Total egg harvest by the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa (Dana) in intensive culture – effects of high stocking densities on daily egg harvest and egg quality

Understanding the factors limiting copepod productivity in dense cultures is a prerequisite for the partial or entire replacement of Artemia and rotifers as live feed for finfish larvae. In dense cultures, high encounter rates between individuals may increase stress, cannibalism incidents and potentially trigger resting egg production. We conducted an experiment to evaluate the potential egg production and egg quality of Acartia tonsa stocked at densities ranging from 10 to >5000 ind. L^?1. Egg Production (EP), Delayed Hatching Eggs production (DHE), hatching success (HS), egg mortality and water quality were used as end points. In the present system, A. tonsa was raised at >5000 ind. L^?1 without affecting the mortality, confirming that attaining this high density in culture is possible. However, egg harvest reached an optimum of 12 000 egg L^?1 day^?1 at ~2500 ind. L^?1 indicating that increasing stocking density above this level is not of practical interest. Calculations showed that the loss in egg harvest at stocking densities <2500 ind. L^?1 is of 1.3% for every additional 100 adult copepods L^?1. The increasing adult density did not affected the proportion of DHE produced (~10% of harvest) but decreased significantly the HS, though not to a point that would be problematic in a commercial production. Understanding the biology of copepods when stocked at high density is important to improve copepod culture systems and increase egg harvest yields. Technical solutions such as the continuous separation of eggs from adults in the water column, recirculation and the continuous provision of food are seen as potential solutions.     

Effects of adult stocking density on egg production and viability in cultures of the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa (Dana)

The effect of stocking density of the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa was evaluated in a 96 h rearing experiment. Possible density‐dependent egg production and egg viability were analysed at stocking densities of 100, 200, 300, 400 and 600 adults L⁻¹. Temperature, oxygen saturation and algal concentration were kept optimal. A non‐density‐dependent mortality rate of 15–19% day⁻¹ was documented. A non‐significant density‐dependent egg production was observed between 100 and 600 adults L⁻¹. The average egg production was 22.5±8.8 egg female⁻¹ day⁻¹ in all densities. The average egg hatching success was 84.7±4.8% and was never observed below 76.1%, with no significant differences across the stocking densities. Conclusively, as a practical recommendation for the aquaculture industry, copepod cultures with densities ranging from 100 to 600 adults L⁻¹ and presumably even more dense cultures are possible with the studied species obtaining a steady egg production and still high egg viability.     

Are egg production and respiration of the marine pelagic copepod Acartia steueri influenced by crowding?

The understanding of the biological responses of copepods under crowding conditions contributes to establish their stable cultures at high densities for aquaculture industry, which are preferred live feeds for fish larvae. The present study investigated survivorship, fecundity, hatching success and respiration rate, of Acartia steueri raised under five densities, from 100 to 2,000 ind. L^?1, to clarify the biological responses of the copepod under dense culture. There were no significant differences in survival, fecundity and hatching success among all density conditions, whereas the respiration rate at 2,000 ind. L^?1 decreased by 80% as compared with a condition at 100 ind. L^?1. The female copepods raised under a copepod density of >500 ind. L^?1 probably invested a larger proportion of energy in reproduction in relation to total assimilated energy as compared with females under lower copepod densities. This change of energy allocation may allow A. steueri under high densities to maintain high fecundity. Acartia steueri might be a promising species for dense culture because its mortality and fecundity were independent of the effect of crowding, and the density‐dependent reduction in the metabolic rate might increase reproductive investment to maintain a constant rate of reproduction even under high densities.     

A first step towards improving copepod cultivation using modelling: the effects of density,crowding, cannibalism,tank design and strain selection on copepod egg production yields

Copepods are the optimal live feed for hatcheries and improvement of cultivation techniques, to provide a constant food source, is crucial for the expansion of the industry. However, studies based on experimental work and real observations can be labour intensive and expensive. A simple model was developed based on the well‐known life history traits of Acartia tonsa to describe batch cultures and their productivity. Model results were compared to observations from real cultures. For maximizing egg production yields, the optimal stocking density of copepods should be adapted to the design (depth) of the culture tanks. At high densities, stress due to encountering conspecifics, as well as cannibalism of eggs by adults, limits egg production yields. Using this model, the potential selection efficacy of copepod strains was also evaluated in order to increase production yields. Selecting larger copepods increases the egg production per litre of culture, but decreases the optimal stocking density and the range of densities at which egg production yield is high, and vice‐versa. Selecting copepods that are less affected by stress due to conspecifics only affect production yields at very high adult densities. However, selecting copepods with a high Specific Growth Rate (SGR), or improving their SGR, was found to be an alternative which did not affect the optimal cultivation densities but improved egg production yields.     

