WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • JUNE 2024 17 • Honorable Mention: Luis Alvarez, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Title: Automated Prawn Feed System (PFS) with Programmable Timer Luis Alvarez is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. His passion is in applying engineering principles to solve a wide range of problems, from technical challenges in engineering to broader research areas, particularly in fluid dynamics. His project is designed to feed prawns from their early stages of life through maturity, particularly in a controlled aquaculture environment. This feeder enables users to precisely manage the quantity and timing of feed according to the specific requirements of their prawns. By optimizing feeding practices, the PFS aims to enhance prawn production, thereby contributing to improved food security in regions that may lack adequate equipment or personnel. • Honorable Mention: Tahera Attarwala, Delaware State University Title: Assessing Eastern Oyster Crassostrea Virginica Predation Utilizing Real Time Monitoring and eDNA Analysis in Delaware Inland Bays Tahera Attarwala is a Master’s student in Natural Resources at Delaware State University working in the Aquatic Science and ONEHealth Lab under the supervision of Dr. Gulnihal Ozbay. She is also a teaching/ research assistant and a mentor to interns and undergraduate students. Her thesis work involves assessing oyster predation and biodiversity at different site types (aquaculture, reef, and control) around Rehoboth Bay, Delaware. She deployed underwater cameras for realtime monitoring, and introduced environmental DNA (eDNA) as a complimentary method for biomonitoring. She also conducts water quality assessments to calculate the aragonite saturation state and determine its potential impacts on predation and species composition. • Honorable Mention: Xander LaComb, The University of Maine Title: Advancing Aquaculture Education Through Collaboration Between Western and Indigenous Knowledge LaComb is a citizen of the Penobscot Nation, and an undergrad at the University of Maine at Machias, studying creative writing. As someone who was once an Indigenous kid who craved STEM activities, Xander is glad to provide that for the next generation of Indigenous kids, while also engaging them with aquaculture, something that is incredibly important for food sovereignty and sustainability. AquEOUS is a ten-week summer REEU program funded by the USDA, organized by University of Maine’s Aquaculture Research Institute. Open to upperclassman undergraduates in any discipline, AquEOUS seeks to combine Indigenous Knowledge with Western science in various projects. all with the ultimate goal of supporting Indigenous aquaculture within Wabanaki tribes in Maine. Xander was part of the initial cohort last year, and after continuing to work with his mentors through the school year he was brought on as a student mentor this year. CALLING ALL READERS Do you have something you would like to contribute to World Aquaculture? We welcome general features, articles and news covering a variety of aquaculture-related topics, preferably well-illustrated with photographs and line art. Published quarterly, the magazine keeps WAS members up to date with research results and reviews of aquaculture trends and topics. Guidelines for authors are available here. Submit manuscripts to Mary Nickum, Editor, World Aquaculture Magazine, at Editor@worldaquaculture.us. Please copy C. Greg Lutz, Editor in Chief, at glutz@agcenter.lsu.edu when emailing your submission.
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