Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture in a zero-exchange recirculation aquaculture system for marine fish and hydroponic halophyte production

• Published in: Aquaculture international Vol. 23; no. 6; pp. 1473 - 1489
• Main Authors: Waller, Uwe, Buhmann, Anne K, Ernst, Anneliese, Hanke, Verena, Kulakowski, Andreas, Wecker, Bert, Orellana, Jaime, Papenbrock, Jutta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.12.2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquaculture; biomass production; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Coronopus; Dicentrarchus labrax; Energy consumption; fish feeds; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; halophytes; hydroponics; Life Sciences; Marine; marine fish; Nitrogen; Nutrients; Phosphorus; Plantago coronopus; production technology; recirculating aquaculture systems; recycling; Salicornia; salinity; salt tolerance; solar radiation; sustainable technology; Water quality; water treatment; Zoology; Germany; Recirculation aquaculture system; Zero-exchange RAS; Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture IMTA; Halophytes; Hydroponic
• ISSN: 0967-6120; 1573-143X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10499-015-9898-3

The aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility of nutrient recycling from a marine recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) for fish (European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax L.) through three salt-tolerant, halophyte plant species, Tripolium pannonicum (Jacq.) Dobrocz., Plantago coronopus L., and Salicornia dolichostachya (Moss.). Halophytes, illuminated by sunlight and supplemented with artificial light, were maintained in hydroponic cultures integrated in a RAS water treatment system operating at 16 psu salinity. During a 35-day experiment, 248 fishes gained 5.6 kg of weight. Total plant biomass production reached 23 kg in 14 m² hydroponic culture area. Gain of shoot biomass was 27, 18, and 60 g m⁻² day⁻¹ for T. pannonicum, P. coronopus, and S. dolichostachya, respectively. The plants retained 7 g phosphorus and 46 g nitrogen under the experimental conditions. This was equivalent to 9 % of the N and 10 % of the P introduced with the fish feed. The edible part of the harvested plant material was microbially safe and approved for human consumption. The coupling of production in a RAS–IMTA was tested as a feasible cascading production technology for sustainable aquaculture.