Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

SS34 Impacts of Aquaculture and Mariculture

Date: Thursday, February 15, 2001, Time: 10:30:00 AM

Location: Sandia/Santa Ana

Watts, J, L, Dept. of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, USA, jlwatts@ucdavis.edu

Conklin, D, E, Dept. of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, USA, deconklin@ucdavis.edu

Muhlia-Melo, A, , Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas del Noroeste, La Paz, Mexico, amuhlia@cibnor.mx

USE OF SIMULATION MODELING TO PREDICT DISSOLVED OXYGEN LEVELS AND WASTE DISPERSAL NEAR FISH CAGES IN A SUB-TROPICAL COASTAL LAGOON IN BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR

We present preliminary results from a model being developed to trace waste nutrients in a prototype fish/bivalve polyculture system deployed in a sub-tropical coastal lagoon near La Paz, Baja California Sur. Here we focus on the movement of waste materials originating from the cage by incorporating into the model data on water movement and oxygen levels at the fish cages and at a reference site. By manipulating parameters such as temperature, tidal stage and fish biomass, we use the model to predict how oxygen is depleted in water passing through the fish cage. Ultimately, we will incorporate into the model empirical data for nitrogenous waste production from the fish, nitrogen uptake by phytoplankton, and bivalve growth and feeding behavior to describe how waste nutrients are assimilated into the local environment near fish cages and predict the efficiency with which filter-feeding bivalves are able to utilize wastes. We will validate the model using a fish feed formulated to have a unique stable isotopic signature that can be used to trace feed wastes into bivalves cultivated near the fish cages.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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