Indoor shrimp aquaculture continues to evolve in the United States as producers seek reliable, biosecure, and high-density production models that can operate year-round. However, selecting an appropriate production system remains a challenge for new and existing farmers, particularly when balancing water quality, operational complexity, and production goals. At Kentucky State University, our research has focused on developing practical, scalable systems that can support shrimp farmers across the Country and in many parts of the World.
The work began with the implementation of a biofloc-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) composed of two filtration components: a settling chamber and a foam fractionator on a 20-m3 demonstration tank. This configuration worked well in research over the years but was difficult to apply in a commercial setting due to the relative biological complexity of the biofloc system. Most farmers did not seem to comprehend this complexity, especially as it related to water quality and survival rates varied as a result. To address these challenges, a hybrid system was developed that also included a settling chamber and foam fractionator, but incorporated an external biofilter as well. This hybrid approach demonstrated significant improvements in production stability and performance and has since been successfully adopted by approximately six farms in Kentucky, where farmers have reported strong production outcomes and manageable system operation, with 4-6 kg shrimp/m3 produced regularly. In our research trials, survival rates in biofloc systems reached up to 70%, compared to 85% levels in hybrid systems. Building on this progress, our current research is transitioning toward clear-water systems, which utilize more advanced filtration components including drum filtration, foam fractionation, ozone, UV sterilization, an aerobic external biofilter, and even an anaerobic denitrification filter. Although these systems require greater capital investment, they offer the potential for substantially increased production densities. Early results from our research have yielded promising outputs of up to 15 kg/m³ without the use of any oxygen or CO2 stripping. As adoption of clear-water systems grows internationally, particularly in Europe, we aim to determine the maximum achievable densities and evaluate the operational feasibility of these systems for U.S. producers. Our innovative marine shrimp research program constantly informs the progression of system designs tested at Kentucky State University.