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Breeding and Rearing of Ornamental Organisms

With a trade volume of more than 15 billion US$ in the last decade, the ornamental trade has reached global dimensions. At the same time, coastal ecosystems such as coral reefs are being destroyed due to increases in fishing effort and catches of wild stocks. This project aims at contributing to the protection and sustainable use of coral reef and mangrove resources. In particular, a decrease of stress and mortality during transport and successful breeding and rearing of selected species will improve management of the ornamental trade by reducing the need for fishing on wild stocks.

A main goal of this project is to achieve progress in three areas: improved water quality, management of brood stock and identification of nutrition requirements. Presently, research has focused on the rearing of clownfish, giant clams and sea cucumbers, and emphasises the development of simple, low-cost techniques and equipment for small hatcheries.

Production of algae with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)

Microalgae are primary producers and the basis of marine food webs. Few other food items contain such a variety of nutrients, fatty acids, vitamins, proteins, minerals and trace elements. Above all, they contain highly unsaturated fatty acids, which are extremely important nutrients for human growth and development. Marine fish accumulate these fatty acids through uptake of plankton.

A main goal of this project is to increase the concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in cultured microalgae. Several algae species are cultivated under varying environmental conditions in order to optimise production. Emphasis is on the uptake of nutrients from effluents of shrimp aquaculture and improving algal harvest with the help of specialised immobilisation techniques.

Diversification and quality improvement of zooplankton for high-value rearing of marine fish larvae (ILAR, Improved Larval Rearing)

The successful breeding of marine fish larvae is a key factor in aquaculture and can also be used for the recovery of wild fish stocks. Explicit knowledge is necessary to manage high growth and survival rates of the offspring. Especially during the extremely sensitive larval phase from hatching to metamorphosis, water quality, food supply and hygiene have to fulfill high standards. Many current research projects focus on the complete maintenance of larvae with high quality food. A “natural” food supply in terms of living zooplankton enriched with microalgae is desirable for the high requirements of larvae with regard to nutrient supply, quality and external stimuli of the food.

The main objective of this project is the qualitative and quantitative high-value rearing of marine fish larvae focusing on the diversification of living zooplankton used as food source. The food needs to fulfill the ecological and biological requirements of the larvae. Furthermore, the application of probiotic bacteria, positively influencing the food quality as well as the conditions within the rearing water is of major interest.