Potential of deep seawater mariculture for economic transformation in Sabah, Malaysia

A Malaysian state of Sabah is blessed with natural deep sea water (DSW). The presence of these DSW's offers a potential for OTEC power plant to be installed and operated using warm surface sea water (SSW) as a heat source and the cold DSW as a heat sink. In the operation, the power plant may need to spend a considerable amount of power to pump up the DSW. The cold DSW, after serving its function as coolant to the condenser of the power plant, apparently appears as cold waste-water and may pose a disposal problem to the environment. However, being very rich in nutrients, the used DSW instead create another valuable potential for secondary commercial activities in industries like mariculture, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, medicinal, temperate crop farming, district cooling, etc. all of which, if fully developed could offer a real economic transformation for the state of Sabah, as that experience by the Japanese Kumejima of Okinawa prefecture. This paper focuses on the discussion on the potential of DSW in enhancing the development of Sabah mariculture industry, party contribution towards accelerating the socioeconomic transformation of the state and the people

Prioritized Species for Mariculture in India

Mariculture holds tremendous potential for fulfilling the demand of fish, as a source of dietary protein in the country. Keeping this in hindsight, ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, for the past several years has been trying to transform the mariculture sector of the country. In India, the potential coastal water area available for mariculture includes about 8.9 million ha of inshore waters for open-sea farming and 1.7 million ha of estuaries, backwaters, brackishwater lakes and swamps. High valued finfishes, crustaceans, molluscs, seaweeds and other marine organisms, possessing high reproductive capacity, short larval development, fast rate of growth, and physiological features to adjust to wide changes in the environment are available in our coastal waters. A large number of unemployed and under-employed fishermen exists who could advantageously take up coastal aquaculture

Semi-closed circulation integrated multi-trophic aquaculture treatment system using aquatic organisms as biofilters to improve shrimp effluent quality

Rapid development of aquaculture industry has contributed to the degradation of the coastal environment, and the waterways receiving effluent discharged. The wastewater contains high amount of excess nutrients and total suspended solids (TSS). Shrimp wastewater is rich in excretory waste products because the cultured shrimps could assimilate only 23-31% nitrogen and 10-13% phosphorus of the total inputs. This significantly causes water quality deterioration, outbreaks of shrimp diseases and affect shrimp production. This study focused on biological treatment option using macroalgae to balance the negative impact to the ecosystem. Thereby, Gracilaria edulis and Ulva lactuca were selected and potential as biofilters to improve shrimp water quality has been tested and verified in several laboratory and outdoor tank-scale experiments. Biofiltration potential of macroalgae in outdoor tank shrimp wastewater recirculation system had demonstrated considerably high nutrient removal efficiencies for ammonium, nitrate and phosphate concentrations such as 86%, 53% and 78% for G. edulis and 70%, 42% and 90% for U. lactuca, respectively. Furthermore, semi-closed circulation integrated multitrophic aquaculture treatment system fabricated at outdoor of laboratory with integration of tiger shrimp cultivation and treatment units such as sedimentation tank, green lipped mussel in a spray tank cultivation system and macroalgae tank. Sedimentation tank, reduced TSS, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity by 40%, 22% and 43%, respectively. Mussel system depicted reduction of 65%, 67% and 54.0%, respectively. Whereas, macroalgae had presented remarkable removal efficiencies for ammonium, nitrate and phosphate concentrations by 98%, 79% and 89% for G. edulis and 85%, 63% and 96% for U. lactuca. Besides that, G. edulis had exhibited removal for total nitrogen (TN) by 40%. On the other hand, U. lactuca had shown greater removal for total phosphorus (TP) with 80% removal efficiency, followed by G. edulis by 62.0%. Tissue analysis had demonstrated that the final nitrogen content almost doubled than the initial value in both macroalgae. The final phosphorus content of the tissue in G. edulis has doubled and U. lactuca has shown an increase of about 1.5 times. In addition, the mean growth rate for G. edulis and U. lactuca were about 4.4 % d-1 and 3.7% d-1 respectively. The mean growth rate of shrimp in treatment tank was 1.31 ± 0.76 % d-1, doubled compared to control tank with 100% survival rate. Furthermore, maximum sustainable yield approach revealed the optimum macroalgae biomass for harvest to improve the performance of biofiltration capacity. Thus, G. edulis and U. lactuca are suitable as biofilters and potential applications of these findings include improvement of shrimp water quality to an acceptable level that ultimately enhance shrimp and macroalgae productivity besides produces an ecologically sustainable treatment and integrated system

Towards sustainable aquaculture in Southeast Asia and Japan : proceedings of the Seminar-Workshop on Aquaculture Development in Southeast Asia, Iloilo City, Philippines, 26-28 July 1994

