AQUACULTURE 101: SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD PRODUCTION IN THE MIDWEST   

An in-service education (ISE) module will be offered at the University of Missouri's Bradford Research Center in July 2017 on indoor, greenhouse covered, and in-pond shrimp and fin-fish production techniques targeted for farmers in the Midwest.  This training is designed to provide an overview of shrimp and fish production ranging from low intensity ponds (at 500 lb/acre-season) to super-intensive, clear-water, green-water and brown-water closed-system aquaculture processes (at 20,000-35,000 lb-acre/cycle). Lectures will cover fundamentals of water treatment using algal, biofloc and biofilter technology, as well as, aeration/oxygenation and waste solids management. Educators, farmers, investors, and other stake-holders will increase their knowledge and understanding of aquaculture production of large-mouth bass, crappie, catfish, marine and freshwater shrimp, as well as, economics of aquaculture systems, including required capital investment, fish transport, marketing and sales, cash flow, and profitability. Participates will be provided field trips to view pond production of freshwater shrimp, in-pond raceway production of crappie, and catfish, and indoor recirculating culture of large-mouth bass, and super-intensive zero-discharge production of marine shrimp.  In addition, all participates will be afforded a hands-on opportunity to experience system feeding, waste solids handling and water quality analysis including, NH₄, NO₂ salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, alkalinity and hardness, as well as, animal sampling/measurements, microbial identification, and system-wide measurement of photosynthesis and water treatment capacity.

This training will increase knowledge and understanding of the current "state of the art" of limited and zero discharge aquaculture production and environmental benefits, enhancing the potential for Midwestern farmers to successfully incorporate environmentally compatible seafood production into their existing farming and pond management activities, enhancing income and quality of life. Outreach activities will target two principle groups and to a lesser extent the general public. The majority of outreach activities will be targeted at educators and persons interested in adopting the new seafood production technology into their farming operations.  The extension component will focus on two main objectives. The first objective will promote this new technology to individuals interested in adapting to commercial scale. The second objective will focus on technology transfer via publications, on-site demonstrations, trainings, and power-point presentations and videos. Post-adoption surveys will be used to monitor real and potential economic impacts.  Using techniques presented and discussed in this ISE, aquaculture production could be provided with no discharge of pollutants to U.S. surface or ground water and without the need to import expensive fish-meal as a component in aquaculture feed. Midwestern farmers could potentially provide a 100% American-grown seafood supply eliminating a trade deficit of $11.5 billion/year, using 100% American produced soy, wheat and corn meals as feed ingredients.