Co-culture of dulse Palmaria mollis and red abalone Haliotis rufescens under limited flow conditions

doi:10.1016/S0044-8486(99)00342-7

Aquaculture

Volume 185, Issues 1–2, 2 May 2000, Pages 137-158

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0044-8486(99)00342-7 Get rights and content

Abstract

A series of experiments was conducted to determine factors limiting the stocking density and growth rates of red abalone in a co-culture system with the macroalgae dulse (Palmaria mollis). Co-culture conditions were altered by varying the degree of artificial illumination (0 h, 12 h at night, and 24 h d⁻¹ in addition to ambient sunlight) used to supplement ambient sunlight and water volume exchange rate (1, 6, or 35 d⁻¹). Rates of dulse production, dulse consumption by abalone, ammonia uptake by dulse and ammonia excretion by abalone were measured seasonally over 1 year. Abalone growth rates under co-culture conditions were measured. Maximum abalone stocking densities within the co-culture system were first limited by the amount of algae available for abalone consumption, and then by the capacity of the algae to absorb ammonia excreted by abalone. Degree of supplemental illumination, water volume exchange rate, and abalone body weight all affected maximum stocking densities within the co-culture system. The growth rates of abalone fed dulse grown under all co-culture conditions (range: 112–132 μm shell length d⁻¹) compared favorably with that of abalone fed on other algal and artificial diets. Both duration of supplemental illumination and water volume exchange rate affected abalone growth. Overall, the co-culture of dulse and abalone provides the farmer with a reliable supply of nutritious abalone food while ensuring high water quality through uptake of excreted ammonia by the dulse.

Introduction

The abalone aquaculture industry along the eastern Pacific is located in areas that support an abundance of wild kelp (Macrocystis spp. or Nereocystis luetkeana). These brown macroalgae are easily harvested feed for land-based and offshore abalone farms Hahn, 1989, McBride, 1998. Kelp supports relatively slow abalone growth rates, typically 30–60 μm shell length (SL) d⁻¹ Ebert and Houk, 1984, Trevelyan et al., 1998, and limits the geographic expansion of the abalone industry to sites where kelp can be harvested in large quantities (Ebert, 1992). Further, governmental regulation Mercer et al., 1993, McBride, 1998 and natural events, such as El Niño Ebert, 1992, McBride, 1998, may reduce availability of harvested kelp.

As an alternative to the collection of wild algae, we investigated the potential of cultivating the nutritious macroalgae dulse (Palmaria mollis) with the red abalone in a land-based co-culture system. Dulse was determined to be an ideal candidate for land-based production due to ease of culture, rapid growth rate and capacity to absorb dissolved nutrients (Levin, 1991). In addition, Buchal et al. (1998) found dulse to be highly nutritious, supporting abalone growth rates of up to 3.8 mm SL month⁻¹.

Ideally, in a self-sustaining co-culture system, abalone would consume dulse and release both ammonia and carbon dioxide as waste. Dissolved abalone waste products would then be absorbed by the dulse, with inorganic carbon and nitrogen being assimilated into growing dulse tissue (Fig. 1). Traditional land-based abalone farms maintain water quality via rapid water exchange rates, which flush metabolic and other waste products from the culture system. By contrast, dulse serves not only as a food source in co-culture, but also as an in situ biofilter. Therefore, dulse maintains water quality (i.e., absorbs ammonia) within the co-culture system, allowing water flushing rates to be minimized and operating costs reduced. Macroalgae have previously been reported to effectively reduce nutrients in aquaculture effluents (e.g., Cohen and Neori, 1991, Shpigel et al., 1993, Krom et al., 1995, Neori et al., 1996.

