Blue-Green Algae Management in Aquaculture
Blue-Green Algae Management in Aquaculture
Blue-Green Algae Management in Aquaculture
February 2008
This brochure describes the nutrient dynamics and growth of blue-green algae in intensive aquaculture ponds, and their impact on water quality and aquaculture production. It also describes how a novel natural product Phoslock successfully removes PO4 (an essential nutrient of blue-green algae) from aquaculture ponds and controls their growth by sustained limitation.
Phoslock the best environmentally friendly solution for controlling bluegreen algae and improving water quality in the aquaculture ponds
Figure 1: Three different phytoplankton growth strategies and their resulting cellular N:P ratios (Arrigo 2005).
The optimal N:P ratio will vary from 8.2 to 45.0, depending on the ecological conditions. Nitrogen-fixing species (e.g. nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae) often have a higher N:P stoichiometry than non-fixing species. For example nitrogen-fixing, Trichodesmium blooms have N:P ratios ranging from 42 to 125. The differences in N:P ratios between phyla and super families are also significantly different. For example, green algae required N:P ~30 whereas diatom required ~10 and Dinophyceae required ~12 (Quigg et al. 2003) and red algae required N:P ~10 (Arrigo 2005).
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A large portion of nutrients from fish feed is chemically or biologically transformed and then released into the water and taken up by the algae (including blue-green algae), resulting in the excessive production of algae. Because of static pond systems and high amounts of nutrients added daily, algal blooms are encouraged to grow and proliferate. Blue-green algae are advantageous over other algae because of their ability to control buoyancy to access areas of increased nutrients and light. Therefore, their growth rate is much higher than other non-harmful algae in aquaculture ponds. Although phytoplankton/algae are important to the aquatic food chains because they are primary producers, blue-green algae are generally not eaten by other aquatic organisms, because they produce secondary metabolites (e.g. toxins). Therefore, blue-green algae are not an important part of the aquatic food chain and food web. Uneaten excessive blue-green algae can produce blooms in aquaculture ponds (Figure 2).
Predatory fish
Small fish
Zooplankton
Food Chain
Food Web
Figure 2. Food chain and food web in aquatic ecosystems. A food chain is the flow of energy from one organism to the next and a food web extends the food chain concept from a simple linear pathway to a complex network of interactions. Algae are the base of aquatic food chain and food web. Blue-green algae are not eaten by zooplankton or fish, because they produce toxins. Uneaten blue-green algae produce blooms in aquaculture ponds.
Blue-green algal blooms in aquaculture ponds are also promoted by zooplanktons predatory activity. The relationship between algae and their zooplanktonic predators typically involves consumption of nutrients by algae, grazing of the algae by zooplankton which in turn enhances predator biomass, controls algal growth and regenerates nutrients. However, the daily feed supply for aquaculture raises nutrient levels, but does not simply increase normal predatorprey activity; rather, harmful algal bloom events develop often with serious ecological and aesthetic implications. In the absence of the predator (zooplankton or fish), the non-harmful algal species outgrow the harmful algal species and inhibit its growth. However, in the presence of the predator (e.g. zooplankton, fish or prawns in aquaculture ponds) it completely overturns by grazing out the non-harmful species, for which it demonstrates a preference (Figure 3). The dynamics of regeneration of the limiting nutrients versus nutrient consumption by algae is critical for bloom formation, as is the role of predators that exhibit prey selectivity (eat harmless algae only). When the supply of limiting nutrients exceeds the demand, the harmful algal biomass increases but nutrient status and palatability remain depressed (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Simulation of interactions in algal bloom formation promoted by predator activity. Experimental data (symbols) and model output (lines) describe the predator-prey interactions. The harmful algal species (open circles, thick line) becomes unpalatable (harmful) to the predator (closed squares, thin line) when nutrientstressed and hence not predated. The non-harmful algal species (closed circles, dashed lines) remains palatable when nutrient-stressed (Mitra & Flynn, 2006).
Blue-green algae produce taste and odour compounds and cause off-flavour problems
The objectionable odours or tastes detected in aquaculture products are referred as off-flavour. Off-flavour is one of the most economically significant problems encountered in catfish and prawn aquaculture. Most common earthy and musty off-flavours are caused primarily to the absorption of odorous compounds (such as geosmin (GSM) and 2-methylisoborneol (2MIB)) from the water through skin and gills. These compounds accumulate in the fatty tissue of the aquaculture species. These odorous compounds are metabolites produced by certain species of blue-green algae. Off-flavour problems cause inconsistent product quality that may adversely affect consumer demand and ultimately, hinder industry development and decrease profits for producers and processors by increasing production costs. Up to 80% of harvestable catfish can have an off-flavour during any one year (Rimando & Schrader, 2003).
Figure 4. Geosmin (GSM) and 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) produced by certain species of blue-green algae and pass through skin and gills of aquaculture species and accumulate in the fatty tissues of fish or prawn heads (Rimando & Schrader, 2003).
