Analytical Lab
General analyses of fish tissue and live prey organisms are conducted in this facility, while detailed analyses of micronutrient composition, including phosphorus, amino acids, and fatty acids are conducted using high performance liquid chromatography, gas-chromatograph and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy at UNCW’s Center for Marine Science and Departments of Chemistry & Biochemistry and Biology & Marine Biology.
Pilot Commercial Scale Hatchery / Nursery System
A reliable, cost-effective source of juvenile fish (fingerlings) is needed to support growout operations.
With support from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, a pilot commercial scale marine fish hatchery/nursery was established at UNCW that supplies fingerlings to start-up commercial operations and serves as a basis for developing economic models of marine finfish fingerling production based on engineering and biological data from the operation of the pilot facility.
The nursery system consists of three rows of insulated nursery tanks (NTs); one row of four 950-L (small) NTs, one row of six 2,100-L (medium) NTs, and one row of four 4,980-L (large) NTs. The nursery facility has a total volume of 36,320-L, sufficient to raise approximately 70,000 black sea bass to the 1- to 5-g advanced fingerling stage.
Broodstock Holding
Controlled-environment broodtank systems presently include twelve 2.1-m³ units, six 4.7-m³ units, one 10.7-m³ unit and one 16.7-m³ unit. Broodtanks are supported by biofilters to allow recirculation of water. Timer-controlled lighting and heat pumps are used to manipulate photoperiod and temperature to simulate artificial seasons.
Hatchery & Live Feeds Production Systems
Microalgae Culture Lab
The microalgae culture lab is equipped with flask, bag, and cylinder cultures for production of Nannochloropsis, Isochrysis, and Tetraselmis. Microalgae are used to feed rotifer cultures and as background algae in "greenwater” cultures of larval fish
Rotifer Culture Lab
Rotifers (Brachionus rotundiformis) are the first live prey organism fed to first-feeding stage marine finfish larvae.
UNCW collaborated with Amy Riedel (Aquatic Ecosystems Inc.) to "beta-test" a prototype intensive continuous culture rotifer system, which maintains rotifer densities of 3,000-4,000 ind./ml. This 200-L unit produces an average of 175 million rotifers per day.
Larval Rearing Tanks
The pilot-scale hatchery consists of two 1,000-L incubators for hatching eggs and three 2,000-L larval rearing tanks (LRTs) for raising newly-hatched larvae to juvenile stages under controlled illumination and temperature.
The hatchery is supplied with 1 micron-filtered, UV-sterilized seawater for maximum purity. LRTs are supported by a recirculating system for optimum water quality and environmental control. This pilot-scale facility will yield up to 25,000 early juvenile black sea bass per 60-day crop.
Broodstock Holding
Controlled-environment broodtank systems presently include twelve 2.1-m³ units, six 4.7-m³ units, one 10.7-m³ unit and one 16.7-m³ unit. Broodtanks are supported by biofilters to allow recirculation of water. Timer-controlled lighting and heat pumps are used to manipulate photoperiod and temperature to simulate artificial seasons.
Feeds Preparation Lab
Feeds, including larval microdiets, and starter and grower diets for nutritional studies are formulated and prepared in-house from raw ingredients.
Larviculture Laboratory
Controlled-environment indoor larviculture lab consists of six temperature-controlled incubators with adjustable light hoods.
This system allows control of temperature, salinity, light intensity, photoperiod, water turbulence and other environmental variables for study of the experimental culture requirements of the early life history stages of marine finfish, from egg through juvenile stages.
Current research focuses on essential fatty acid nutrition and development of larval microdiets.
Nutrition Wet Laboratory
Two controlled-environment laboratories, each with twenty four 75-L aquaria supported by a recirculating aquaculture system, for nutritional studies on juvenile stages of marine finfish.
Currently, dietary protein, lipid and mineral requirements of juvenile black sea bass, flounder and red porgy are being evaluated.
Alternative protein sources to fish meal, including locally available by-products of the agriculture and livestock industries and invasive marine invertebrate species, are being tested. Based on results, diets are re-formulated and compared against top-rated commercially available diets.
Recirculating Growout Systems
Recirculating tank systems are utilized for studies on growout of various marine finfish species, since these systems conserve space and water and permit a high degree of environmental control.Two systems are currently in operation:
Intermediate-Scale Growout
Twelve 2.7-m3 tank system used for growth studies with hatchery-reared juvenile marine finfish, including dietary protein, lipid, and energy: protein requirements for optimal growth and feed utilization efficiency.
Near-Commerical Scale Growout
Four 16.7-m3 tank system, currently being used to study production and economics of southern flounder, black sea bass and red porgy.
This near-commercial scale system incorporates state-of-the-art filtration technologies developed and tested by NCSU aquaculture engineer, Dr. Thomas Losordo. The system was built by UNCW research associate Patrick Carroll.
System Components:
- 6-m diameter Insulated Fiberglass Tanks
- Aqua Optima Double Drains and Sludge collectors
- Jacuzzi Piranha 4.5 hp Pumps
- R.A Rotofilter Drum Screen Filters
- Aqualogic 4 hp Heat Pumps
- Polystyrene Bead Trickling and Kaldness Moving Bed Biofilters
- Fiberglass Oxygen Cones
- RK2 Protein Fractionators
- UV Sterilizers
Seawater System
The UNCW Aquaculture Facility has direct access to high quality seawater from Banks Channel, a protected channel that is continually flushed from a natural ocean inlet. Banks Channel and surrounding waters are designated as Outstanding Resource Waters by the state of North Carolina and are protected for recreational and shellfishing purposes.
Seasonal seawater temperatures range from about 5°C to 30°C, with a year round average of about 20°C, making this region suitable for research with a variety of tropical, subtropical, and temperate marine species.
The seawater supply system consists of:
- (2) 30 hp pumps
- (2) 23,000 gallon unfiltered water storage tanks
- 40-micron sand filter
- 1,000 gallon filtered water storage tank
- 195 watt ultraviolet sterilizer
- 1500 gallon liquid oxygen station
