Omega 3 Research

Improving Diets for Fish Produced in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems

Dr. Allen R. Place
Center of Marine Biotechnology
Baltimore, Maryland

The Omega-3 research at the new state of the art Aquaculture Research Center in the Center of Marine Biotechnology in Baltimore is helping to improve the omega-3 profiles of fish that are raised in recirculating aquaculture systems. Dr. Allen R. Place, a lead investigator in this area at COMB, states that it all begins with the supplementation of the food supply for the larval fish being studied. "In the marine environment rotifers and artemia have excellent profiles of omega-3 that are passed on through the food chain to the larval fish". Dr. Place also states, "In the lab, these larval food supplies are raised in mass quantities and their diet is supplemented with omega-3 purified from marine algae". The importance of this diet supplementation with omega-3 can be the difference between life and death for the larval fish. The diet supplementation is also being used in the grow-out of adult fish and has improved the efficiency of this process dramatically. Also, brood stock fish get their diets supplemented and this is passed on to the eggs, which show higher profiles of omega-3 deposits. When this technology gets reproduced and expanded it will give consumers of fish raised in recirculating aquaculture systems a healthier product.

As a side note: mother's milk contains natural amounts of omega-3 (DHA) and omega-6 (ARA) whereas artificial formulas produced in the United States do not.

Personal Communication, Allen R. Place, Center of Marine Biotechnology

http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/Extension/msgsnn/msgsnn03_2/omega3rsch.html