Abstract
Two experimental feeding trials were conducted during four weeks to evaluate the use of Ulva lactuca in shrimp culture: (1) for wastewater bioremediation, and (2) using different inclusion levels of U. lactuca meal in shrimp feed. In feeding trial 1, shrimp reared under seaweed U. lactuca water exchange in a re-circulation system (SWE) resulted in similar growth and feed utilization as shrimp reared with clean water exchange (CWE). Shrimp under no water exchange (NWE) resulted in significant lower growth and higher feed conversion rate (FCR) compared to the other treatments (p < 0.05). Nitrogen compounds and phosphate in water from SWE and CWE treatments did not present significant differences during the experimental trial (p > 0.05). In feeding trial 2, U. lactuca biomass produced by wastewater bioremediation in SWE treatment were dried and ground to formulate diets containing 0, 1, 2, and 3% U. lactuca meal (0UL, 1UL, 2UL, and 3UL). Shrimp fed the 3 UL diet resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) improvement of growth and FCR, and enhanced whole shrimp lipid and carotenoid content by 30 and 60%, respectively, compared to control diet. Seaweed U. lactuca is suggested as a desirable species for wastewater bioremediation in integrated aquaculture systems, and its meal as a good feed additive for farmed shrimp.
Highlights
In the last decades, aquaculture has been one of the fastest growing industries of food production
At the end of feeding trial 1, shrimp under daily clean water exchange (CWE) and daily seaweed U. lactuca water exchange (SWE) treatments resulted in significant higher (p < 0.05) final weight, weight gain, and specific growth rate (SGR) compared to shrimp with no water exchange (NWE) (Table 2)
Feed consumption was similar among the treatments, feed conversion rate (FCR) observed in NWE treatment was significantly higher than the rest of the treatments (p < 0.05)
Summary
Aquaculture has been one of the fastest growing industries of food production. By 2015, farmed shrimp represented an estimate global production of 4.8 million metric tons, with a value of US$24.96 billion (FAO, 2017). Some of the challenges for this growing activity are the reduction of coastal water pollution impact (Herbeck et al, 2013) and the search for non-conventional ingredients to produce high quality feeds (Little, Newton & Beveridge, 2016). In the case of seaweeds produced by aquaculture, it has been estimated by 2015 a worldwide production of 28.5 million metric tons valued in US$4.46 billion (FAO, 2017). How to cite this article Elizondo-González et al (2018), Use of seaweed Ulva lactuca for water bioremediation and as feed additive for white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei.
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