaculture industry is under increasing pressure to make production more resource efficient and environmentally responsible. Application of better management practices is the main approach for improving the environmental performance of aquaculture. There are, however, few numerical indicators for comparing resource use and waste generation for culture of common species and by different grow-out techniques. Indicators are proposed for evaluating the efficiency with which feed, protein, fish meal, nutrients, liming materials, water, land, and energy are used in aquaculture. In addition, methods for evaluating amounts of nutrients and other possible pollutants generated by production facilities are suggested. The indicators are designed to reveal the quantities of resources used, or of waste discharged, per tonne of production. This will simplify comparisons among species and production systems and facilitate comparisons with other kinds of animal agriculture.