Treating Aquaculture Wastewater

Abstract

Aquaculture is an important tool to increase depleting fish stocks worldwide, but the accumulation of fish waste in water is a problem inherent in aquaculture. Physical, chemical and biological water treatment methods are all utilized in current industries, but biological treatments, especially those using secondary filtering organisms, are the most effective and sustainable. In Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture, organisms consume the by-products of other organisms around them to create a balanced system that is environmentally responsible and less expensive than monoculturing. For our community service project we will write to the NJ DEP and ask for the creation of policy that will give monetary incentives to aquaculture farms that use mainly biological treatment methods over physical or chemical treatments.