Super-intensive Shrimp Research Articles

Evaluating environmental and economic efficiency of a super-intensive Vannamei shrimp farm for nutrient flow circulation

Abstract Shrimp farming has provided several significant economic benefits to the residents of the Mekong Delta region. However, it posed numerous environmental concerns due to high nutrient content in wastes. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the nutrient recovery efficiency from a super-intensive shrimp pond system for nutrient circulation. The material flow analysis tool was used to analyze the effectiveness of allocating nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon) in the research area’s super-intensive Vannamei shrimp farming system, and then construct a material flow circulating system. The findings revealed that in the current system, the amount of nutrients that shrimp absorb is 26.3% TN, 12.2% TP and 17.5% TOC. This study designed a system using circulating fluxes of nutrients. This system combines settling ponds and biological sedimentation ponds as well as composting and biogas digester solutions. The proposed system also reduces input nutrient costs by 53.6% TN, 62.8% TP and 40% TOC. On the other hand, the proposed system will meet the amount of heat for cooking for the 3 households and generate 1 ton of compost/crop for the garden.

Towards Sustainable Shrimp Farming: Life Cycle Assessment of Farming Practices at the Less Favorable Areas of Yogyakarta's Southern Coast

The objectives of this study were to assess the potential environmental impacts that could be utilized to describe the current state of shrimp farming and propose alternative strategies for its management. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was held based on stages goal and scope, life cycle inventory, life cycle impact assessment, and interpretation by using SimaPro v.9.3.0.3 software and CML IA baseline V3.07 impact assessment method. The findings of this study demonstrated that super intensive shrimp farming had a lower potential environmental impact than intensive farming. The study indicated that super intensive shrimp farming produces a lower abiotic depletion potential (ADP), global warming potential (GWP), marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential (MTP), acidification potential (AP), and eutrophication potential (EP) than intensive farming. Potential environmental impact can be minimized by choosing a more environmentally friendly source of electrical energy and pond lining material and increasing the efficiency of the use of electricity and feed.

An automatic waste cleaning system in shrimp ponds with digital image processing using the internet of things

Super intensive shrimp pond wastewater with a stocking density of 750-1,250 individuals/m2 contains an average total suspended solids (TSS) of 798-924 mg/L, dissolved organic matter (BOT) of 81,227-88,641 mg/L; total nitrogen (TN) 9.8389-14.4260 mg/L; and total phosphate (TP) 7.8770-11.8720 mg/L. This value has exceeded the threshold limit of the permissible pond wastewater standard so it has the potential to hurt the environmental quality of water bodies receiving the waste load. making a more intensive vannamei shrimp farming pond cleaning system using turbidity sensors to read turbidity in shrimp farming ponds and ultrasonic sensors as readers of the water level in shrimp farming ponds and using a camera to detect the presence of foam waste in shrimp farming ponds and the Raspberry Pi microcontroller as a center system control on control devices and monitoring of all sensors then the output data will activate the drainage of leftover shrimp feed and shrimp waste from drainage to disposal using PVC pipes and automatic faucets that are driven using DC power window motors. The Internet of Things (IoT) automatic system in the construction of a waste cleaning device for shrimp ponds was built using a turbidity sensor that can detect the level of turbidity in water with an accuracy of 0.51%. The need for additional water in the pond is assisted by an ultrasonic sensor which provides information to the water pump with an average accuracy of 0.56%. To detect foam waste using a webcam camera as a foam detector.

The effects of ammonium loading rates and salinity on ammonium treatment of wastewater from super-intensive shrimp farming

