( nc. discovered that lobster larvae by ...)New project aims to make large-scale lobster farms feasible

nc., discovered that lobster larvae by the thousands happened to be settling on large submerged cages the company uses to raise fish. The cages, anchored in 100 feet of water, are about 50 feet high by 80 feet in diameter, making for a total of 12,000 square feet of lobster larvae-snagging surface area.

In 2004, with $50,000 in funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Small Business Innovation Research program, the company began working with Harbor Branch's aquaculture program and other groups to determine if commercial-scale quantities of larvae could be collected from the cages.

The team found that up to 400 larvae per month could be collected--enough for testing commercial feasibility of raising the lobsters to market size. They have now received Phase II funding from NOAA for two years totaling $200,000 to explore techniques for gathering even more larvae, to study open water and land-based methods for raising the larvae to adulthood, and to begin developing possible feeds for the lobster. Small-scale lobster culturing has been possible using cast off parts of conch and other species from seafood processing plants and elsewhere, but this is not an economic option at larger scales. A final goal of the new project will be to determine if increased availability of lobster might make higher-value options, such as selling live lobster or whole lobster, possible.

Over the next six months, scientists from Harbor Branch, Snapperfarm, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service in Puerto Rico, the Florida Sea Grant Program in Ft. Pierce, and the University of Miami will be working in Puerto Rico to construct lobster larvae collectors and determine the best design and placement locations on the cages; to set up submerged lobster enclosures and refuges referred to as casitas for raising juveniles; and to begin raising lobster in troughs on land. Work to develop a lobster feed that could ultimately be marketed to a lobster aq
'"/>

Source:Harbor Branch

Page: 1 2 3
Related biology news :

1. RNA project to create language for scientists worldwide
2. Disease diagnosis, biodefense among UH chemical research projects
3. New Scripps Oceanography project to study sediments and ecosystem restoration in Venice lagoon
4. ‘Blue Brain?project explores thought at molecular level
5. Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative funds Yale project
6. US/African project deciphers deadly parasite genome
7. Virtual microscopy project wins educational technology award
8. St. Jude projects 90 percent cure rate for ALL
9. UCLA study of community health project shows how group dynamics affect fitness, eating habits
10. Large-scale genomics project will hunt genes behind common childhood diseases
11. Ground spider diversity studied in research project