It has been suspected for quite some time that microorganisms play important roles in overall aquaculture practices, although there are both positive and negative aspects to consider. Positive aspects of microbes include their potential to provide additional nutrients to target culture species and thereby reduce feed costs, and their role in maintaining desired conditions within the culture environment. On the other hand, microbes may cause significant losses to operations if they are pathogenic. Efforts to compile the disparate but relevant facts about the use of microbes in aquaculture have been limited until now. Microbial Approaches to Aquatic Nutrition within Environmentally Sound Aquaculture Production Systems is the peer-reviewed proceedings of a workshop sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and organized by The Oceanic Institute. The purpose of the workshop was to better understand, monitor, and control the microbial “floc” within dynamic aerobic fermentors, and to further explore its potential as a source of nutrition and for biocontrol in aquaculture production.
The book contains review papers and reports of original research carried out in Australia, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S.A. by leading experts on microbial ecology, water quality, pond dynamics, rumen ecosystems, wastewater treatment, and a variety of aquaculture production systems. Topics include: microbes in production systems for marine shrimp, bivalve mollusks, or marine fish, monitoring and measurement of microbes in culture systems, the use of probiotics, stability and control of microbial populations, the development of microbial flora in the fish intestine, and microbial interactions in ruminant digestive systems. Following the papers is a summary of the discussion sessions held at the workshop, with concise recommendations for research and to the industry. This book is an invaluable reference for academia, researchers, and the industry.
Edited by Cheng-Sheng Lee and Pat O'Bryen. Softcover, 187 pages.
