Threats To U.S.

Aquaculture
Overview of Recirculating
“The biggest threat is importation…”
Aquaculture Systems in the (Jim Carlberg, Kent Seatech, IntraFish, May 10, 2006)

United States …. & the resulting decline in farm gate price

Steven Summerfelt Kent Seatech is no longer producing fish;

Conservation Fund Freshwater Institute they had produced ~1400 mt/yr hyb. striped bass
Shepherdstown, West Virginia
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OUTLINE
Introduction

Introduction to large commercial RAS
Examples of existing industry
We must overcome scale-up issues to
Rumored growth in large commercial RAS develop systems that improve
Some defunct facilities production per unit investment.
Gross similarities & differences large-scale culture tanks
fish handling techniques
Basics of design for 1000 MT/yr
low cost but appropriate buildings

Economies of Scale improved energy efficiency
Reducing capital & operating costs system integration & biosecurity

Large & deep circular tanks
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Large Operations Dominate

Large Production Systems are
Commercial Trout & Salmon Culture
More Cost Effective

Both culture
technologies face

Economies of Scale
tough environmental
challenges. Reduce fixed costs per MTON produced
6 m3/s flows to some farms Reduce variable costs per MTON produced
1,000-20,000 m3 per cage

There are few large
Economies of scale are also valid for
water resources controlled, intensive RASs.
available for
aquaculture Wade et al. (1996). In: Successes and Failures in
Commercial Recirculating Aquaculture.
development.
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 Holy Grail for Aquaculture in RAS
Large RAS Facilities Producing

Ideal – successful domestic commercial
industries will develop in following areas: 400-1800 MT Annually are the
Exception
Land-based salmon growout farm
Not the Standard
Tilapia farm competing with imported filets

Large zero-exchange shrimp production

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Examples of Existing RAS Industry

Examples of Existing RAS Industry
Tilapia
Blue Ridge Aquaculture

Tilapia (domestic)
Most large producers use some type of RAS
• Production total exceeds 9000 MT (20 million lb)/yr
~ $40 million annual US sales

• Bigger producers are 400-1800 MT/yr (1-4 million lb)

• Live fish market

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(photos courtesy of [Link]
Courtesy Jim Michaels 10
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Examples of Existing RAS Industry Examples of Existing RAS Industry

Sturgeon
Barramundi
Stolt/Sierra Aquafarm (CA) Australis Aquaculture, Turners Falls, MA

Courtesy Josh Goldman

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Examples of Existing RAS Industry
Rumored Growth in Large

Large RAS for Salmon Smolt Domestic Commercial RAS
E.g., Target Marine Hatcheries, Sechelt, BC

Tilapia (Intrafish)

Barramundi (Intrafish)

Sea Bream & Sea Bass (Intrafish)

Perch (Bell Aquaculture)

Cobia (VA Cobia Farm)

Moi (Troutlodge Marine Farms Kona)

Atlantic salmon (American Salmon Company)

Arctic char (Coldwater Fisheries)
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Large Commercial RAS now Defunct

Large Commercial RAS now Defunct

Hybrid Striped Bass

Simplot, Caldwell, ID
Kent SeaTech (CA)
 Intended to feed tilapia @ 4.5 MT/day (10,000 lb)
 95 circular tanks, each 13.7 m (45 ft) diameter
 Swirl settlers & hyacinth bed biofilters
 Shut down in 1990

Ismond (1996). Successes & Failures in Commercial RAS.

Courtesy Mike Massingill 15 16

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Large Commercial RAS now Defunct Large Commercial RAS now Defunct

Solar Aquafarms (1986-1994)
Solar Aquafarms (1986-1994)
Produced up to 2300 MT/yr (5E6 lb) tilapia  ODAS Systems
• 70-130 mg/L TSS optimum
• paddle wheel aerators
• Solids settling
Circular tanks • Now used for shrimp farming
96 ft Φ x 4 ft deep (820 m3)
D-ended raceways
60 ft x 480 ft (2080 m3)

Serfling (2000; 2006). Global Aquaculture Advocate.

