N. C. 

 Doc. 



UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA 



ORTH CAROLINA STATE LIBRARY. 



MAR 2 8 1978 



Aquaculture: feeling the pains of growth 



It has often been said that aquaculture is the agriculture of a hundred years ago. In a sense it is a 

 form of farming. Simply stated, aquaculture is the raising of aquatic plants and animals under con- 

 trolled conditions. 



But there are some aspects of aquaculture that make it more complicated than that. For one thing 

 aquaculture deals exclusively with the aquatic environment. Though water is the basic element of 

 life, we know far more about soil and land crops than we do about aquatic systems and the creatures 

 which inhabit them. And that poses some unique problems for aquaculturists. 



In aquaculture there are no pat answers to engineering and design questions. Every culture opera- 

 tion has its own needs and problems. Even the quirks in growth rates and feeding habits among 

 cultured species differ from operation to operation. As with any new commodity, certain market ques- 

 tions must be answered before investment even begins to make sense. "Aquaculture is the integration 

 of engineering with biological principles," observes UNC Sea Grant Associate Director Bill 

 Rickards. "Making a successful marriage out of that takes a lot of time and commitment." 



Even after these stumbling blocks have been pushed out of the way, there's still at least one other 

 hurdle that may never be completely overcome. Disease is a fact of life for just about any farmer. And 

 for the aquaculturist it's no exception. 



Whenever an organism is grown in high densities the potential for disease is greatly intensified. 

 Crowded conditions stress the organism, leaving it weakened and susceptible to disease. Once started 

 these diseases spread like wildfire. Among humans, they're known as epidemics. In aquaculture, they 

 can spell financial disaster. 



(See "Disease," p. 2) 



