16 JUNE 2024 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG • Honorable Mention: Juan Ramos, Delaware State University Title: Population Characteristics Assessment on Blue Crabs Callinectes sapidus and Virus Identification of Callinectes sapidus Reovirus 1 (CSRV1) Using PCR Analysis in Delaware Inland Bays Juan Ramos was born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas. He obtained his undergraduate degree at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) and majored in aquaculture and fisheries. Ever since, he developed a determination to work in a marinebased setting. As a graduate student at Delaware State University, he is pursuing a MSc in Natural Resources under supervision of Dr. Gulnihal Ozbay. He plans on pursuing a PhD at another HBCU because of his positive experiences during his BSc and MSc degrees. His thesis research focuses on Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) population characteristics and testing for the presence of a deadly virus called Callinectes sapidus Reovirus 1 (CsRV1) that infects these crabs. The blue crab is an essential keystone species in the aquatic ecosystems of Delaware’s inland bays, and in all its native range from the Mid-Atlantic to Uruguay. In any aquatic biome, C. sapidus serves both as predator and prey. Along with many ecological and societal benefits, the blue crab provides a multimillion-dollar industry in the United States and is the second-largest crab industry in the world requiring continuous monitoring to ensure the species sustains itself and copes with climate driven changes. Aquaculture America 2024 Poster Presentation Winners • 1st Place: Maria D’Amico, Bowling Green State University Title: Assessing Nitrogen Dynamics in a Closed, Integrated Aquaponics System Maria D’Amico is a MS student in Biological Sciences at Bowling Green State University. Her focus is on multiple topics including fish reproduction, conservation, and aquaculture - specifically, aquaponics. She is passionate about the conservation of freshwater fishes and ecosystems within the Great Lakes area. Her research looked at nitrogen dynamics within an integrated multi-trophic aquaponics system in the campus’ greenhouse. The goal of this project was to develop a model of nitrogen dynamics to minimize waste while maximizing crop efficiency. The process measured nitrogen cycling rates within various trophic levels to optimize growth, and to incorporate the data into a mass balance model for developing new systems in Ohio. A balance of one tomato plant to ten yellow perch to four prawns was described as the most efficient, which can then be used as a scale for other aquaponics farmers. • 2nd Place: Vitor Silva, Texas A&M University Title: Iron Nanoparticles and Calcium Propionate Supplementation in the Diet of Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) Vitor Fernandes Silva is 28 years old, from Florianópolis, Brazil. He is an aquaculture engineer and recently graduated with a PhD in Aquaculture from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. He spent the last year in the US as a visiting scholar investigating iron supplementation in the diet of channel catfish in this project, in a partnership between the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Texas A&M University and Mississippi State University (MS State). This is one of three studies that make up the research project carried out through this partnership. This project aimed to evaluate the supplementation of more bioavailable sources of iron, such as iron nanoparticles, on the growth and health of channel catfish and to assist the catfish industry to elucidate effects of high concentrations of iron supplemented in the catfish feed. In this study, he evaluated iron nanoparticles and calcium propionate supplementation on growth performance and blood parameters of channel catfish. • 3rd Place: Faith Ohwofasa, Kentucky State University Title: Impact of Low Water Temperature on Growth, Feed Consumption, and Feed Efficiency of Juvenile Largemouth Bass Micropterus nigricans Faith Ohwofasa, originally from Nigeria, is a Master’s student at Kentucky State University with a deep passion for sustainable aquaculture. Through her studies in aquaculture and aquatic science, she is acquiring the technical expertise needed to advance innovative practices that protect aquatic ecosystems while meeting food demands. Her study was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Kenneth Semmens. The objective was to examine the growth, feed consumption, and feed efficiency of Largemouth Bass at temperatures occurring in the spring or fall in temperate regions. Seven individual recirculating systems, each comprised of four replicate aquaria, were randomly assigned temperature treatments (9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, and 27℃) and fish were feed to satiation for 9 weeks. Data generated will be significant in developing a practical feeding protocol for Largemouth Bass to take advantage of growth potential throughout the year.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjExNDY=