Aquaculture and environment

site remediation, disease transfer between wild and cultured populations, and the impact of escape of cultured organisms into the wild and their interaction with wild populations.

Terrestrial systems present different types of environmental impacts that may need to be monitored and managed, such as energy use and waste disposal. Standardized sustainability indicators should be used to evaluate environmental performance. Specific objectives for aquaculture environmental management research programs should be considered:

9 Characterize the impact of aquaculture methods on the environment. Reference sites will be used.

9 Develop and evaluate mechanized harvesting methods to improve management efficiency, reduce labor costs and minimize environmental impact.

9 Develop standard geographic and relational databases integrating environmental monitoring with shellfish production data to track broodstock and larvae throughout the production chain.

9 Develop cost-effective methods to assess aquaculture sites and environmental performance that can predict the potential for negative impacts (e.g., benthic transfer, disease, or escape of organisms) and positive impacts (e.g., habitat creation, increased biodiversity).

9 Evaluate the adequacy of readily measurable indicators of aquaculture’s impact on the environment.

9 Develop and validate models of environmental performance and carrying capacity.

In addition to establishing the environmental conditions of the region, Systems Engineering and Support Systems should be considered, since some aquaculture systems will be of intensive conditions, and therefore increasingly depend on technological development considerations for life support engineering and waste treatment services, mechanization of management operations and risk reduction.

On the other hand, design specifications for waste treatment and life support systems will need to be clarified according to species and stage of development. Basic research on microbial processes and their relationship to water quality and target crop yields is also being addressed by researchers on a global scale. Establishing metrics to assess changes in biological resource use efficiency and ecological footprint can guide management improvements that impact production competitiveness.

In general, engineering needs are specific to the culture system, species, site and facilities that promote sustainable development of the aquaculture activity.