DEVELOPMENT OF EXTENSIVE LARVAL CULTURE AND GROW-OUT PROTOCOLS FOR COBIA Rachycentron canadum TO SUPPORT COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION ALONG THE GULF COAST

The proposed project will directly address major constraints that currently limit development and expansion of the U.S. food and agricultural systems through the development of novel techniques in cobia (Rachycentron canadum) aquaculture. Cobia is a high priority species for aquaculture along the Gulf of Mexico due to high market demand (US $37.40/kg of fillet), fast growth rates, low-post larval mortality, and excellent feed conversion rates. Increased aquaculture production and availability of this species is a necessity to help meet increasing domestic and international demand for seafood, especially high value yet sustainable species such as cobia. In order to increase availability, we must develop new production protocols and methods for cobia that move production from the current intensive, technology-laden, re-circulation oriented protocols currently used in the U.S., to extensive outdoor culture systems that are widely available along the gulf coast.

The project objectives are to 1) develop economical, on-farm methods for size-graded, live zooplankton harvest from fertilized ponds to feed cobia larvae in hatchery tanks, 2) assess potential of extensive larval culture grow out techniques for cobia larvae in fertilized earthen ponds, 3) determine the economic and environmental feasibility of cobia production in earthen pond systems along the Gulf Coast using abbreviated grow out periods in order to avoid low-temperature fish die-offs, and 4) Determine mean growth potential of cobia in outdoor pond systems during an eight or nine month grow out period.

The proposed project will investigate two novel, extensive larval culture production techniques for cobia and two novel fingerling grow-out methods to simplify and expand production to outdoor pond systems. Both stages of culture, larval and grow-out, will utilize natural food production from fertilized pond systems and will produce market-sized fish under local environmental conditions without the need for indoor heated systems. Current aquaculture producers have expressed great interest in this project and have partnered with TAMU to conduct on-farm trials using the proposed study protocols. These sister studies in commercial settings will provide a great deal of additional data.