(Courtesy Steve Serfling)
Serfling (2000; 2006). Global Aquaculture Advocate.
F
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(Courtesy Steve Serfling)

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 Large Commercial RAS
Now Re-Invented Experience

Continuity in both research & industry has

AquaFuture  Fins Technologies
benefited design & management of RAS
 Australis Aquaculture
analogous to that required for broodstock

Blue Ridge Fisheries  ? development programs.
 Blue Ridge Aquaculture

In these examples, continuity benefits RAS productions.

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Gross Similarities in RAS Technologies CO2 Stripping & Oxygenation

Most existing large commercial RAS use:
Large-scale units are widely applied.
Microscreen drum filters
Pure oxygen addition
• LHO
• Cone p per
stri
• U-tube
• Other O
CO2 stripping LH

Ozonation
Circular tanks (except tilapia)
(Nutreco’s Big Tree Creek Hatchery for salmon smolt)
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CO2 Stripping & Oxygenation CO2 Stripping & Oxygenation

Sidewall box airlift pumps.

Large-scale units are widely applied.
Decouples CO2 stripping from recycle flow to
biofilter and solids removal process
Simple system – reduces fixed & variable costs
Courtesy of HE Products

Extended aeration

oxygenators
foam outlet
skim
(Mote Marine RAS for sturgeon growout, mer
airlift
Courtesy Jim Michaels) 23
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 Sidewall Box Airlift Pumps Dynamic O2 Control System

O2 added to cone on a side-stream flow
returning to culture tank
Improve O2 transfer
Reduce O2 use
Increase feeding capacity

Courtesy Troutlodge Marine Farms Kona

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Parameter No Ozone Ozone

* TSS (mg/L) 10 ± 1 5±1
Ozonation of Recirculated Water * cBOD5 (mg/L) 5±1 2±0
* Color (Pt-
(Pt-Co units) 52 ± 3 2±1

Ozonation of RAS at relatively low, non-
* UV Transmittance 60 ± 2 81 ± 0
disinfecting dosages (%)
improves water quality Total Particle
* 2.0 x 104 4.8 x 103
improves rainbow trout growth Counts (0-
(0-200 µm)
Heterotrophic
reduces bacterial gill disease mortalities * 9.1 x 105 1.9 x 102
Bacteria (counts/mL)
* Oxygen (mg/L) 9.9 ± 0.0 9.8 ± 0.0

Ozone called ‘Vitamin O’ & the ‘Silver Bullet’
* CO2 (mg/L) 12 ± 0 12 ± 0
* RAS with ozone similar to high exchange
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Removal Efficiencies (%)

Gross Differences in RAS Technologies
Unit
Parameter
Process
No Ozone Ozone

Large-scale commercial facilities rely on
TAN Biofilter 51 ± 2 66 ± 3 many types of biofilters:
Stripping Trickling filters
* CO2 Column 40 ± 1 49 ± 5 RBC’s
Radial Polystyrene bead filters
* TSS
Settler
50 ± 10 72 ± 2 Moving bed biofilters
Drum Fluidized-sand biofilters
* TSS Filter 7±3 25 ± 1

Many biofilter types have been used
* RAS with ozone similar to high exchange successfully when properly applied
* RAS with ozone better than high exchange 29 30
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 Trickling Filters Rotating Biological Contactors
Most common in Netherlands where 100’s are in operation!
Most notable in large tilapia RAS’s at Blue

Fish Farm Yerseke
Speekenbrink eel farm Ridge Fisheries (courtesy Brian Brazil).

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Polystyrene Micro-Bead Biofilter Moving Bed Biofilter

flow distribution via orifice plates

Large-scale units are widely applied.

Southern Farm Tilapia (Mote Marine RAS for sturgeon growout,

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Courtesy Jim Michaels) 34
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Fluidized-Sand Biofilters

Example FSB in salmon smolt RASs at Biofilter Selection
Marine Harvests Big Tree Creek Hatchery
(BC)
Biofilter selection does not appear to
ultimately determine success of the
facility,
unless TAN & NO2-N limits are strict.
• then use fluidized biofilters with fine sand

Biofilter chosen for its familiarity and
local design experience….

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 Devil in Detail of Design

Successful RAS requires getting all Devil in Detail of Design
details right.

Beware short-cuts & design errors!