Treatment of wastewater from super-intensive shrimp farming (SISF) for discharge or recirculation purposes is currently attracting the attention of managers and researchers. The fixed bed biofilm reactor (FBBR) has been successfully used for biological treatment of drinking water as well as for wastewater treatment in aquaculture farm. Ammonium and salinity are important factors affecting the efficiency of pollutants treatment. This paper presents the results of research on ammonium treatment in super-intensive shrimp wastewater by aerobic microbiological process using FBBRs. The results showed that at ammonium loading rates of 0.014; 0.028; 0.049 and 0.070 kg/m3/d, at salinity of 10‰, the ammonium removal efficiencies were 98 - 99; 97.7 - 98.8; 96.8 – 98.7 and 95.7 – 98.0 percent respectively (ammonium concentrations in effluent were 0.05 – 0.1; 0.12 – 0.23; 0.23 – 0.56 and 0.51 – 1.07 mgN/l, respectively), at salinity of 15‰, the ammonium removal efficiencies were 95.8-96.0, 94.5-92.0, 93.1-92.3 and 66.8-68.8 percent respectively (ammonium in effluent were 0.20 – 0.21; 0.55 – 0.8; 1.20 – 1.35 and 7.8 – 8.3 mgN/l, respectively), at salinity of 20‰, the ammonium removal efficiencies were 92.0-96.0, 87.0-89.0, 69.1-70.9 and 59.6-66.0 percent respectively (ammonium in effluent were 0.2 – 0.4; 1.1 – 1.3; 5.1 – 5.4 and 8.5 – 10.1 mgN/l, respectively). This result showed that the influence of ammonium loading and salinity on ammonium treatment efficiency was very significant.

Application of inorganic fertilizer combination with various kinds of organic fertilizer in the nursery phase of white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of natural feed growth on the growth and survival rate of white shrimp, specifically in relation to the usage of inorganic fertilizers in conjunction with various organic fertilizers. The experimental design consisted of four treatments, each replicated three times. The treatments included a combination of urea, SP-36, and organic fertilizer derived from superintensive shrimp pond waste (Treatment A), a combination of urea, SP-36, and petroganic (Treatment B), a combination of urea, SP-36, and chicken manure (Treatment C), and a control treatment consisting of only urea and SP-36 without any organic fertilizer (Treatment D). Urea was administered at a dosage of 5.2 grams per container, SP-36 at a dosage of 2.6 grams per container, and organic fertilizer at a dosage of 52 grams per container. The factors that were monitored included the composition of plankton, the growth of benthic algae, the growth and survival of white shrimp, and the quality of pond water. The study’s findings revealed no statistically significant difference in the growth of live feed when inorganic and organic fertilizers were combined (P>0.05). However, the survival rate of white shrimp exhibited a significant difference (P<0.05). Using a mixture of inorganic fertilizer (namely urea and sp-36) and organic fertilizer, within the context of a super-intensive shrimp pond, yielded the most favorable outcome regarding white shrimp survival rate, with a recorded percentage of 94.67%.

Sodium metasilicate supplementation in culture water on growth performance, water quality and economics of indoor commercial-scale biofloc-based Litopenaeus vannamei culture

In super-intensive shrimp culture, water supplements are often used to adjust and stabilize water quality parameters, microbiological and environmental conditions, as well as suppress undesirable microorganisms. In addition, some water supplements are frequently utilized to boost the diatom population in water. These microorganisms are well known to enhance the shrimp growth performance, and present inhibitory effect against pathogenic vibrio. The present study evaluated the effect of sodium metasilicate (SM) supplementation in the culture water on the diatom population, water quality, zootechnical performance and economics of indoor commercial-scale biofloc-based culture. Litopenaeus vannamei (PL10, 4.1 ± 1.5 mg initial weight) were stocked in eight 500 m−2 commercial ponds with (BFT-SM) and without SM supplementation (BFT as a control), with four replicates per treatment. After 92 days (single phase, direct stock), the average values of silica (SiO2) were 8.2 mg L−1 in BFT-SM and 2.5 mg L−1 in BFT (control) (P < 0.05). Microscopical analysis indicated higher diatom dominance in BFT-SM, corroborated by higher chlorophyll-A concentrations. The shrimp biomass and yield were significantly higher in BFT-SM with 3.0 kg m−3 and 36.2 ton ha cycle−1 compared to BFT with 2.8 kg m−3 and 33.5 ton ha cycle−1, respectively. The BFT-SM treatment produced a 9.75% higher net profit margin than the BFT treatment and a 10.55% increase in revenue. Our study demonstrated positive impacts of SM supplementation on diatom population, resulting in enhanced shrimp performance and economic returns in indoor commercial-scale biofloc-based L. vannamei culture.