Feeding,egg production and laboratory culture of Schmackeria poplesia Shen (Copepoda: Calanoida)

Copepods are candidates with great potential as live prey for rearing fish larvae and juveniles in aquaculture; however, the techniques for a large‐scale culture of copepods are yet to be developed. In this study, we examined the effects of water temperature, salinity, prey concentration and algal species on the grazing and egg production rates of a calanoid copepod Schmackeria poplesia (Copepoda: Calanoida). The results showed that the grazing rate of S. poplesia was the highest when the copepods were cultured in seawater with temperature of 25 °C, salinity of 20 g L^?1, prey concentration at 10⁵ cells mL^?1 and supplied with Platymonas helgolandica as the prey. The egg production rates, however, was the highest when copepods were fed with a mixed prey of Isochrysis galbana and Phaeodactylum tricornutum (cell ratio 1:1, prey concentration 10⁵ cells mL^?1) at 25 °C, 20 g L^?1 of salinity. A 100 L cultural system was established to culture S. poplesia under the condition optimized for egg production. The total number of copepods increased 40–43‐fold with the production rates of 87–290 copepods L^?1 day^?1 in 14 days. This research was the first attempt for a large‐scale culture of S. poplesia and the technique established can be further applied in aquaculture.     

How to increase productivity of the copepod Acartia tonsa (Dana): effects of population density and food concentration

In this study, we analysed the effect of population density and food concentration on the fecundity of a Mediterranean strain of Acartia tonsa to maximize egg production. During 4‐day feeding experiments, egg hatching success and faecal pellet production were also followed. The algae Rhinomonas reticulata was supplied at different concentrations corresponding to 250, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000 and 3000 μg C L^?1 day^?1 at the following adult copepod density: 40, 80 and 160 ind. L^?1. Our results show a positive relationship between algal concentration and egg production under all experimental conditions confirming that the quantity of food strongly limits A. tonsa fecundity. Maximum egg production (57 eggs per female) was reached at the lowest density and at the maximum food concentration. Percentage of egg hatching success was not dependent on the quantity of food used. At the same food concentration, an increase in population density from 40 to 80 ind. L^?1 induced an increase in faecal pellet production per couple which did not correspond to an increase in egg production, suggesting that higher energetic costs were shifted to swimming activity. Productivity of the A. tonsa Mediterranean strain is mainly limited by the quantity of food rather than by crowding conditions.     

Effects of salinity,stocking density,and algal density on growth and survival of Iwagaki oyster <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crassostrea nippona</Emphasis> larvae

To determine the optimal salinity, stocking density, and algal density for hatchery culture of the Iwagaki oyster Crassostrea nippona larvae, three experiments with salinities of 14, 18, 22, 26, 30, and 34 practical salinity unit (PSU); stocking densities of 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 larvae ml^?1; and algal densities of 10, 20, 40, and 100?×?10³ cells ml^?1 were designed, which included the developmental stages from newly hatched D-larvae to pediveligers. Results showed that larval growth of C. nippona was the fastest at a salinity of 26 PSU, and when salinity was adjusted to a level that was lower or higher than this salinity, survival and growth rate of larvae declined (P <?0.05), resulting both in a decreased mean shell length and a high mortality. Larval growth decreased significantly with increasing stocking density. Larvae reared at 4 larvae ml^?1 had the smallest shell length (198.9 μm) and lowest survival rate (7.9%), whereas larvae reared at 0.5 larvae ml^?1 had the largest shell length (245 μm) and highest survival rate (66.3%) on day 13. And the shell length of larvae reared at 0.5 and 1 larvae ml^?1 was significantly (P?<?0.05) larger than the values in other treatments, except those reared at 2 larvae ml^?1 (P?>?0.05). When feeding the single-algal diet of Isochrysis galbana (clone T-ISO), the shell length of larvae increased markedly as the algal density was increased. Larvae reared at the highest algal density (100?×?10³ cells ml^?1) had the largest mean shell length; however, under the conditions of our experiment, there was no significant difference (P?>?0.05) in growth and survival rates between the treatments at algal densities of 40?×?10³ and 100?×?10³ cells ml^?1. For a large-scale culture, based on the results of this study, a salinity of 26 PSU, stocking density of 0.5–1 larvae ml^?1, and algal density of 40?×?10³ cells ml^?1 are recommended for an early development of C. nippona.     