Avoid failure in every aspect:
business management
marketing
fish husbandry
biosecurity, and
culture system design

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Devil in Detail of Design Devil in Detail of Design

Design assumptions that contributed to RAS failure:
Design assumptions that contributed to RAS failure:
I can’t afford to pump that much water I can’t afford to vent CO2 from the room
• Mistake – insufficient flow will limit carrying capacity • Mistake – CO2 accumulation limits stripping efficiency
I can’t afford to use large pipes & CO2 levels in room exceed OSHA.
• Mistake – designed with high pipe velocities (5-10 ft/s), I can’t afford sidewall boxes & LHO sumps
this produced high
P & increased operating cost. • Mistake – pumps and LHO sumps in the fish tanks
I can’t afford microscreen filters (DISASTER).
• Mistake – settlers were used that resulted in biofloc I need to hold more groups of fish in separation
system with high DO demand & high CO2 levels. than I have fish tanks
I can’t afford to use a more conservative arial TAN • Mistake – hang a net pen in the circular culture tank &
removal rate (or I can’t afford excess biofilter cap) destroy rotation hydraulics, causing formation of
biofloc & high TSS, higher DO demand, and higher
• Mistake – biofilter produced high TAN & NO2 conc. CO2
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Devil in Detail of Design

Devil in Detail of Design
MOTE MARINE – Nursery & Growout Systems
 Outstanding attention to detail in channels & sumps!

I can’t afford to put up a building  Other systems….
Biosecurity is missing and disease runs
rampant

I can’t obtain certified pathogen free
eggs or fingerling
Biosecurity is missing & disease can create
huge losses
Use seedstock that have been tested and
certified free from specific listed salmonid
pathogens. (Courtesy Jim Michaels)
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 Devil in Detail of Design

USDA National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture
System – Atlantic salmon breeding facility
 Outstanding attention to detail in pipes & sumps!
 Other systems….

BEWARE AQUA-SHYSTER’s
They may be better at sales than engineering.
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Economics of RAS’s Variable Costs for Growout RAS

Increased fixed & variable costs.
After feed, variable cost breakdown:
So far…. Amortization 11-22%
Mostly higher value fish are produced: Energy 8-15%
• tilapia, hybrid striped bass, sturgeon, Arctic char, Labor 8-11% (3% for eel)
barramundi, halibut; turbot, eel, African catfish,
marine nursery fish (salmon smolt, etc.), ornamental Fingerlings 9-12% (41% for eel)
fish;
• No food-size channel catfish produced; For commercial eel, sea bass, & African catfish farms.
• Relatively small biomass of food-size trout & salmon. (Schneider et al., 2006, Aquaculture 2006)

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Economies of Scale Economies of Scale

Increased RAS scale will reduce:
Large & deep circular
capital (amortization) for buildings, systems, & tanks can reduce:
infrastructure building capital by
labor per MT produced. approximately 40%
overall facility capital

Capital for the building ≥ capital for costs by approximately
20-30%
systems.
(defunct Hagonsborg salmon
47 farm, BC) 48
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Square Tanks w/ Rounded Corners
Use of Fewer but Larger & Deeper

Approximate circular tank hydrodynamics.
Culture Tanks

Option used to maximize floor utilization.

Reduces floor space requirements

Reduces cumulative cost of equipment:
 flow control valves
 effluent stand-pipe structures
 fish feeders
 probes: oxygen, pH, temperature, ORP
 flow, level switches
Fish Farm Yerseke B.V.
The Netherlands
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Use of Fewer, but Larger & Deeper

Large-Scale Circular Tanks
Culture Tanks

Reduces labor:
Design & management requirements:
 time required to analyze water quality self-cleaning tank
 distribute feed fractionate & rapidly flush solids (< 1-5 min)
 perform cleaning chores provide optimum swimming speeds for fish
 harvest fish provide homogeneous water mixing
remove mortalities w/o entering tank
harvest/transfer fish w/o entering tank

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Large-Scale Culture Tanks Large-Scale Culture Tanks

Solids fractionation is controlled by:
Adjustable inlet nozzles systems can be used to
 Water rotational velocity  Bottom drain flow optimize water rotational velocities & mixing.
> 6 L/min per m2 tank area
10 m3, 150 m3,
3.7 m φ 9.1 m φ
nursery growout
tank tank