Lab-scale biogas production from co-digestion of super-intensive shrimp sludge and potential biomass feedstocks

This study evaluated biogas production potentials from local biomass feedstocks comprising of rice straw (RS), steamed lemongrass (SL), bagasse (BA) and desiccated coconut (DC) on super-intensive shrimp sludge (SS) anaerobic digestion. A series of batch anaerobic digestion experiments was conducted at an organic loading rate of 50 g-VS L-1 and a C/N ratio of 25 under mesophilic conditions. The results indicate that co-digested biomass substrates are more suitable than single sludge except for DC supplementation, which exhibited a severe pH inhibition for methanogenesis activities. A reactor supplemented with BA achieved the highest overall biogas production (126.78 L kg-VSadded-1), which increased biogas yields 53.70% compared to a mono-sludge reactor. Furthermore, reactors with RS and SL increased biogas yields by 26.40% and 29.21%, respectively. Irrespective of initial materials, the H2S concentration in biogas compositions was measured at very high levels (23,710 - 65,040 ppm) after 10-15 days of digestion, while a decreasing trend was recorded for the remaining digestion period (16 - 60 days), yet still maintained relatively high levels (5,873 - 9,155 ppm). The study suggests that future works should focus on pH neutralization within the reactor with DC substrates and H2S removal in biogas composition.

Optimizing Hydraulic Retention Time and Area of Biological Settling Ponds for Super-Intensive Shrimp Wastewater Treatment Systems

Biological settling ponds are a practicable approach for treating super-intensive shrimp aquaculture wastewater for almost all shrimp producers in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD). The optimization of the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of biological settling ponds plays a crucial role in establishing the stability of outflow wastewater quality and suitability of the settling pond area (SPA). This study aims to suggest appropriate HRT and SPA for super-intensive shrimp wastewater treatment systems based on the National Standard (QCVN 02-19:2014/BNNPTNT) and the best aquaculture practices (BAP) standards and guidelines. We investigated 20 typical super-intensive shrimp farms in the VMD and collected effluent samples from siphoning process, daily water exchange, and outflow of biological effluent-treatment settling ponds. The results showed that the average of each super-intensive shrimp farm produced wastewater at approximately 218 m3 ha−1 day−1. The contaminant loads of TSS, COD, TKN, and TP were commensurate to 177, 113, 9.86, and 4.19 kg ha−1 day−1, respectively. Based on the relationship between outflow COD, TSS concentrations, and HRT of biological-surveyed settling ponds, a 13.4-day HRT and 1934-m2 SPA were suggested to optimize the super-intensive shrimp wastewater treatment systems. Our recommendation for further work is to continuously optimize the HRT and SPA rates of functional ponds (anaerobic, facultative, and maturation) to ameliorate the engineering configuration of the recommended biological settling pond.

Is super-intensive shrimp farming more environmentally friendly? an application of material balance principle in the Mekong Delta

Is super-intensive shrimp farming more environmentally friendly? an application of material balance principle in the Mekong Delta

Intensification of Penaeid Shrimp Culture: An Applied Review of Advances in Production Systems, Nutrition and Breeding.

Simple SummaryThe shrimp sector has been one of the fastest-growing agri-food systems in the last 10 years. To overcome the increasing market demand, the transition to the intensification of shrimp farming is a reality in many countries. In addition, the desire to mitigate the risks posed by pathogens has driven many farmers to preference more controlled intensive systems with higher biosecurity. Shrimp nutrition and breeding are other areas that have directly enabled and improved intensification and will continue to be critical to ongoing growth in this sector. From this perspective, the aim of this review is to provide an update of the current production systems and strategies and explore the advances and key contributions that nutrition, breeding, and pathogen surveillance are having towards intensification and super-intensive shrimp culture.Intensification of the shrimp sector, also referred to as vertical expansion, has been predominately driven by consecutive incidences of global disease outbreaks, which have caused enormous economic loss for the main producer countries. A growing segment of the shrimp farming industry has opted to use production systems with higher density, biosecurity, and operating control to mitigate the risks posed by disease. However, successful super-intensive shrimp production is reliant on an advanced understanding of many important biological and economic parameters in the farming system, coupled with effective monitoring, to maintain optimal production. Compared to traditional extensive or semi-intensive systems, super-intensive systems require higher inputs of feed, energy, labor, and supplements. These systems are highly sensitive to the interactions between these different inputs and require that the biological and economical parameters of farming are carefully balanced to ensure success. Advancing nutritional knowledge and tools to support consistent and efficient production of shrimp in these high-cost super-intensive systems is also necessary. Breeding programs developing breeding-lines selected for these challenging super-intensive environments are critical. Understanding synergies between the key areas of production systems, nutrition, and breeding are crucial for super-intensive farming as all three areas coalesce to influence the health of shrimp and commercial farming success. This article reviews current strategies and innovations being used for Litopenaeus vannamei in production systems, nutrition, and breeding, and discusses the synergies across these areas that can support the production of healthy and high-quality shrimp in super-intensive systems. Finally, we briefly discuss some key issues of social license pertinent to the super-intensive shrimp farming industry.

