Submerged cage culture of fish in supersaturated thermal effluent. 8. Annu. Meet. World Mariculture Society; San Jose (Costa Rica); 9 Jan 1977

• Main Authors: Chamberlain G, Strawn K Ayles GB, Brett JR
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: 1977
• Subjects: abundance; ASW,USA,Texas; Atlantic croaker; Atmospheric; brackishwater aquaculture; Cage culture; Chaetodipterus faber; Death; feeding; fish; fish culture; Galveston Bay; growth; growth rate; Lagodon rhomboides; Leiostomus xanthurus; Micropogon undulatus; Mortality; Mugil cephalus; organisms; Pinfish; Pogonias cromis; Q1 01582 Fish culture; Red drum; Sciaenops ocellata; Survival; Temperature; Texas; thermal aquaculture; USA; water; water temperature; winter; San Jose
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1969.3/23183

-645 A primary drawback for cage culture in heated effluent has been extensive mortalities due to gas bubble disease. This malady, endemic to power plant effluent, is caused by supersaturation of atmospheric gases in water. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of hydrostatic pressure as a possible remedy for gas bubble disease in the discharge canal of a Galveston Bay, Texas, steam-electric plant. Seven estuarine fishes, pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides), spot (Leiostomus xanthurus), Atlantic croaker (Micropogon undulatus), black drum (Pogonias cromis), red drum (Sciaenops ocellata), Atlantic spade-fish (Chaetodipterus faber), and striped mullet (Mugil cephalus), were caged at the surface and bottom of the 3 m-deep discharge canal where total gas saturation frequently exceeded 120% during winter months. Survival in surface cages averaged 1% after 2 weeks, while survival in bottom cages averaged 81% after 12 weeks. No supplemental food was allotted, but an abundance of small organisms was continually sluiced down the discharge canal through the cages. Winter growth rates generally surpassed those of comparable species cultured elsewhere in the cooling water system at ambient temperature and fed a prepared ration. As discharge water temperature approached 35 degree C, growth rates declined. Other factors affecting growth were cage mesh size, species type, and size of individuals. All fish were maintained in the heated effluent until thermal death to determine the upper lethal temperature limits. These results indicate that submerged cage culture in power plant effluent might offer a significant savings to the culturist by increasing winter growth rates without the expense of feeding http://gbic.tamug.edu/request.htm