Cannibalism among <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lithodes santolla</Emphasis> (Molina 1782) juveniles: effect of stocking density,stage and molt condition

Losses of king crabs (deaths) in massive rearing conditions are frequently attributed to cannibalism. As several factors could influence cannibalism intensity during culture, the aim of the present study was to determine the effect of molt condition, stage and density on cannibalism among Lithodes santolla juveniles. Comparisons between intermolt and molt conditions and between C1 and C2 stages during intermolt were performed at three densities (6, 12 and 18 individuals per flask; that is equivalent to 236, 472 and 708 individuals m^?2). After 16 days of juvenile coexistence, cannibalism (injured + dead) was higher during molting (33.9 ± 4.5 %) than intermolt (21.7 ± 3.9 %), even though only 36 % of crabs had molted. Although cannibalism was similar in C1 and C2 stages, the proportion of dead animals was higher by a factor of three in C1 stage, probably due to the fact that animals reach the first juvenile stage with low energetic reserves, after the lecithotrophic larval development. Density was the main factor influencing cannibalism in our experiments. Higher densities promoted higher deaths, while agonistic interactions evidenced by injured crabs remained constant. Walking appendages were lost more often than chelipeds during first agonistic encounters. We recommend the use of intermediate densities (450 crabs m^?2 at most), the early detection of exuviae and the sorting of crabs after molting, for L. santolla rearing.     

Toxicity of the aquaculture pesticide cypermethrin to planktonic marine copepods

The acute and sublethal toxicity of cypermethrin, the active ingredient in the sea lice treatment formulation Excis^®, to non‐target planktonic marine copepods was determined. The comparative sensitivities of three life stages (nauplii, copepodites, adults) of four common marine copepods (Acartia clausi, Pseudocalanus elongatus, Temora longicornis and Oithona similis) were assessed in 48‐h exposures, followed by a recovery period in toxicant‐free sea water. The cyclopoid copepod, O. similis, was most affected by cypermethrin, with EC₅₀ values ranging from 0.14 to 0.24 μg L^?1 for nauplii and adults respectively. With the exception of T. longicornis nauplii, the calanoid copepods (A. clausi, P. elongatus and T. longicornis) responded similarly to cypermethrin. Overall, 48‐h EC₅₀ values ranged from 0.12 μg L^?1 (T. longicornis nauplii) to >5 μg L^?1 (P. elongatus adults). For all species, nauplii and copepodite EC₅₀ values were lower than those of the adults. The primary toxic effect, immobilization, was generally irreversible. A sublethal test with adult A. clausi females, involving pulse exposures over 4 days measured a significant increase in egg production at the higher concentrations (1.58 and 5 μg L^?1). Concentrations causing acute toxicity to planktonic copepods were lower than the recommended sea lice treatment concentration of 5 μg L^?1 cypermethrin, indicating the potential for toxic effects in the field. However, acute toxicity values were higher than the Environmental Quality Standard of 0.016 μg L^?1 for dispersing treatment plumes, suggesting that cypermethrin released to the marine environment following sea lice treatments is unlikely to affect adversely planktonic copepods.     

Tolerance of un‐ionized ammonia in live feed cultures of the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa Dana

Optimal water quality is considered as being a restriction for marine copepod cultures for live feed. There is a lack of knowledge on the water‐quality conditions in copepod cultures and the effect on copepods. Few studies have investigated the effect of ammonia on copepods, and fewer reports No Observed Effect Concentrations (NOEC) and Lowest Observed Effect Concentrations (LOEC), which provides safety levels before cultures are affected. This study investigates the tolerance of Acartia tonsa nauplii and adults to ammonia, using mortality as the endpoint after 24, 48 and 72 h of exposure. Nauplii were exposed to levels from 0 to 5127 μg NH₃ L^?1 and adults to levels from 0 to 8481 μg NH₃ L^?1. Nauplii NOEC was 30 μg NH₃ L^?1 and LOEC was 81 μg NH₃ L^?1. Adult NOEC was 477 μg NH₃ L^?1 and LOEC was 1789 μg NH₃ L^?1. 50% Lethal Concentrations (LC₅₀) for nauplii of 48 and 72 h was 1257 and 220 μg NH₃ L^?1. LC₅₀ for adults was 2370 (24 h), 972 (48 h) and 770 (72 h). Combining NOEC with excretion rates of NH₄/NH₃ a model was developed to calculate densities in batch cultures. We recommend that for batch cultures of A. tonsa, NH₃ is kept below NOEC for nauplii and that levels of NH₃ together with pH are monitored weekly.     