Maximum abalone stocking density within such a co-culture system could be limited by (1) the amount of algae available for abalone to consume, and (2) the capacity of the algae to absorb ammonia excreted by the abalone. Both limitations can be addressed by increased algal production rates which would supply more algae as fodder and increase dissolved nutrient uptake rates Neori et al., 1991, Magnusson et al., 1994, Braud and Amat, 1996. Locations that lack year-round abundant natural sunlight, such as the Pacific Northwest, may require supplemental artificial illumination to enhance algal production and therefore abalone yield.

This paper describes a series of experiments conducted at the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC), Newport, Oregon, USA, which were designed to determine limiting factors affecting the stocking density of red abalone in a co-culture system with dulse. Experiments were carried out during Fall (August–October, 1996), Winter (November 1996–January 1997), Spring (March–April 1997), and Summer (May–July, 1997) because season-dependent factors such as water temperature and solar radiation are major parameters affecting the co-culture system. Finally, the growth rates of abalone within the co-culture system were measured.

Section snippets

Dulse production

Dulse was collected from Fidalgo Bay, Washington, USA, and maintained at HMSC until used in experiments. Dulse rosettes were cultured in 110-l cylindrical polyethylene tanks filled with UV-filtered seawater and kept in suspension via vigorous aeration. All culture tanks were partially immersed in seawater baths to reduce daily temperature fluctuations and to minimize temperature differences among treatments caused by different seawater exchange rates. All experiments were conducted under

Dulse production

Water volume exchange rate had a positive effect on algal production (Fig. 2) in Fall, Spring, and Summer (ANOVA, P<0.01), but not in Winter (ANOVA, P>0.05). The greatest effect of flow was seen during Summer when productivity increased from 123 g wet wt m⁻² d⁻¹ in the 24 h/1× treatment to 414 g wet wt m⁻² d⁻¹ in the 24 h/35× treatment. Dulse production in Winter, however, only increased from 237 g wet wt m⁻² d⁻¹ in the 24/1× treatment to 320 g wet wt m⁻² d⁻¹ in the 24 h/35× treatment.

Duration

Discussion

The biomass of abalone that can be sustained by the present co-culture system is dependent on rate of dulse production, and therefore dependent on total daily PAR and water volume exchange rate. P. mollis in the present study, cultured with 35 water volume exchanges d⁻¹, showed a positive linear relationship between productivity (g wet wt m⁻² d⁻¹) and total daily PAR. Similarly, Lignell et al. (1987) observed the rhodophyte Gracilaria secundata, tumbled in culture via vigorous aeration, grew in

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Gunther Rosen, Carl Demetropoulos, and Yu Shinmyo for help in collecting water samples, culturing dulse and measuring abalone. Ambient light data were provided by John Chapman, EPA, Newport, Oregon. Thanks to Dr. Susan C. McBride for review of the manuscript. Juvenile abalone were purchased from The Cultured Abalone, Goleta, California. This research was supported by grant number AQ 96.077-7319-05 from the National Coastal Resource Research and Development

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Co-culture of dulse Palmaria mollis and red abalone Haliotis rufescens under limited flow conditions

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Dulse production

Dulse production

Discussion

Acknowledgements

Aquaculture

Aquaculture

Aquaculture

Aquaculture

Aquat. Bot.

Aquaculture

Aquaculture

Aquaculture

Consumption, absorption efficiency, respiration and excretion in the South African abalone Haliotis midae

S. Afr. J. Mar. Sci.

Ionization of ammonia in seawater: effects of temperature, pH, and salinity

J. Fish. Res. Board Can.

Chrodrus crispus (Gigartinaceae, Rhodophyta) tank cultivation: optimizing carbon input by a fixed pH and use of a salt water well

Hydrobiologia

Ulva lactuca biofilters for marine fishpond effluents: I. Ammonia uptake kinetics and nitrogen content

Bot. Mar.

Nutritional studies of two red algae: I. Growth rate as a function of nitrogen source and concentration

J. Phycol.

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Bot. Mar.

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Animal Physiology

Handbook of Culture of Abalone and Other Marine Gastropods