The effect of various decomposers on quality of organic fertilizer originated from solid waste of super intensive shrimp pond

This study aims to evaluate and compare the nutrient content of organic fertilizer originated from shrimp pond waste, which use commercial decomposers and indigenous decomposers. The research was carried out at Research Institute for Coastal Aquaculture and Fisheries Extension (RICAFE), Maros, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with four treatments and 3 replications. Solid waste of shrimp pond with several types of bio activators was used in this study. The treatments were types of bio activators, namely: BIO (A), TR-04 (B), EM4 (C) and decomposer bacteria isolated from pond waste ISO (D). The composting time lasted for 30 days. Observed variables were macronutrient content (C-Organic, N-Total, C/N ratio, P2O5 and K2O) and microelements (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu) as well as temperature and pH of the composting media. The results showed that different bio activators significantly affected the quality of pond waste organic fertilizer (p <0.01). Nutrient contents (C-Organic, C/N ratio, P2O5, and K2O, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu) were not significantly different (p> 0.05), while N-total value was significantly different (p <0.05). The quality of produced compost in all bio activator treatments (BIO, TR, EM, and ISO) met Indonesian National Standard (SNI) 2004 and standard of regulation of the ministry of agriculture republic of Indonesia (PERMENTAN) 2019. This study can be an alternative for treating waste of shrimp culture industry.

Growth of Seaweed Codium sp in Super Intensive Shrimp Pond Liquid Waste

Experiments were carried out on Codium sp seaweed cultivation with different seed weights using a growing medium in the form of super intensive shrimp pond liquid waste which aims to obtain the best seed weight to produce growth with 6 weeks of growing trials.

Use of Phytoplankton to Assess Water Quality of Eco-Aquaculture System in Super-Intensive Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Pond

Use of Phytoplankton to Assess Water Quality of Eco-Aquaculture System in Super-Intensive Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Pond

The impact of organic waste contamination on the macrozoobenthos community and its potential as a bioindicator in Labuange Bay waters, Barru Regency, South Sulawesi Province

Superintensive shrimp farming (Litopeneus vannamei) has been developed since 2012 in Barru district, South Sulawesi. Organic waste from uneaten shrimp feed has been discarded into Labuange waters during superintensive farming development. Accumulated organic waste in the sediment of Labuange sediment has an impact on the presence of macrozoobenthos. The study aims to analyze the structure of the macrozoobenthos community and its potential as a bioindicator of organic waste pollution in Labuange waters, Barru Regency, South Sulawesi. The study was conducted using a survey method. A sampling of Labuange sediment for macrozoobenthos analysis was carried out at six stations with six replications, respectively. The type of identified macrozoobenthos was then analyzed by CCA (Canonical Correlation Analysis) using PAST (Paleontological Statistics) software to calculate the strength of the relationship between the characteristics of the sediment and the macrozoobenthos indicator. Species and abundance of macrozoobenthos were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) to find out the differences of species and abundance of macrozoobenthos in each station. The results showed differences in macrozoobenthos abundance in each station, and found ten types of macrozoobenthos which had potential as an organic waste bioindicator, whose presence was directly related to the characteristics of sediments, in the form of organic carbon, organic matter, phosphate, pHf, redox potential and N-total namely Nassarius absconditus, Tenagodus sp., Nassarius sp., Tellina radiata, Tellina sp., Pinna sp., Vexillum sp., Arenicola sp., Cerithium sp., and Cerithium salebrosum. Based on the macrozoobenthos diversity index, heavy pollution was occurred at stations 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6, while station 2 was in moderate pollution.

