Based on a series of laboratory studies, the commercial product Eco Marine is a bacterial blend primarily composed of three morphologically different strains of Bacillus spp. , with a total bacterial count averaging 1.01×10¹⁴ CFU/g. The product has demonstrated potential for improving aquaculture environments through water quality control and pathogen inhibition.
Eco Marine has shown a significant capacity for nitrogenous waste management. In shrimp rearing water, it effectively reduced ammonium from 0.8 mg/L to 0 mg/L within 8 hours and nitrite from 3.4 mg/L to below 0.5 mg/L in 24 hours at a concentration of 1×10⁸ CFU/mL. Further studies confirmed its ability to suppress ammonia accumulation in both freshwater and seawater, likely through nitrogen assimilation by the bacteria rather than nitrification. While aerobic nitrification was not detected, the product was effective at nitrate and nitrite removal via denitrification under anaerobic conditions, a process that was observed in both freshwater and seawater and enhanced by the addition of an organic carbon source.
The product also exhibits antimicrobial properties. One of the Bacillus strains isolated from Eco Marine was shown to inhibit the growth of the pathogenic bacterium Vibrio harveyi 1526 in an agar diffusion test. This inhibitory effect was confirmed in a separate colony overlay assay, which produced an average clear zone of 2.97 ± 0.78 mm against V. harveyi, suggesting its potential to help control vibriosis in shrimp culture systems.
Furthermore, when used as a feed supplement for the shrimp Penaeus monodon at a concentration of 1×10⁶ CFU/g, EcoMarine led to significant improvements in shrimp performance over a two-month trial. Shrimp receiving the supplemented feed had a higher growth rate (1.8 g per 2 weeks) compared to both the control group (1.51 g per 2 weeks) and a group where Eco Marine was added directly to the water (0.99 g per 2 weeks). The feed-supplemented shrimp also showed a higher survival rate than the control group, indicating the product’s potential to enhance production.