54 JUNE 2022 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WA S .ORG Industry Applied Research Projects With ongoing research and demonstration projects at UWSP NADF (Figs. 5-7), the facility is advancing state-of-the-art technologies and discovering ways to improve efficiency and sustainability for aquaculture in the Midwest. Outcomes of various research projects and partnerships drives the best management practices and technological advancements currently demonstrated at the facility. The facility also provides information and assistance to new or beginning aquaculturists to better understand management practices, techniques and key concepts for a successful operation. Project highlights are described here. DevelopingAtlanticSalmonBroodstock for the FirstUSCommercial Supplier ofAtlanticSalmonEggs In 2014, the facility was provided with some of the few remaining Cascade strain of Atlantic salmon remaining in the world through a collaboration with The Conservation Fund – Freshwater Institute in West Virginia. This strain, originally bred for net-pen aquaculture, performed well in freshwater RAS, with some fish reaching growth rates of nearly 4.5 kg/yr. Due to this increased performance, UWSP NADF collaborated with Riverence, LLC of Washington state, to develop new broodstock of Cascade strain Atlantic salmon to supply eggs to the growing North American commercial salmon farming industry utilizing RAS technology. For over five years, UWSP NADF scientists and staff worked with Riverence to collect and ship eggs to Washington state for the development of a new broodstock. Riverence is now the first US commercial supplier of Atlantic salmon eggs to support the salmon foodfish industry and the only supplier of Cascade strain of Atlantic salmon eggs globally. AdvancingSustainableProductionofAtlanticSalmon inWisconsinandAcross theUnitedStates Among various partnerships, the one with Superior Fresh, LLC in Hixton, WI —one of the world’s largest aquaponics operations— is among the strongest. This partnership has helped Superior Fresh to advance their sustainable production of Atlantic salmon cultured in RAS. The UWSP NADF provides technical assistance, research, demonstration and coldwater species expertise to advance the company and their operations. UW-Stevens Point is also partnering with Superior Fresh to provide trained interns, technicians and support staff for the growing company. Recently, UWSP NADF and partners have been funded by the NOAA Sea Grant college program for research to overcome barriers FIGURE 4. Site overview of UWSP NADF utilizing the SCADA system showing the facility’s high-capacity wells, aqua barn, covered raceways, partial RAS, ponds, harvest kettle, settling ponds and wetland. FIGURE 5. Intensively reared walleye one year after hatching, raised in recirculating aquaculture systems at UWSP NADF. to sustainable, land-based Atlantic salmon production, with partners at Wisconsin Sea Grant, The Conservation Fund – Freshwater Institute in West Virginia as well as private partners, Superior Fresh and Riverence. Research conducted at UWSP NADF and The Conservation Fund – Freshwater Institute is working towards eliminating two current barriers. One is an investigation of therapeutic treatments to reduce mortality associated with opportunistic infections in Atlantic salmon fry using hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid. The other is investigating more efficient off-flavor purging techniques utilizing system flow rates and fish ventilation rates to save substantial time and space for commercial operations. Some of this research has been recently published by UWSP NADF and partners (Davidson et al. 2020, Davidson et al. 2021, DiCocco et al. 2021). UWSP NADF and various partners have also been funded by NOAA Sea Grant to build the capacity of sustainable land-based US production of Atlantic salmon through a Recirculating Aquaculture Salmon-Network (ras-n.org). Collaborators from around the nation, as well as internationally, have come together to discuss barriers, research and educational needs for the industry to advance. This network involves various private industry partners, including Superior Fresh and Riverence, as well as other collaborators, including University of Maryland Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, and the Maryland, Maine andWisconsin Sea Grant programs. This program’s final deliverable will be a national strategic plan or road map that will include an extensive analysis of industry status, mechanisms to promote public-private partnerships, technology transfer and community engagement. A goal is to use the road map to assist policymakers, federal and state agencies, and to help the industry identify and responsibly allocate resources to promote success. TheLeadingResearchFacility for IntensiveProduction ofWalleye for theFoodfish Industry Although most walleye fillets are imported into the Midwest fromCanada (Summerfelt et al. 2010), this well-known species in the Midwest has a strong existing food fish market with attractive fillet prices ranging from $26-40/kg. For over 15 years, the UWSP NADF has successfully raised walleye and hybrid walleye (saugeye) in indoor, intensive systems for research and demonstration of foodfish production. Building on previous intensive culture of walleye research and publications, the facility is utilizing specialized larval rearing systems, optimized starter diets, enhanced husbandry and indoor, land-based, closed-loop production with RAS to assemble a systematic culture protocol that has advanced walleye foodfish production to the point that a Midwest area commercial walleye industry is emerging.
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