Davidson and Summerfelt. 2004. Aquacultural Engineering 32, 245-271. 53 Davidson and Summerfelt. 2004. Aquacultural Engineering 32, 245-271. 54
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 Controlling Tank Rotation Controlling Tank Rotation

Velocity near tank perimeter controlled by:
 Nozzle orientation (β) Larger circular tank can be designed to provide
 Nozzle velocity (UO) safe swimming speeds for many fish.
 Tank Flow (V/HRT)

Example #1: 13.7 m Φ
Example #2: 13.7 m Φ

Velocity near the tank center controlled by: V = 600 m3 V = 600 m3
 Surface loading rate on bottom-center drain HRT = 60 min HRT = 45 min
UO = 100 cm/s UO = 100 cm/s
UR,perimeter ≈ 31 cm/s UR,perimeter ≈ 36 cm/s

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Large-Scale Culture Tanks Circular Tanks: Removing Morts

Question: How to manage fish in large
Mechanisms to remove dead fish must be
and deep circular tanks? considered!

Incorporate technologies to decrease labor costs
Rapidly flush daily mortalities reduce spread of fish disease
Grade and selectively harvest maintain water level
…. from large circular culture tanks without
ever entering the culture tank!

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Circular Tanks: Removing Morts

NO SCUBA DIVING!

Hinged exclusion screen on bottom drain

(out of business: Hagonsborg salmon farm, BC)

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 Circular Tanks: Removing Morts Circular Tanks: Removing Morts

Center drain uses four 110 cm (4”) dia
Flushing dead fish:
pipes to pull morts up to surface drain  Block flow over sidebox outlet weir
Live fish swim out over top of inlet weir  Pull 30 cm diameter sidebox stand-pipe
 Raise bottom-drain cover using pneumatics

Courtesy of Ragnar Joensen,

Marine Harvest Faroes 61 62
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Advanced Mort Flushing System Fish Harvest from Deep Tanks

Flushing dead fish
 Replace standpipe
 Remove dead fish
 Remove dam board 150 m3 tank @ Freshwater Institute
dam board

Purse seine is not selective, but brings fish to pump or brail.

63 Summerfelt et al. 2003. Aquaculture America 2003 Abstract Book. Pg 282. 64
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Fish Harvest from Deep Tanks Fish Harvest from Deep Tanks

Pescalator & purse seine @ Australis

Clam-shell Harvested
Fish

grader

Airlift Fish Hand
Sorting
Dewaterin Airlift
Area
Pump &
g Grate Pump

Tank
Grading Box Lip

Sidewall Undersized
Fish
Larger Fish
Crowded Between
Clamshell Grader
Harvest Box Gates

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(courtesy Josh Goldman)
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 Airlift Pump & Sorting/Dewatering Table
Clam-Shell Grader & Crowder

Passive clam-shell grader with airlift pump
and hand sorting/dewatering table.

150 m3 growout tank 10 m3 nursery tank

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Sidewall Harvest Box Sidewall Harvest Box

Crowd fish to sidewall box
Open gate, allowing
crowded fish to slide
into dewatering area
with water flow

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CO2 Avoidance for Fish Transfer

CO2 Avoidance for Fish Transfer

Fish gather in front of the ‘fish transfer’

Fish can sense elevated concentrations pipe after CO2 exceeds ~ 60 mg/L
of CO2
fish will seek to avoid areas with high CO2

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 Results: CO2 Avoidance Study

Last 20% of fish gather in front of the
‘fish transfer’ pipe.

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Results: CO2 Avoidance Study OVERALL CONCLUSIONS

Each trial ended by terminating flow
Future looks positive for large
carrying the low CO2 water into the tank: increases in fish production within
99% of fish moved out of growout tank industrial-scale RAS’s.
during 2-3 hrs in each of 3 replicated trials.
Cost of CO2 used for a fish transfer was only
~$4/event.

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Acknowledgements

Freshwater Institute research was supported by the
Agriculture Research Service of the United States
Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No.
59-1930-1-130

Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations are of THANK YOU FOR YOUR

the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view ATTENTION!
of the USDA.

All experimental protocols involving live animals

were in compliance with Animal Welfare Act (9CFR)
and have been approved by the Freshwater
Institute Animal Care and Use Committee. 77 78
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