10 SEPTEMBER 2016 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG A Recent Research Highlight from the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society In each issue of World Aquaculture, we will highlight a new and exciting research paper from the relaunched Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. This issue’s selected paper is “Some Limiting Factors in Superintensive Production of Juvenile Pacific White Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, in No-Water-Exchange, Biofloc-Dominated Systems” by David I. Prangnell, Leandro F. Castro, Abdulmehdi S. Ali, Craig L. Browdy, Paul V. Zimba, Susan E. Laramore and Tzachi M. Samocha [47(3):396-413]. In view of lower environmental impact and higher biosecurity, recirculation and biofloc combined aquaculture systems are receiving increasing attention. Despite greater biosecurity, loss due to vibriosis is not prevented in such systems. Another factor that could impact production is cumulative changes in the ionic composition of water. In the article, Prangnell et al. examined vibrio levels and ionic composition in a biofloc-dominated raceway stemming from a 49-d trial for juvenile Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. Their study indicated the potential to reduce feed costs because there were not differences in production parameters between the tested feed protein levels of 35 percent and 40 percent protein. Shrimp survival was directly related to vibrio concentration, indicating the importance of monitoring and controlling vibrio populations in such systems. Some ionic components of culture water changed significantly over time. Although Cu2+ and Zn2+ increased in shrimp tissue, the levels were well within acceptable limits for human consumption. The study highlights the need to monitor and understand changes in the ionic composition of culture water, biofloc, and shrimp over longer culture periods in such limited water exchange systems. The paper is available under the Publications tab at was.org. — A.G. Ponniah, Section Editor, JWAS Best Paper Award for Each Section of the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society One award will be given for each of the following categories: review paper, applied studies paper, and fundamental studies paper, beginning with the 2016 volume (47), to be awarded in early 2017. Criteria Best Review Paper The review papers published in each volume, beginning with Volume 47 (2016) will be judged based on the evaluation rubric presented in Table 1. Judging will be done by members of the editorial board who were not an author on any review paper under consideration for the award. Individual item scores (scale of 5) will be weighted by the percentages indicated in Table 1 and summed across all evaluators. Table 1. Evaluation rubric for best review paper. Evaluation category Weighting Impact on aquaculture growth & sustainable development 25% Comprehensiveness of literature reviewed and overall treatment of topic 25% Quality of the synthesis of literature reviewed 30% Clarity of writing and presentation 20% Best Applied Studies Paper The papers published in the Applied Studies Section of each volume, beginning with Volume 47 (2016) will be judged based on the evaluation rubric presented in Table 2. Judging will be done by members of the editorial board who were not an author on any Applied Studies section paper under consideration for the award. Individual item scores (scale of 5) will be weighted by the percentages indicated in Table 2 and summed across all evaluators. Table 2. Evaluation rubric for best applied studies paper. Evaluation category Weighting Usefulness to aquaculture businesses (small or large) 25% Methodological rigor 25% Multidisciplinary approach to problem 15% Potential impact on aquaculture growth and development 25% Clarity of writing and presentation 10% Best Fundamental Studies Paper The papers published in the Fundamental Studies Section of each volume, beginning with Volume 47 (2016) will be judged based on the evaluation rubric presented in Table 3. Judging will be done by members of the editorial board who were not an author on any Fundamental Studies section paper under consideration for the award. Individual item scores (scale of 5) will be weighted by the percentages indicated in Table 3 and summed across all evaluators. Table 3. Evaluation rubric for best fundamental studies paper. Evaluation category Weighting Articulation of linkage to basic problem faced by aquaculturists 30% Contribution to theory or fundamental mechanisms underlying aquaculture science 30% Methodological rigor 30% Clarity of writing and presentation 10% Process By December of each year, the Executive Editor will send a list of the papers published in each section of that year’s volume to members of the editorial board of the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society (excluding those editorial board members who were an author of a paper in that particular section). Recognition Each Best Paper Award for each section will include a plaque commemorating the award and a check for $500. The recipient will be recognized at the annual meeting of the World Aquaculture Society, with an article in the World Aquaculture magazine, highlighted on the WAS and Wiley web sites for the journal, and included in promotional materials through Wiley newsletters and social media.
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