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Aquaponics, an integrated system with both hydroponic plant production and aquaculture fish production, is an expanding alternative agriculture system. Many key questions about the overall feasibility of aquaponic systems remain unanswered. Of particular concern for start-up and established producers alike are consumer perceptions and willingness to pay for aquaponic produce and fish. This study reports results and analysis of a consumer survey about perceptions and preferences for aquaponic-grown products that was conducted in Melbourne Metropolitan Area (MMA), Australia. The results represent a first step toward building knowledge about the potential consumer base for aquaponics, which is a critical piece in the system’s potential overall profitability. It appears that consumer education and marketing will be key for the expansion of the market.

A winter bloom event of Trichodesmium erythraeum was monitored for the first time in the southeastern coastal parts of Bangladesh along the Bay of Bengal. This study presents the brownish to light pinkish bloom that appeared in mid-winter and disappeared abruptly during spring. Heavy blooms of T. erythraeum revealed the highest concentration of 91.47 ± 52.94 × 103 colonies/L in the Bakkhali River Estuary, and 66.93 ± 12.95 × 103 colonies/L in the Maheshkhali Channel of the Bay of Bengal. Three distinct morphological shapes, namely puffs, tufts and asymmetrical colonies, were depicted as major types. Several environmental factors, such as water temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, NO3–N and PO4–P, were analyzed to determine their relationship with the occurrence, abundance and bloom formation of T. erythraeum. The abundance of the species showed a positive correlation with salinity and pH while exhibiting a negative correlation with temperature and DO. A cluster analysis revealed a clear indication of T. erythraeum bloom during winter. Thus, the prevalence of the highest density of the bloom in the present study area strongly suggests increased monitoring and research efforts in order to effectively manage or impede harmful algal blooms.

Marine aquaculture is growing at a significant rate with an increasingly diverse range of fish being cultured In order to maintain and enhance the growth and prosperity of the industry additional feed sources are required for different fish species Caprellid amphipods have been identified as a possible candidate for exploitation as an aquaculture live feed Caprella penantisis a globally distributed caprellid species found in the littoral zones of many coastal habitats throughout the world Like several other species it has been acknowledged as one of the most suitable species for culture due to its diverse range and wide environmental tolerances This paper examined the survivability of C Penantis when reared on different substrate types in closed systems Laboratory experiments used L carboys as culture vessels with each being equipped with a particular culture substrate The substrates that were tested in this experiment included natural substrates artificial substrates and no substrate and consisted of Sargassum spp seaweed and rope respectively In addition feeding habits uptake and population growth performance on each of the different substrate types were observed monitored and assessed over a sixteen week trial period The use of artificial substrate produced the highest survivability and population growth in addition to the highest feed uptake Average survival for populations of the control natural and artificial substrate groups were and respectively suggesting that artificial substrate is the most suitable culture medium for this particular caprellid The study found the culture of caprellids to be of relatively high labour intensity particularly when compared with currently used live feeds they are perhaps therefore best suited for use in small scale mariculture systems that have been established for the production of high value species

Traditional agricultural methods and practices have rendered over 100 million hectares of land throughout the world, and over 5.7 million hectares in Australia, unsuitable for most forms of agriculture due to elevated salinity levels. Inland saline aquaculture is an adaptive approach to this environmental problem, and represents a potentially lucrative use for salt-affected land, with many economic, social and environmental benefits possible. Perhaps surprisingly, to date there has been relatively very little research conducted into the suitability (or otherwise) of inland saline aquaculture for the production of various species of microalgae and live feeds, which represent a crucial segment of the aquaculture industry. The key aim of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that all saline waters (natural sea water, artificial sea water and inland ground saline water) would produce uniform growth amongst the live feeds tested. This study expanded on the live feed species being tested to include Artemia (Artemia salina) rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) and copepods (Cyclop ssp). While there were significant differences in the performance of all the tested live feed species, Nannochloropsis oculataand Brachionus plicatilisshowed better growth rates than those observed for natural seawater. It is hoped that these results can be used proactively by farmers seeking to diversify their crops to include the aquaculture of finfish in salt-affected areas of Australia and elsewhere.

Purpose: The central aim of this study was to determine the perception of aquaculture educational provisions in the state of Victoria, and whether they are sufficient to ultimately support further growth of the industry. Design/methodology/approach: Questionnaires were formulated and distributed to participants in a variety of ways, including via mail and in person. Responses were recorded and all results analysed. Participants in this study included farm and enterprise owners and managers, as well as students and careers teachers. A wide demographic was covered, and ages of participants ranged from 17 years to over 50 years of age. Findings: Many farm owners held a relatively negative view of academia, and were quite critical of graduates and seemingly unaware of the potential benefits of educated and trained employees. The survey data also revealed substantial inadequacies in public aquaculture knowledge, a critical factor in the further development of the industry. Practical implications: It i...

The use of macroinvertebrates in the assessment of wetland ecosystem integrity is an increasingly common tool used for management and conservation. The sensitivity of macroinvertebrates to ecological fluctuation makes them reliable and appealing indicators of ecosystem integrity. However, there is little or no published data available for assessment of wetland ecosystem integrity on the basis of macroinvertebrate species diversity in constructed wetlands of metropolitan Melbourne. The aim of the following study was to assess significant differences in macroinvertebrate diversity in three constructed wetlands in South East metropolitan Melbourne and consequently, suitability as a universal measure of wetland ecosystem integrity. Three wetlands were chosen randomly, with the requirement that they were entirely man-made, from a list of constructed wetlands in South East metropolitan Melbourne. Between 481 and 629 organisms were found in each wetland comprising 16 different taxa. The one-way ANOVA for species richness (P > 0.05, F = 0.19) and Shannon-Weiner diversity index (P > 0.05, F = 2.54) indicate no significant differences between the wetlands in both of these measures. The data collected in the present study compared with published species richness and Shannon-Weiner diversity index data suggests macroinvertebrate species diversity can be used as a universal measure of wetland ecosystem integrity in constructed wetlands in South East metropolitan Melbourne. This is important where there is need for a rapid and streamlined tool for assessment of ecosystem integrity and consequently, the management and conservation of constructed wetlands.

Australia enjoys large inland areas rich in saline waters with potentials to marine aquaculture. In this study, these potentials were examined. Initially 9 different species of marine micro algae from three different divisions, namely Chlorophyta, Bascillariophyta and Chrysophyta, were cultivated using batch culture techniques to examine their growth performance in inland saline ground water (ISGW) with f/2 algae culture media. Dunaliealla tertiolecta was found to have highly significant growth performance while Nitzschia closterium showed significantly negative growth. In general, the average cell densities of all species of Chlorophyta were found to be higher compared to all species of Chrysophyta and Bascillariophyta. Significant differences of lipid were found to be in the Chlorophyta group compare to other two groups. The study successfully demonstrated that the marine microalgal group of Chlorophytes can be successfully grown in ISGW. However microalgae cultivation in ISGW still has enormous potential despite the negative growth of two diatom species and comparatively slow growth of Chrysophytes algae in this study. More controlled research on different groups of microalgae would be a good investment and a synergistic approach is recommended, including water chemistry, hydro-geology, soilwater interactions of and nutritional profiles of microalgae in ISGW.