Release size and stocking density for grow-out of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apostichopus japonicus</Emphasis> in the sea with raft-cultured macroalgae

Sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus, is the main cultured species in China. The main culture style for this species is the sea ranching model. Field trials were conducted in bottom-cages to preliminary reveal optimal releasing size, as well as maximum density of A. japonicus in an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture sea ranching area. Different sizes (4–30 g ind^?1) and densities (336–1342 g m^?2) of sea cucumbers were cultured for 13 months in Rongcheng Bay, Shandong Province, China. The size experiment showed that sea cucumber of all sizes grew throughout the experimental period. Sea cucumbers <15 g had high mortality in summer and low SGR in winter, while larger individual (>20 g ind^?1) had no advantage of growth. Sea cucumber sizes of 15–20 g may be suitable for release, considering their higher survival rate and SGR. The density experiment showed that the high biomass group had a low SGR and that the maximum release biomass was 793 g m^?2 based on a regression analysis. The optimal practical release season for sea cucumber was spring based on the results of two field experiments.     

Improved survival and growth performances with stocking density manipulation and shelter availability in bagrid catfish Mystus nemurus (Cuvier & Valenciennes 1840) larvae

Manipulation of stocking densities (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 larvae L^?1), each with or without the presence of shelter was conducted to determine the effects on survival, cannibalism and growth performances of larval bagrid catfish Mystus nemurus (Valenciennes 1840) from 2 to 14 days after hatching. This study revealed that stocking density significantly affected survival, cannibalism, total length, feed intake, specific growth rate and final weight of bagrid catfish larvae. Significantly higher survival was observed at moderate stocking density of more than 20 but less than 50 larvae L^?1. Survival was significantly low beyond this threshold and was the lowest at 10 larvae L^?1, coincides with the highest cannibalism. Total length, feed intake, specific growth rate and final weight were significantly higher at 10 larvae L^?1. Shelter significantly improved total length and feed intake. No significant effects of stocking density and shelter were observed on the apparent feed conversion ratio and coefficient of variation. There was also no significant interaction between stocking density and shelter in all parameters. This study suggests that bagrid catfish larvae could be cultured at more than 20 but less than 50 larvae L^?1 with the availability of shelter for optimal larviculture condition.     

Baseline culture parameters for the cyclopoid copepod Oithona colcarva: a potential new live feed for marine fish larviculture

Feeding copepods during early larval culture stages of marine fish has proven to be advantageous for growth and survival of marine finfish larvae. However, commercial availability of most copepods is limited; thus, there is an impetus to evaluate promising copepod species to meet the diverse dietary demands of various marine fish. The marine cyclopoid copepod, Oithona colcarva, was isolated out of zooplankton samples taken from waters within Tampa Bay, Florida. Once isolated, trials were conducted to determine the appropriate culture parameters for producing nauplii to feed marine fish larvae. The effects of temperature (22°C, 26°C and 30°C), salinity (15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 g L^?1), stocking density (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 individuals mL^?1) and diet (Nanno 3600 microalgae paste, Colurella adriatica, Rhodomonas lens, Tisochrysis lutea, Chaetoceros gracilis and/or Tetraselmis chuii) on nauplii production during a single life cycle of reproducing individuals were examined. Results of those trials indicated that a culture temperature of 30°C and a salinity of 30 g L^?1 were advantageous for maximum nauplii production. Furthermore, a diet containing a 1:1:1 mixture of T. lutea, C. gracilis and T. chuii and a stocking density of at least 8 individuals mL^?1 were identified as beneficial. The results of these trials, the potential for large‐scale culture and observations on the performance of marine fish larvae fed Oithona colcarva nauplii are discussed.     

