COBIA (Rachycentron canadum)

growth rates (SGR) did not exceed that of cobia held at 29 °C for the duration of the trial.Nevertheless, when SGR were examined using fish of similar size (i.e., derived from different timepoints during the study) evidence for growth compensation was obtained. This study illustrates thatcobia can be held at reduced temperatures, without detrimental impact on future performance, as ameans of maintaining animals at smaller size for production and experimental purposes: 'Coldbanking’.157. Shih, Y.C., Chou, C.L. & Chiau, W.Y. (2009) Geographic information system applied tomeasuring benthic environmental impact with chemical measures on mariculture at Penghu Islet inTaiwan. Science of the Total Environment, 407(6), 1824-1833.Cobia, Rachycentron canadum, is currently grown by marine aquaculture in Taiwan, particularly onPenghu Islet. Although the effect of marine aquaculture on the environment has been the subject ofmany studies, an understanding of its environmental impact has yet to be attained, and thecontinuing expansion of cage farming has caused noticeable ecological declines. Nevertheless,useful tools to measure this environmental degradation are scant. The results of this study suggestthat the combination of a geographic information system (GIS) with redox potential and sulfidemeasurements can be used to definitively assess the condition of the benthic environment nearcobia aquaculture sites and to help develop environmental monitoring programs. These applicationscould easily be adopted to assess multiple marine environmental conditions.158. Stevens, O., Alarcon, J. & Banner-Stevens, G. (2003) Sumary of activities at the AquacultureCenter of the Florida Keys, 2002-2003. International Sustainable Marine Fish Culture Conference,Fort Pierce, FL (USA), 9-10 Oct.After four years of research mainly focused on developing the technology for the hatcheryproduction of mutton snapper, Lutjanus analis, the Aquaculture Center of the Florida Keys (ACFK)started stocking commercial grow-out cages in Puerto Rico in August 2002 with the shipment of8,000 mutton snapper, and 15,000 cobia, Rachycentron canadum, fingerlings. Since then, thecompany has begun its incorporation into the Norwegian veteran firm of Marine Farms ASA, whichhas assumed the direction of the hatchery while maintaining its original staff. During the period ofDecember through February, ACFK improved its production potential by adding a liquid oxygentower, a new water treatment system with doubled water flow capacity, a diesel powered generator,and a last generation computer monitoring-alarm system. Improvements were also made in the livefood rearing protocols, which have resulted in a reliable sustained production in excess of 1 billionrotifers per day, and a renovated copepod harvest system which is used to complement the larvallive diets. Production in 2003 started with the shipment of 25,000 cobia fingerlings to Puerto Rico,followed by smaller shipments to Martinique, Texas, central Florida, Massachusetts, Louisiana, andAlabama. In addition, several hundred thousand cobia yolk fry have been shipped to variousresearch institutions around the United States in a collaborative attempt to support their researchefforts. At present, ACFK is conducting a new production run aiming to fulfill 2 different orders of20,000 and 30,000 cobia fingerlings to Bahamas, and Puerto Rico, which will conclude this year'sproduction effort. The Aquaculture Center of the Florida Keys continues to break new ground bycontributing to the very limited supply of hatchery reared marine fish fingerlings in the UnitedStates. Despite its commercial status, ACFK continues research and development, maintaining itsgoal to refine the technology required for the consistent production of high quality fingerlings. Wecontinue to adapt, improve, and invent new ways of going about our business, from broodstockmanagement of cobia, with the goal of obtaining natural viable spawns year around asaccomplished with mutton snapper, to larval rearing techniques, in trying to determine the bestmethodology for improving first feeding, weaning, and grading, as well as shipping and stockingstrategies. Currently ACFK's client in Puerto Rico, Snapperfarm, is harvesting 1,000-2,000 lbs. offarmed cobia each week, which is being sold in Miami at an approximate wholesale price of $4 / lbfor gutted whole fish. These cobia, which originated in a mid-July 2002 spawn at ACFK areaveraging close to 20 lbs. and a 1:1 food conversion rate after 12 months in the cages. Ourendeavors have shown cobia to be a prime candidate species for future development of marinefarming ventures in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico region, with easy access to the boomingUS fresh seafood market.159. Stieglitz, J.D., Benetti, D.D. & Serafy, J.E. (2012). Optimizing transport of live juvenile cobia(Rachycentron canadum): Effects of salinity and shipping biomass. Aquaculture, 364-365, 293-297.Live juvenile cobia (Rachycentron canadum) transport methods were examined to determineopportunities for increasing packing density in closed containers for durations up to 24h. Juvenile47