Documents the presentations at ADSEA '94, the 3rd Seminar-Workshop on Aquaculture Development in Southeast Asia. ADSEA '94 includes reviews of the status of aquaculture development in Southeast Asia and Japan and of the researches conducted by Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) to contribute to this development. Topics on responsible aquaculture, mollusc and seaweed culture, integrated farming, shrimp culture, diseases, and health management, and transgenic fish were also discussed. It also lists the research areas of 20 or so commodities prioritized for research at AQD for 1995-1997

ADVANCES IN GROUPER AQUACULTURE

Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

An integral approach to the protection of the Malaysian marine environment against oil pollution : its impact on Akademy Laut Malaysia

This dissertation is a study of the various aspects of oil pollution in the Malaysian marine environment. The rich Malaysian maritime heritage provides the background and highlights the significance of the notable topic in question. The sensitive and high pollution potential areas are identified. This corresponds to the problems of piracy, vessel traffic management and the management of the marine biodiversity. The associated issues are examined to provide deeper understanding of the problems faced by the policy makers and their efforts to find appropriate solutions. The global marine environment protection framework is discussed and comparison made to the Malaysian scene. The major pollution incidents and the international regulatory responses are expounded. Development of legislation in recent years and its effect on training and education is reviewed, taking into consideration the varying views of the different parties involved in the maritime field. The configuration of a strategic oil spill contingency plan is deliberated with reference to the global perspective. The national and regional oil spill response capabilities are explored and analyzed, while the various approaches adopted by successful organizations in the protection of the marine environment against oil pollution are examined. Proposals and recommendations are made to improve the safety of navigation and protection of the Malaysian marine environment. A significant area addressed is the importance of training and education. This has coerced a direct impact on the pivotal role of Akademi Laut Malaysia in the integrated and professional approach required for the interest of sustainable development and the conservation of the seas and the coastal fringes of Malaysia

High growth rate using new type demand feeding system with image processing program and fish behavior.

Demand feeding system serves feeds to fish, when fish switch on feeders. Although demand feeding system has advantages, it still has problems, e.g. hierarchy problem of fish school and system learning period problem for fish. New type of demand feeding system was develop to solve these problems using fish behaviour and image processing system. At first, behaviour experiment was conducted using the image processing software Roborealm to obtain the optimum parameter for computer program. Through the behaviour experiment, two typical behaviour patterns were detected. When fish was hungry, fish group came to the water surface (H: parameter >63%), and when fish was not hungry, fish came to bottom (L: <45%) of fish tank. These two parameters were obtained and were put into the computer program in the workstation. HD Wi-Fi camera continuously recorded the real time fish behaviour in fish tank, and when fish group came to above the “H”, then the command was sent from workstation to microcomputer to send the order to feeding device to feed on. The results of feeding experiment showed this system could provide pellets to fish day and night time equally following fish behaviour. This feeding system could provide the pellets to fish based on fish requirements. The growth rate was higher than other feeding system (timer feeder and demand feeder using an infrared light sensor)

Urban coral reefs: Degradation and resilience of hard coral assemblages in coastal cities of East and Southeast Asia

© 2018 The Author(s) Given predicted increases in urbanization in tropical and subtropical regions, understanding the processes shaping urban coral reefs may be essential for anticipating future conservation challenges. We used a case study approach to identify unifying patterns of urban coral reefs and clarify the effects of urbanization on hard coral assemblages. Data were compiled from 11 cities throughout East and Southeast Asia, with particular focus on Singapore, Jakarta, Hong Kong, and Naha (Okinawa). Our review highlights several key characteristics of urban coral reefs, including “reef compression” (a decline in bathymetric range with increasing turbidity and decreasing water clarity over time and relative to shore), dominance by domed coral growth forms and low reef complexity, variable city-specific inshore-offshore gradients, early declines in coral cover with recent fluctuating periods of acute impacts and rapid recovery, and colonization of urban infrastructure by hard corals. We present hypotheses for urban reef community dynamics and discuss potential of ecological engineering for corals in urban areas

Linking biology and sustainable livelihoods to the proposed establishment of community -based Eucheumoid farming in southern Kenya

