Finfish

Harbor Branch has a long history of aquaculture research and development for production of marine foodfish and juvenile sportfish for stock enhancement. As part of a 10-year partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, we produced advances in low salinity marine recirculating culture technology, nutrition research for marine species including Florida Pompano such as reduction of fish meal use, and husbandry techniques spanning broodstock conditioning and larviculture to production of marketable product. Our research with Florida Pompano continued with a project demonstrating the business potential of commercial-scale recirculating culture which culminated in a free workshop to transfer culture technology to interested industry participants.

Our technological and feed innovations have shown increased yields and reduced the resource and environmental costs of aquaculture production. We are dedicated to domestication of marine species, which remain under-represented in aquaculture relative to consumer demand and consumption patterns. We expect that as global demand for seafood continues to rise, our past and ongoing efforts will continue to shape aquaculture practices for food production and help enable future generations to meet their nutritional needs.

Development of culture techniques for restoration or stock enhancement is another area of finfish research conducted at HBOI.  This includes developing culture techniques for prized sportfish for stock enhancement such as Red Drum for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Marine hatchery system, and a current project culturing Bonefish sponsored by the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust.  

 
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