Republic of the Philippines

Central Luzon State University

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING

Laboratory Exercise 3
ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
FOR AQUACULTURE SYSTEM

Prepared by:

ELIGADO, JOEY PEPE R.

Student

Submitted to:

ENGR. ELMAN TORRES

Instructor

Date Submitted:

NOVEMBER 18, 2019

I. INTRODUCTION

Aquaculture is dependent on the environment hence there is a cyclic relationship between

them such that the environment affects aquaculture while aquaculture also impacts the
environment. Basically, environmental factors as they affect aquaculture can be managed through
proper site selection but environmental hazards that occur as a result of weather and climate are
often deleterious to aquaculture. Furthermore, anthropogenic activities also place some form of
stress on aquaculture and the aquatic organisms under culture with concomitant effects on humans
who in the first place caused the upset. These are considered as challenges to aquaculture (Mazur
and Curtis 2006).
The environment limits the ability to culture certain species or adopt certain aquaculture
practices. This is particularly true considering the fact that culture of cold water species like trout
is difficult in the tropics and culture of marine species in land locked areas is also difficult. This
notwithstanding, control of the environment for aquaculture of certain species can be achieved
considering their plasticity.
According to Shang and Tisdell (1997), sustainable aquaculture as affected by the
environment occurs at two fronts: the local or farm level and the wide society level. We categorize
threats from the environment to aquaculture under three broad classes following Lawson.

All forms of food production, like any other human activity, affect the environment in one
way or another. Some of these may be considered beneficial, while others are not consistent with
long-term preservation of natural ecosystems. Disturbance to the balance of nature is a recognized
phenomenon, but as long as the pressures on the environment remain within sustainable limits that
permit continuing natural adjustment, no major conflicts are recognized. The combination of
population increases and major multiple demands on natural resources as a result of agricultural
and industrial development in the recent past has focused world attention on the need to retain life-
support systems and the amenities of land, water and air for the enjoyment and wellbeing of future
generations. The degree and intensity of concern are generally in direct proportion to the extent of
exploitation of resources and industrial development. This has obviously contributed to the
emergence of environmental concern as a major socio-economic and political force in the
industrialized world.
 However, environmental effects do not conform to political or geographic boundaries and,
therefore, the concept of a global environment is gaining ground. The need to learn from the
experience of ecologically unsustainable development and to prevent its repetition on a global
basis has been generally accepted, even though in the developing parts of the world there is a
conflict of priorities. The need for rapid economic development, increasing food production for
feeding the fast-expanding human population and developing physical infrastructure and amenities
to improve the standard of living all have very high priority in developing countries. In the complex
and conflicting situation in which resource management decisions have to be made, neither
complete destruction of the natural environment nor complete avoidance of resource exploitation
can be practical. A logical course would, therefore, be a balance between rational use, conservation
and preservation in order to optimize man’s use of natural resources on a long-term basis. In the
global context of the environmental impact of human activities and interference, such as
agriculture, habitation, industry, infrastructure development etc., the contribution of aquaculture
is undoubtedly small.

Because of the stringent water quality and environmental requirements of aquatic farms,
aqua culturists seldom recognized the possibility of aquaculture being considered a polluter of the
environment. In the type of farming that was being practiced, quality of water released from the
farms was often much better than that of the inflow from natural sources. Many traditional fish
culture systems functioned as efficient means of recycling agricultural and domestic wastes, and
thus contributed to the abatement of environmental pollution.

Though an ancient practice, aquaculture has a weak scientific base, and much of the
research so far has been directed to the development of production technologies and the
management of environmental conditions within aquaculture farms. However, as a result of public
concern over the environmental impact of coastal farming, a number of studies have been
undertaken, especially in Europe, to determine the source and nature of effluents discharged from
fish farms and their fate in the receiving waterways. Extensive discussions and assessments of the
effects of reclaiming mangrove swamps have also been undertaken. Besides these, the environ-
mental impacts of other aquaculture practices, such as the introduction of exotic species for stock
enhancement, use of chemicals and water use patterns, have also received some scientific attention.
An effort is to bring together the available information to facilitate environmental impact
assessments and development actions and to focus attention on the need for critical studies on the
impact of all types of aquaculture system in relevant geographic and climatic conditions.

II. OBJECTIVES

After performing the exercise, the student should be able to:

1. To identify the environmental requirements for different aquaculture system

III. PROCEDURES

A. Answered the following guide questions.

1. Identify the environmental requirements of the following major aquaculture system in

the Philippines.

Environmental Milkfish Prawn Tilapia Oyster Mussel

Requirements Culture Culture Culture Culture Farming
Dissolved
Oxygen Level
Temperature
Salinity
pH level
Lethal Carbon
Dioxide
Concentration
Lethal
Ammonia
Level
 2. Describe and give the details of methods of controlling or correcting the following
environmental problems of aquaculture system.