Philosophiae Doctor - PhDGrowth rates of three commercial eucheumoids: brown Eucheuma denticulatum and green and brown Kappaphycus alvarezii were studied at three sites (Gazi Bay, Kibuyuni and Mkwiro) in southern Kenya. The study was conducted using the fixed off-bottom rope technique over a 15 month period from August 2001 to October 2002, in 4 plots (5 m x 1.5 m) set up at each site. The brown E. denticulatum had the highest mean growth rate over the entire period of 4.7% day-I compared to the green and brown K. alvarezii which were 4.3% day l and 4.2% dayl, respectively. Mean relative growth rates were highest at Gazi (5.6% dayl), and lowest in Kibuyuni (3.2% day-I) with intermediate values of 4.8% dail at Mkwiro. Increased water motion was observed to increase thallus nitrogen and hence the growth of eucheumoids. The 'ice-ice' syndrome affected both brown E. denticulatum and brown K. alvarezii but not green K. alvarezii. Mean growth was higher during the southeast monsoon (4.7% day+) than during the northeast monsoon (4.0% dayl).The carrageenan characteristics of the three morphotypes were measured for 12 months. The highest carrageenan yield was obtained for green K. alvarezii (59.1% dry wt), whereas the average carrageenan yield for brown K. alvarezii was 56.5% dry wt and 56.6% dry wt for brown E. denticulatum. The plants at Gazi (58.0% dry wt) had a slightly, though significantly, higher carrageenan yield than both those at Kibuyuni (57.1 % dry wt) and Mkwiro (57.3% dry wt). However, from a commercial point of view the differences in carrageenan yields were not meaningful. Highest gel strengths were obtained in carrageenans from green K. alvarezii (1042.1 g cm") and brown K. alvarezii (1053.7 g ern"), whereas low values of 100.8 g ern" were obtained for brown E. denticulatum. The brown E. denticulatum had carrageenan with higher viscosity (81.7 mPa.s) and sulphate content (29.1% dry wt) than both green and brown K. alvarezii. The gel viscosities of all the morphotypes were higher during the southeast monsoon (67.3 mPa.s) than during the northeast monsoon (46.3 mPa.s) and were positively correlated with gel strengths.A survey was conducted among households in the three villages, from April to September 2001 to assess their socio-economic characteristics. There were 182 household heads interviewed; about 20% were women. Fishing was the main source of livelihood for about 48% of the household members. In 2001, the average monthly income for the surveyed households was Kshs. 9904 (1 US$=75 Kshs.), with about 67% having less than Kshs. 10 000. The average prevalence of poverty among the households surveyed was 45.1% with 38.8%,54.8% and 46.7% of households in Gazi, Kibuyuni and Mkwiro villages, respectively, living below the poverty line of Kshs. 1239 per month per adult person. An economic feasibility study for growing brown E. denticulatum and brown K. alvarezii in pilot farms of 0.1 ha was conducted at Gazi and Kibuyuni. A higher yield of 793 kg dry wt was obtained for plants grown at Gazi than those at Kibuyuni (793 kg dry wt). The net income derived from E. denticulatum was estimated at Kshs. 7549 annually in a 0.1 ha seaweed farm. A higher annual income of Kshs. 49 126 was generated from K. alvarezii. The rate of return on investment in farming E. denticulatum ranged from 15 to 63%, while 122 to 380% for K. alvarezii. The pay back period was shorter for the latter (0.3 to 0.7 years) than the former (1.2 to 2.7 years).A cross-sectoral policy analysis regarding legislation and policy relevant to the introduction and development of eucheumoid cultivation in Kenya, with particular reference to Kenyan legislation was conducted. The analysis showed that there is no system of promoting or regulating mariculture, though there are fragmented regulations that are scattered among the policies, Acts and regulations of various institutions. Such regulations were not designed specifically for mariculture and as a result they do not fully address the needs of mariculture. The establishment of a national mariculture development programme in Kenya is proposed as a means to develop and manage the farming of marine resources, including seaweeds

Larval rearing of Asian seabass using rotifer, protozoa, and Euplotes encysticus

Seed production of marine finfish in Malaysia is still facing problem particularly live feed for starter diet. Currently, aqua culturists use S or SS type rotifers, which have sizes from 100 to 200μm. Early stage larvae of some marine finfish species select feeds less than 100 μm. Protozoa is a collective term of aquatic microorganism that has been identified to be suitable live feed, as their body sizes are less than 100μm. Thus, the objective of this experiment is to compare the survival rates of Asian seabass larvae using four types of live feeds. Four types of live feed; rotifer, protozoa, E. encysticus, and mixed (rotifer, protozoa, and E. encysticus) were used in this experiment. The larvae were fed from 2 to 10 day-after-hatching. Asian seabass larvae were given the same amount of live feed in each larval rearing tank; twice a day. The feeding densities were 20 individual / mL for rotifers, protozoa, E. encysticus, and mixed group. Number of seabass larvae in each group was counted every day and their survival rates were determined. Starting from 3 DAH until 10 DAH, mixed group showed the higher survival rates than other groups. The most recommended live feed was mixed group