Improving cold storage of subitaneous eggs of the copepod Acartia tonsa Dana from the Gulf of Mexico (Florida – USA)

Developing methods to store copepod eggs is necessary to increase the availability of copepods as a live food for the aquaculture industry and aquarium trade, and also to allow the exchange of copepods between researchers. The present study, evaluated the effect of glucose and two antibiotics (kanamycin sulphate and oxytetracycline HCl) on extending the shelf life of cold-stored subitaneous Acartia tonsa eggs. Also, egg development effects on the survival of the eggs were tested. Glucose did not have any significant effects on the survival of the eggs. However, the addition of antibiotics to the storage vials resulted in an increase of the survival of the eggs. In the best case, the shelf life of the eggs was almost doubled. After 7 days, the kanamycin+glucose treatment led to a hatching success of 86±1% of the hatchable eggs, while the untreated eggs presented a hatching success of 47±6%. However, long exposure to high concentrations of antibiotics was lethal to the copepod eggs. After more than 30 days of exposure to 100 mg L⁻¹ of oxytetracycline, the survival of the eggs was lower than in the untreated samples. After 45 days, oxytetracycline-treated eggs (100 mg L⁻¹) presented a hatching success of 4–5% while the non-stored eggs still had a hatching success of 9%, and the eggs treated with a lower concentration of antibiotics (10 mg L⁻¹) showed a hatching success up to 21–23%. The size of the nauplii in all trials tended to decrease as the period of cold storage at 1°C increased. We consider that the use of antibiotics at the right dosage to be a means to increase the storage capacity of the Gulf of Mexico strain of A. tonsa eggs, which do not show any capacity to be stored for long periods of time, compared with some other strains. In addition eggs that were between 5 and 7 h old survived longer when stored in the cold than eggs, which were freshly spawned or closer to hatching.     

Dealing with the presence of the ciliate Euplotes sp. in cultures of the copepod Acartia tonsa

Ciliates in live feed cultures can be a pest that lower production yields. This could dramatically affect the management and success of copepod cultures. In this study, we investigated the effect of the ciliate Euplotes sp. on egg production, specific egg production and egg hatching success of Acartia tonsa fed with Rhodomonas salina. We found that at a concentration of 2 cells ml^?1, Euplotes sp. had no effect on the production and hatching success of eggs but increased/decreased the mortality/quality of non-subitaneous eggs. Euplotes sp. had a good fatty acid profile containing high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, but the amount of fatty acids compared to their carbon weight was very low and, therefore, it was considered as a poor food source. We propose a short-term interruption of food supply to copepod cultures in order to mitigate bloom formation of ciliates. This will force copepods to feed on them actively as prey and therefore decrease their long-term negative effects.     

Use of flubendazole as a therapeutic agent against rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) in intensive cultures of the harpacticoid copepod Tisbe holothuriae

Copepods are well known to be the optimal live feed for most species of marine fish larvae. Still copepods are rarely used in marine hatcheries worldwide. Lack of efficient production techniques are among the reasons for this. Consequently, Artemia and rotifers are utilized in commercial settings. One problem in intensive production of copepods is contamination with rotifers. Rotifers have higher growth rates than copepods and consequently will compete out the copepods when accidentally introduced to the copepod production systems. Once contamination has occurred, the only cure has been to shut down production and subsequently use a therapeutic agent to eliminate all zooplankton in the system before restart with a stock culture free of rotifers. We tested flubendazole as a mean of controlling rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) in intensive laboratory cultures of the harpacticoid copepod (Tisbe holothuria). Flubendazole was lethal to rotifers in concentrations as low as 0.05 mg L^?1. There was no significant effect on the concentration of copepods, even at the highest concentration tested, i.e. 5.0 mg L^?1 flubendazole. We conclude that flubendazole is an effective drug for control of B. plicatilis in T. holothuriae batch cultures.     

Implications of larval diet concentration on post-larval yield in a production scale flow-through system for scallops (Pecten maximus Lamarck) in Norway

In order to optimize Pecten maximus larval performance and post-larval yield, larvae were fed five algal concentrations in the range 3–20 cells μL^?1 in 2,800-L flow-through tanks without prophylactic antibiotics. Competent larvae were transferred to a commercial hatchery for settlement and provided uniform conditions for 4 weeks to observe effects. Increased diet concentration increased the sum of fatty acids (FA) in the total larval population, reaching 7 and 25 ng FA larvae^?1 at 3 and 16 cells μL^?1, respectively. The FA level in competent larvae was not affected by diet concentration and ranged from 30 to 46 ng larvae^?1. Increased diet concentration increased larval growth rate, and the larvae were ready to settle 5 days earlier when fed 16 cells μL^?1 compared to 3 cells μL^?1. Larval ingestion rate increased during life span and with increased larval diet concentrations, but a considerable amount (40–60 %) of the added algal cells was lost from the larval rearing tanks due to the seawater flow. There was no effect on larval survival, final post-larval shell height, % of competent larvae transferred to settlement, or total yield of post-larvae. Final mean post-larval shell height was 509 μm and 25.5 % of competent larvae settled, resulting in a final post-larval yield between 6.9 and 17.6 % of the initial number of d3 larvae. Competent larvae with similar FA content produced similar numbers of post-larvae independent of diet concentration, even if higher diet concentrations resulted in higher rates of larval development and metamorphosis.     

