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Aquaculture
HPL Finfish Aquaculture Program
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The finfish and general aquaculture program at the Horn Point Laboratory conducts research and outreach in many aspects of aquaculture with emphasis on fish hatchery technology and restoration and aquatic plant and nutrient management. Specific research efforts address priority needs of the Maryland and regional aquaculture industry and environmental health and restoration issues of native fish species including striped bass, sturgeon and yellow perch.
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Personnel
Andrew Lazur, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist
Erin Markin, Faculty Research Assistant
Angie Hengst, Faculty Research Assistant
Reginal M. Harrell, Adjunct Professor and Regional Extension Director
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The
Importance of Aquaculture
Of the annual worldwide harvest of about 100 million metric tons (over 220 billion pounds) of finfish and shellfish, approximately 25% comes from aquaculture. In the United States, aquaculture accounts for about 13% of all the seafood consumed. In 2002, U.S. production ( USDA Census of aquaculture) was approximately 1 billion pounds of product valued at $1.133 billion to producers. In Maryland, aquatic plants for the water garden industry or restoration and mitigation markets and goldfish and koi are the top aquaculture sectors followed by shellfish and foodfish and account for annual sales of approximately $6 million. Farm-raised fish and plants offer many advantages:
a) they reduce or eliminate the necessity for capture or collection of wild stocks;
b) they are relatively free of toxins, heavy metals, and diseases that normally accumulate in wild fish; and
c) they provide for greater consistency in size, supply and quality.In addition to food and ornamental products production, aquacultured fish and plants can be used to restore or enhance populations of endangered species, restore aquatic environments, and provide for water quality enhancement in constructed water management facilities. |