Off-flavour is common in catfishes, but also occurs in penaeid shrimp. Offflavour compounds are soluble in lipid and tend to concentrate in shrimp heads. Geosmin also found to be the main compound associated with the seasonal occurrence of earthy-taints in UK farmed trout.
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Currently there is no non-toxic, sustainable method to control blue-green algae in aquaculture ponds. However, using chemical algicides (copper sulfate and certain chelated or complexed copper products) may prevent bluegreen algae. But copper algicides are not suited to aquaculture. They are not selectively toxic to odour-producing blue-green algae. Copper also interacts strongly with other water quality variables, and one important consequence of those interactions is that copper products become more toxic to fish and algae as water hardness and alkalinity decrease. Copper sulfate treatments cause poor water quality. Increased aeration is required in copper treated ponds than in untreated ponds. Copper can accumulate in the sediments of treated ponds, with a relatively large fraction of the copper in the sediment initially present in a potentially bioavailable form. In addition, due to their potential adverse environmental impacts, there may be local regulations in place restricting the use of algicides. Eradicating algal blooms may not improve the situation and could potentially make the problem worse in the near term. Treatment of ponds with algicide chemicals can result in beneficial algae also being removed. Algicides or chlorination may cause the algal cells to burst and this can cause toxins to be released into the water. In addition, when algae decompose, the phosphorus stored in the algal cells is released into the water. The released phosphorus is available to fuel new algae growth.
What is Phoslock
Phoslock is a natural product which controls and manages blue-green algae in aquaculture ponds in environmentally friendly and sustainable way. Phoslock is produced from modified bentonite clay that was invented and developed by the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) Land and Water Division, Australia to significantly reduce the amount of bioavailable phosphorus (Filterable Reactive Phosphorus (FRP) or Soluble Reactive Phosphorus (SRP)) present in the water column and in the sediment pore water of a water body.
Phoslock was applied in the prawn aquaculture ponds at a Malaysian aquaculture farm on a trial basis. Results demonstrated that Phoslock (both 5 ppm and 10 ppm) significantly reduced phosphate in prawn ponds (Figure 6). Phoslock (both 10 & 5 ppm) reduced phosphate concentrations to zero after a few applications. The zero concentration of PO4 was sustained for more than 30 days after the application of Phoslock stopped. It started to increase after day 68 because all of the available sites on the product were exhausted. To stop this from occurring and to combat the large amounts of PO4 accumulating in the pond, the Phoslock should have also been applied between day 31 and 68.
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PHOSPHATE LEVEL
3.50
J2-3 (5 ppm)
J2-4 (Untreated)
Days of culture
Figure 6. The concentrations of phosphate (ppm) in the Phoslock treated and untreated (control) ponds. Phoslock applied on six different days, up to day 31 of the culture period.
The Phoslock treated ponds showed improved water quality, increased prawn survival rates and increased average body weights (Figure 7). The survival rate of prawns was significantly higher in the 10 ppm Phoslock treated ponds (J2-2) compared to the untreated (J2-4) and 5 ppm (J2-3) treated ponds. It was acknowledged by the farm that the prawns in the 5 ppm pond (J2-3) had been affected by disease, hence the significantly lower survival rate.
Figure 7. The survival rate of prawns in the Phoslock treated and untreated (control) ponds up to day 65 of culture.
At present, there are two ongoing large scale Phoslock trials - one in Australia and one in Indonesia. Four different dose rates of Phoslock are being used in these trials and the product will be applied up to the end of the prawn growout season. We are expecting more comprehensive results showing Phoslocks capability of controlling blue-green algae, improving water quality and increased prawn production from these two trials.
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Potential application of Phoslock in the catfish aquculture ponds to control off-flavour problems The off-flavour problem is a considerable economic burden to the U.S. catfish aquaculture industry (Channel catfish) and other aquaculture industries throughout the world. The catfish aquaculture industry is the fastest growing sector of the United States and some Asian countries such as Vietnam, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Bangladesh. In the United States catfish industry, off-flavour problems were calculated to have increased production costs by as much as US$47 million in 1999. When catfish have an off-flavour, they can not be marketed and this results in increased production costs. Phoslock is capable of controlling the growth and proliferation of bluegreen algae in catfish aquaculture ponds in a sustainable way. Controlling blue-green algal growth will reduce or eliminate the off-flavour problems from aquaculture ponds.
Channel Catfish
Catfish
This brochure was produced by Dr Anisul Afsar, Aquatic Scientist at Phoslock Water Solution Limited. For further information contact: Dr Anisul Afsar Aquatic Scientist Phoslock Water Solution Limited Global Head Office, Sydney, Australia Tel: +61 2 9453 0455 Fax: +61 2 9453 2693 Email: anisul@phoslock.com.au Or Dr Sarah Groves Technical Manager Phoslock Water Solution Limited Global Head Office, Sydney, Australia Tel: +61 2 9453 0455 Fax: +61 2 9453 2693 Email: sgroves@phoslock.com.au
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