Effects of food concentration and temperature on development,growth, reproduction and survival of the copepod Pseudodiaptomus euryhalinus

A series of experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of temperature and the microalgae Isochrysis sp. concentration on the copepod Pseudodiaptomus euryhalinus cultured in laboratory conditions. First, the ingestion rate of P. euryhalinus was evaluated with different concentrations of Isochrysis sp. [2.74, 5.47, 8.21, 10.94 and 16.41 µg mL^?1 organic dry weight (ODW)] during 24 h, at a temperature of 24.3 ± 0.3 °C. The ingestion rate increased in direct proportion to microalgae concentration, reaching an asymptotic point at 16.41 µg mL^?1. P. euryhalinus was then cultured for 11 days at 24.4 ± 0.3 °C with different concentrations of Isochrysis sp. (5.47, 8.21, 10.94 and 16.41 µg mL^?1 ODW) in order to quantify the optimal food density. It was observed that food concentration did not have a significant effect on the development, growth, maturity, fecundity and survival of P. euryhalinus. The effect of different temperatures (19.4 ± 0.5, 21.9 ± 1.0, 24.2 ± 0.3, 27.8 ± 0.5 and 30.1 ± 0.8 °C) on the development, growth, survival and sex ratio of P. euryhalinus fed with Isochrysis sp. at 5.47 µg mL^?1 ODW was evaluated for 11 days of culture. The temperature had an inversely proportional effect on the time of development, and highest survival and growth were observed at 24.2 ± 0.3 °C. Finally, the effects of different temperatures (21.7 ± 0.5, 24.2 ± 0.3, 27.2 ± 0.3 and 30.7 ± 0.6 °C) in nauplii production of adult copepods were evaluated during 11 days. Nauplii production increased in direct proportion with the temperature. These results suggest that the optimum temperature and food concentration for P. euryhalinus culture are 24.2 ± 0.3 °C and 5.47 µg mL^?1 ODW of Isochrysis sp., respectively.     

Optimization of blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) seed culture using recirculation aquaculture systems

By introducing recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS) in the nursery phase of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) (17–18 mm), we aimed at a similar growth and survival and a similar water quality compared to the commonly used flow‐through systems (FTS). To calculate water flow and size of the biofilter, a series of experiments were done to determine clearance rate (9.26 mL min^?1), pseudo faeces threshold (60 000 cells Pavlova lutheri mL^?1), nitrogen production (0.00065 mg TAN h^?1 ind^?1 and 1.6 × 10^?5 mg NO₂–N h^?1 ind^?1) and oxygen consumption (0.03 ± 0.01 mg O₂ h^?1 ind^?1). RAS showed no significant differences in water quality (0.06 mg TAN L^?1; 7.7 mg O₂ L^?1) and growth performance of mussel seed specific growth rate (SGR = 5% day^?1) after the experimental period of 4 weeks compared with FTS. The low water refreshment, 10% per day, as well as the constant chlorophyll concentrations (9.76 ± 1.06 μg L^?1), suggests the potential of RAS as culture system for mussel seed.     

Testing the yield of a pilot‐scale bubble column photobioreactor for cultivation of the microalga Rhodomonas salina as feed for intensive calanoid copepod cultures

A dual column photobioreactor (PBR) (2 × 47 L) with mixed CO₂/air bubbling was tested for cultivation of the microalga Rhodomonas salina as food for live feed copepods. In the continuous growth phase, the cell density was relatively stable at 2.40 ± 0.13 × 10⁶ cells/ml at an average dilution rate of 0.46 ± 0.02 per day throughout the 30‐day experiment. The produced algae had a high content of both total fatty acids (TFA) and free amino acids (FAA). Especially, the harvested algae contained a high proportion of poly‐unsaturated fatty acids that made up 80% of the TFA and of essential amino acids (35% of all FAA), implicating desirable components as feed for copepods. The current PBR was sufficient to feed a culture of the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa at a density of 2,500 adult/L in ca. 500 L culture with a daily yield of approximately 17 × 10⁶ eggs. To be able to sustain the integrated copepods production, the suggested volume of the algae cultures should be ca. 20% of the copepod culture volume.