Bacterial diversity in superintensive vanname shrimp aquaculture wastewater treatment plants in Barru and Takalar Regencies

Super intensive wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is needed to manage wastewater from aquaculture activities before being discharged into the waters. This study aims to determine the diversity of bacterial species in the WWTP super intensive vanname shrimp culture plots located in Barru and Takalar Regencies. The research method was designed by using a survey method in the WWTP super-intensive shrimp cultivation plot in Lajange Village, Mallusetasi District, Barru Regency, and Punanga Village, Takalar Regency. Sampling of DNA from water was carried out every two weeks for one culture cycle by filtering water from the WWTP outlet. The samples obtained were then DNA-extracted using cTAB dTAB DNA extraction kit (Iq2000). Quality of the DNA obtained was measured and analyzed using a genquan machine. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) analysis was carried out by sending the DNA samples to a commercial company (Genetics Science laboratory) for the analysis. The results showed that the highest relative diversity of samples from Barru was 60% unidentified, followed by vibrio, unidentified Chloroplast, Arcobacter, Pseudoalteromonas, Marinobacterium, Marivita, Thalassatolea, Phaeodactylibacter, and Thalassalituus. Likewise, the relative diversity of bacteria from Takalary originating from Takalar, the highest was also not identified, followed by Pseudoalteromonas, unidentified_Chloroplast, Vibrio, Marivita, Thalassotalea, Phaedactylibacter, Thalassolituus, Arcobacter, and Tenacibaculum. It appears that the types of bacteria from the two sampling locations are still quite diverse and found probiotic bacteria, Pseudoalteromonas, that are commonly used in the cultivation of vanname shrimp in both WWTP plots.

Bio-economic analysis of super-intensive closed shrimp farming and improvement of management plans: a case study in Japan

Crustacean aquaculture is a multibillion-dollar industry worldwide that continues to show significant growth. Shrimp farming has been intensified for decades, and super-intensive closed culture systems have now been developed to improve productivity and reduce environmental burdens. Here, we used bio-economic approaches to investigate the mechanisms and economic productivity of shrimp farming. We used three steps: (1) path analysis by using structural equation models to determine the candidate factors associated with productivity; (2) modeling of population dynamics and profits; and (3) simulations based on the models to clarify the productive characteristics of a super-intensive closed culture system. Our findings suggest that the population dynamics of the system were limited by unidentified factors that differed from those found in many experimental studies, such as water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and nitrogenous waste. The unidentified factors were related to the number of days of rearing and cumulative biomass mortality. The production plan suggested by our simulation required frequent culture rotation to increase profits. Our case study provides important practical information about the characteristics of super-intensive shrimp farming, implications for efficient economic management, and new research subjects for the future.

Applying Organic Fertilizer from Solid Waste of Super Intensive Shrimp Pond on Production of Milkfish Fingerlings Chanos chanos (Forsskal, 1775)

The cultivation of super-intensive shrimp with high density has consequences on the burden in the form of waste as the aquaculture activities product affecting the habitat feasibility for the aquatic organisms and the environment of fisheries. Super intensive shrimp in the form of solid waste has the potency to use as the raw material of organic fertilizer. Hence, this research is subject to assess the growth response of live feed and milkfish nursery, which are given super intensive pond solid waste through organic fertilizer compared to commercial organic fertilizers. The research used a completely randomized design (CRD) by three times of treatment and repetitions, respectively. The treatment applied in the experimental group was Urea plus SP-36 plus organic fertilizer originated as of best quality concentrated pond solid waste (A), Urea plus SP-36 plus commercial fertilizer (B), Urea plus SP-36 plus chicken farm waste organic fertilizer (C), and the controls group was Urea plus SP-36) (D). The Urea fertilizer dosage was 200 kg/ha, SP-36 as much as 100 kg/ha, and organic fertilizer each as much as 2,000 kg/ha. The parameters observed were components and a large quantity of plankton, the growth and survival rate of the juvenile milkfish, and the quality of water. The results of this research showed that the number of plankton species obtained during nursery of milkfish was 43 genera consisting of 27 genera of phytoplankton and 16 genera of zooplankton. The most dominant plankton found was from the classes Bacillariophyceae as much as 41.86%. The abundance of plankton obtained ranges of 1.330-1.915 ind/L. The super-intensive shrimp pond solid waste was applied as organic fertilizer along with inorganic fertilizer produced abandon plankton along with growth and survival juvenile milkfish produced by the application of commercial organic fertilizer was better than the components in the control group. This research also found that water quality measurement results during the experiment were suitable for the growth of live feed and milkfish.