 Pesticide toxicity
 Supersaturation
 Temperature Extremes
 Off Flavor
 Dissolved Oxygen Depletion
 Carbon Dioxide Toxicity
 Nitrite Toxicity
 Ammonia Toxicity

IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSION

The Environmental Requirements of the Following Major Aquaculture System

Environmental Milkfish Prawn Tilapia Oyster Mussel
Requirements Culture Culture Culture Culture Farming
Dissolved
4 - 11 ppm 5 - 7 ppm 4 mg/L 7.5mg/L 5 mg/L
Oxygen Level
Temperature 25- 34°C 26- 30°C 28- 30 °C –1.8 -35 °C 27–30 °C
Salinity 15 - 25 ppt 20-30 ppt 15 ppt 35 ppt 27–35 ppt
pH level 8.0 7.8 to 8.5 6 to 9 7.4 7.7 to 8.4
Lethal Carbon
Dioxide 15-20% 20 mg/L 40 mg/L <15mg/L <76mg/L
Concentration
Lethal
Ammonia 21 - 20 ppm 0.5 mg/L 0.08 mg/L 1 mg/L 0.011 mg/L
Level
Environmental Problems of Aquaculture System
Pesticide Toxicity

• Symptoms

– May be an acute die off.

– Small fish die before large fish.

– Zooplankton affected only.

• Treatment

– Add fresh water immediately

• Causes

– Runoff from agriculture lands

– Aerial spraying

– Vandalism

Supersaturation

• Causes

– Water from deep wells

– Water from below dams or water fall

– Ventura pumps

– Water lines leaking

– Phytoplankton blooms (oxygen supersaturation)

– Ice melting (nitrogen supersaturation)

• Symptoms

– May be an acute die off.

 – Usually affects small fish first

– Air bubbles appear in skin, fins, gills and eyes of fish.

– Popeye (exophthalmia) appears.

– Smaller air bubbles collect in water on sides of tanks and on objects in tanks.

• Treatment

– Reduce total gas pressure to less than 110%.

– Repair leaky pipes.

– Treat excessive algae blooms with copper sulfate.

Temperature Extremes

• Causes

– Excess heating or cooling of water

– Excessively warm water causes mortality in trout

– Excessively cool water causes mortality in tilapia and other tropical fish

– Water outside optimal growing range

• Symptoms

– Loss of appetite.

– Loss of equilibrium.

– Acute mortality

• Treatment

– Maintain temperature at desired range.

– Flush freshwater into ponds.

Dissolved Oxygen Depletions

• Causes

– Algae dying

– Overstocking

– Overfeeding

– Cloudy or rainy weather (pond turnover)

– Equipment failure

• Symptoms

– Fish go off feed

– Fish gasping for air at the surface

– Change in water color from green to a brownish color Large fish die first

• Treatment

– Monitor DO levels = Key!

– Use emergency aeration-one hp per surface acre using pure oxygen in tanks

– Flush with fresh oxygenated water

– Stop feeding until levels increase

Carbon Dioxide Excess

• Causes

– High stocking densities

– Algae respiration

– Chemically produced with low pH

• Symptoms
 – Listless or lazy fish at surface of pond

– Similar to low DO, except may occur anytime during the day

• Treatment

– Use agitators

– Control excessive photosynthesis

– Add carbonate buffers

Off Flavor

• Causes

– In ponds, it is caused by chemicals found in various bacteria and algae, especially

the blue-green algae.

– In recirculating systems, it is possibly caused by chemicals found in the nitrifying

and heterotrophic bacteria.

– Both causes are results of high organic load resulting from feeding rates.

– Off flavor is most common in late summer

• Symptoms

– Fish may have musky, moldy or earthy tastes

• Treatment

– Holding fish in fresh water prior to marketing may help

– Using smaller ponds or tanks may increase chances of having some fish
on flavor
Ammonia Toxicity

• Causes

– Nitrification

– Death of algae

– Decomposition of fish waste

– -Decomposition of uneaten food

– -Decomposition of bacteria

– Breakdown of chloramines

• Symptoms

– Fish swim erratically.

– Fish may quiver when netted

• Treatment

– Reduce pH.

– Reduce temperature.

– Decrease stocking density.

– Use biological filtration

– Flush in fresh water

V. CONCLUSION
Aquaculture is a rapidly growing food production sector with level of
intensification and number of people involved in the industry also increasing. In the wake
of its expansion, there has been negligence on the part of operators that created
environmental and ecological problems. Aquaculture can be a threat to genetic diversity,
water quality, general ecology, health and natural resources. This notwithstanding, the
 environment can also impact negatively on aquaculture. Sustainable aquaculture holds the
key to mitigating the threats posed by aquaculture while also ensuring that this important
food producing sector remains very productive. Several approaches must be used in order
to ensure that aquaculture does not impact negatively on the environment.
Conclusively, since aquaculture can have adverse effects on the environment, it is
highly desirable to understand and predict these impacts so that remedial actions can be
taken to keep these consequences in check and within allowable thresholds. Continuous
monitoring of aquaculture sites and zones by regulators is also important since it will lead
to appropriate interventions when they are needed so as to foster environmental wellbeing,
ecological integrity, desirable food quality attributes, and social security.

VI. REFERENCES

ABE 514. Aquaculture Engineering Lecture 3. Environmental Requirements. College of

Engineering, Central Luzon State University.

Dabi, Michael & Dzorvakpor, Sheena. (2015). The Impact of Aquaculture on the Environment: A
Ghanaian Perspective. The International Journal of Science and Technoledge. 3. 106-113.

K R, Salin & Ataguba, Gabriel. (2018). Aquaculture and the Environment: Towards Sustainability.
10.1007/978-3-319-73257-2_1.

T.V.R. Pillay. (2015). Aquaculture and the Environment Second edition. Retrieved from
https://www.slideshare.net/ssuserd95617/aquaculture-and-the-environment-44113414