34 JUNE 2022 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WA S .ORG and the Naguabo Fishing Association (Puerto Rico). The project, funded by SaltonstallKennedy NOAA Fisheries, serves to support creation and operation of a queen conch hatchery and nursery located within facilities owned by the Naguabo Fishing Association (Fig. 2). This community-based project is designed to assist in assuring the development of queen conch from egg to larvae (0.35-1.2 mm), metamorphosis and post-metamorphosis (1.2-4 mm) and juvenile stage (4-80 mm) before release to the ocean (Davis and Cassar 2020, Introduction The queen conch Aliger gigas, formerly known as Strombus gigas, is an important fishery stock for Puerto Rico and the Caribbean region (Fig. 1). However, intensive fishing and habitat degradation have caused conch populations to dwindle significantly. Known as carrucho in Puerto Rico, the queen conch is popularly consumed on the island and so low quantities are exported (Davis and Espinoza 2020). For the artisanal fishery, Puerto Rico has management regulations in place as part of the Queen Understanding How to Operate a Conch Nursery Recirculating Aquaculture System in Puerto Rico Chalier Dones-Ortiz, Megan Davis and Raimundo Espinoza FIGURE 1. Queen conch Aliger gigas an important fishery species and keystone herbivore in seagrass habitats in the Caribbean (Photo: Megan Davis). FIGURE 2, LEFT. Naguabo Fishing Association on Húcares Beach, Puerto Rico, location of the Puerto Rico queen conch hatchery and nursery aquaculture project (Photo: Megan Davis). FIGURE 3, RIGHT. Puerto Rico queen conch hatchery for egg mass incubation, and larval, metamorphosis and microalgae culture. Featured in the photo is Victoria Cassar (Hatchery Manager, Conservación ConCiencia) in the front, Raimundo Espinoza (Executive Director, Conservación ConCiencia) in the middle, and Megan Davis (Research Professor, FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute) in the back (Photo: Leah Biery). Conch Resources Fishery Management Plan. These regulations include a minimum harvest size of 22.9 cm for shell length and 9.5 mm for lip thickness, daily bag limits of 150 conch/fisher for licensed commercial fishers and for vessels of 300 conch/vessel, a closed season fromAugust 1 to October 31 and a prohibition of harvest in federal waters out to 16.97 km. Intent on aiding the repopulation effort for the queen conch stock in Puerto Rico, a partnership project began in 2019. The partners include Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Conservación ConCiencia (Puerto Rico) Davis and Espinoza 2020). As juvenile conch grow larger, they are moved from an indoor environment (hatchery) to an outdoor setting (nursery) (Figs. 3 and 4). The nursery recirculating aquaculture system ensures continual development of juveniles in a larger culture area, while opening up space in the hatchery for newly metamorphosed conch. The nursery system is located under a roof outdoors, implying that there are variables that are less controlled than inside the hatchery. For this reason, understanding the nursery system’s operational dynamics, including establishing correct water quality for conch well-
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