Experimental operation and performance evaluation of waste remover in aquaculture ponds

The development of new technologies in automation to increase labor productivity has been increasingly enhanced in recent decades. The problem of cleaning water in shrimp ponds greatly affects the quality as well as shrimp production. Environmental pollution of shrimp farming is a matter of concern because the current waste treatment solutions are not yet thorough. A waste remover of shrimp waste combined with the pond bottom siphon method has been researched and developed to increase the ability to thoroughly handle waste generated in the culture environment. This device helps to automate the manual cleaning of the pond bottom by farmers. The device performs operations to clean waste, suck, filter, and remove waste from the culture environment. This device is self-propelled or manually controlled and operates in all weather conditions. This article introduces the process of testing and evaluating the efficiency of waste extraction equipment in shrimp ponds. The device was tested at a super-intensive shrimp farm and evaluated for operational efficiency. The experimental model consists of a shrimp pond operating a waste suction device, a control pond, an automatic monitoring system of water quality parameters (DO, H2S, NH3, pH, and temperature). Experimental ponds operating waste disposal equipment, control ponds are manually cleaned, other farming conditions of the two ponds are similar. The impacts of waste on the shrimp culture environment are determined through analyzing the results of measuring water quality criteria in the pond, thereby assessing the efficiency of waste removal of the equipment. The measurement results show that water quality parameters reach a value within the threshold if operating a waste suction device once per day. The benefits of waste remover operate to help save the cost of labor to clean the pond bottom, protect workers' health.

The utilizations of solid waste originating from super intensive shrimp farm as organic fertilizers for natural feed productions

Productions and utilizations of organic fertilizers originating from solid waste of super intensive shrimp farms to reduce the amount of wastewater released to the surrounding areas and its environmental impacts, are recommended to support both aquaculture and agriculture industries. This study was aimed to evaluate growth of natural feed (plankton and lablab) fertilized by organic fertilizer originating from super intensive shrimp farm and other different fertilizers. Completely randomized design was applied in this study with four treatments and three replications. The following treatments were urea + SP-36 + organic fertilizers originating from super intensive shrimp farm + isolated shrimp ponds bacteria ISO (A), urea + SP-36 + commercial organic fertilizer (B), Urea + SP-36 + chicken manure fertilizer (C) and control, (urea + SP-36) (D). The dosages of fertilizers were: urea 200 kg/ha, SP-36 100 kg/ha, and organic fertilizers (solid waste originating from super intensive shrimp farm, commercial organic fertilizer and chicken manure fertilizer) 2000 kg/ha. The measured variables were species composition and abundance of phytoplankton, biomass of lablab, and water quality. The results of this study indicated that treatments A and B resulted high in number of plankton genera, which was 19 genera, whereas treatments C and D only 10 genera. The highest mean abundance of plankter was found in Treatment A, which was 14,571 ind/L, followed by Treatment B, 9,489 ind/L; Treatment C was 8,717 ind/L and the lowest was found in Treatment D 5,066 ind/L. The dominant phytoplankton observed in this study was Oscillatoria sp. whereas the most observed zooplankton was Branchionus sp. The mean biomass of lablab produced from solid waste originating from super intensive shrimp farm was 4.35 g/100 cm2 which was not significantly different (p>0.05) from Treatments B and C, but significantly different (p<0,05) from the control. The water quality variables measured during this study was within the acceptable values for natural feed productions.

Tình hình sử dụng thảo dược trong nuôi tôm vùng Đồng bằng sông Cửu Long

Herbal plants are used to improve health, prevent and treat aquatic animal diseases, especially in marine shrimp farms in the Mekong Delta. However, detailed information on the use of herbal plants in shrimp farming in the Mekong delta is limited. This kind of information is important in the assessment of the characteristics, needs and potential use of herbal plants for the marine shrimp industry. The current study reports on a survey conducted in 2018 into the current use of herbal plants in shrimp farming. Ninety shrimp farmers in Ca Mau and Soc Trang provinces participated in the survey. Results showed: (i) herbal plants were used in both intensive shrimp farming in earthen ponds and super-intensive shrimp farming in plastic-lined ponds. The percentages of farmers using herbal plants in Ca Mau and Soc Trang were 58% and 51%, respectively; (ii) 18 herbal plant species were used in the shrimp farming process. (iii) the enhancement of shrimp immune system was the reason for application of herbal plants by most of shrimp farmers, followed by antibacterial activity of herbal plants; (iv) in Ca Mau, the group of farmers using herbs reported differences in the size of the harvested shrimp, costs and profits compared to those in the herb-nonuse group. It can be concluded that the use of herbal plants in marine shrimp farming in the Mekong Delta has demonstrated positive effects and has the potential to become widespread in a near future.