WWW.WA S .ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • JUNE 2022 41 14). These queen conch will be raised for 12 months in the nursery recirculating aquaculture system until 7-8 cm shell length, when they will be released into the ocean for species repopulation. Acknowledgements The Puerto Rico Queen Conch Hatchery internship was supported by funding from Saltonstall-Kennedy NOAA Fisheries (S-KNOAAAwards NA19NMF4270029, NA21NMF4270353) through a partnership among Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Conservación ConCiencia, and the Naguabo Fishing Association. The authors wish to thank Victoria Cassar (Hatchery Manager) and Marie García (Hatchery Assistant) for their ongoing support throughout the study. As well, we would like to recognize Carlos Velazquez (President of the Naguabo Fishing Association) and the fishers of the Naguabo Fishing Association for granting the space to carry out this project. Thank you to Julio Ortiz (commercial fisher) and his crew for reconnaissance and collection of the milk conch used in the study. We also appreciate the work of Marcos Espinosa and crew for the construction of the nursery system. Notes Chalier Dones-Ortiz, agronomist, graduate of the Animal Sciences Department in the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez (2020). Chalier was an intern for the Puerto Rico queen conch aquaculture project located at the Naguabo Fishing Association from 15 November 2021 to 4 March 2022. Megan Davis, Ph.D. is a research professor in the Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement Program at Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. She is Principal Investigator for the Puerto Rico queen conch aquaculture project and provided mentorship for Chalier Dones-Ortiz during his internship. Raimundo Espinoza is the Executive Director of Conservación ConCiencia located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is Co-Principal Investigator for the Puerto Rico queen conch aquaculture project and provided mentorship for Chalier Dones-Ortiz during his internship. References and Further Reading Baker, N., R.S. Appeldoorn and P.A. Torres-Saavedra. 2016. Fisheryindependent surveys of the queen conch stock in western Puerto Rico, with an assessment of historical trends and management effectiveness. Marine and Coastal Fisheries 8:567-579. Gomez-Gomez, F., J. Rodriguez-Martinez and M. Santiago. 2014, Hydrogeology of Puerto Rico and the outlying islands of Vieques, Culebra, and Mona: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3296, 40 p. http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sim3296. Davis, M. 2005. Species Profile: Queen Conch, Strombus gigas. Southern Regional Aquaculture Center Publication 7203, 12p. Davis, M. 2021. Conch Aquaculture: Queen conch, Strombus gigas, and fighting conch, Strombus alatus and Strombus pugilis. Pages 161-192 in: S.E. Shumway, editor. Molluscan Shellfish Aquaculture: A Practical Guide, 5m Publishers, UK. Davis, M. and Y. Cantillo Villa. 2019. Aquaculture of Florida fighting conch, Strombus alatus, for the food and aquarium markets. World Aquaculture 50(4):31-37. Davis, M. and V. Cassar. 2020. Queen conch aquaculture: Hatchery and nursery phases user manual. Journal of Shellfish Research 39(3):731-810. Davis, M., V. Cassar, R. Espinoza and A. Lovatelli. 2021. Acuicultura del caracol rosado - Fases de crianza y vivero. Manual práctico. FAODocumento Técnico de Pesca y Acuicultura N.o 676. Roma, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/ cb6663es Davis, M. and R. Espinoza. 2020. Development of a fishermen operated pilot-scale queen conch (Lobatus gigas) hatchery and nursery facility for sustainable seafood supply and restoration of wild populations in Puerto Rico. Proceedings of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute 72:322-324. Shawl, A. and M. Davis. 2004. Captive breeding behavior of four Strombidae conch. Journal of Shellfish Research 23:157-164. FIGURE 15, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT. (a) Puerto Rico queen conch project team, left to right, Raimundo Espinoza, Conservación ConCiencia Executive Director; Megan Davis, FAU Harbor Branch Research Professor; Victoria Cassar, Hatchery Manager; Marie Garcia, Hatchery Assistant; and Chalier Dones-Ortiz, Research Intern. (b) Carlos Velazquez, President (left) and Julio Ortiz, Treasurer and fisher (right) of the Naguabo Fishing Association. (c) Marcos Espinosa, lead contractor that has been instrumental in building the hatchery and nursey.
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