Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Hawaiian fishponds once served a major role for food security in Hawaii, but largely fell into disrepair following the dispossesion of lands from Hawaiian people in the late 1800's. These partially manmade features are currently being restored throughout Hawaii, and typically feature a dense layer of nutrients and detritus that can hamper traditional fishpond production but could offer an excellent food source for sea cucumbers. Sea cucumber aquaculture is a massive global industry that helps reduce pressure on wild stocks that are crucial to nearshore ecosystems, and the United States does not currently account for any farmed production. This project will expand upon ongoing efforts by Kauai Sea Farm to establish fishpond production of sea cucumbers by evaluating new larval feeding strategies and investigating poduction methods of an undescribed species of sea cucumber. Project outcomes will advance ongoing research into sea cucumber production in Hawaiian fishponds, specifically to overcome current challenges to production.
Animal Health Component
70%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
15%
Applied
70%
Developmental
15%
Goals / Objectives
Objective 1: Isolate a native variety of pigmented marine yeast from coastal areas and tide pools where Stichopus horrens sea cucumbers are abundant.Objective 2: Spawn and rear Stichopus sp.1 sea cucumber larvae for fishpond stockingObjective 3: Test larval survival and development for both Stichopus horrens and Stichopus sp.1 sea cucumbers fed with microalgae, a microalgae/marine yeast mixture, and solely marine yeastObjective 4: Test cage depth stocking density on survival and growth of Stichopus sp.1 sea cucumbersObjective 5: Test retainment and growth of Stichopus horrens sea cucumbers in a penned off area with artificial habitat structures within the Nomilo Fishpond
Project Methods
Water samples will be collected from various areas and inoculated on agar plates made of a specific nutrient broth to promote growth of marine yeasts. Pigmented yeasts of the Rhodotorula family are easily identified by their pink/red coloration, and can be removed and inoculated on new plates. The process of re-inoculation will continue until the yeast has been isolated, and will then be sent for analysis to determine exact species. This yeast will be cultured and tested as a larval feed for 2 species of sea cucumber, at various levels of inclusion and supplementation to traditional microalgae feeds. Marine yeasts are easier to grow and less susceptible to bacterial contamination than microalgae, and may also offer prebiotic qualities that reduce impacts of environmental bacteria on larval health.Spawning and larval rearing will be attempted for Stichopus horrens and Stichopus sp.1 sea cucumbers collected locally, both of which have high value in domestic and export markets. Caged production of Stichopus sp.1 sea cucumbers will be tested to determine optimal stocking densities and production strategies specific to Hawaiian fishponds. An area of a Hawaiian fishpond will be penned off in a similar manner as traditional fishpond nurseries, and stocked with the nocturnal Stichopus horrens sea cucumber along with artificial habitat substrates. Retention and growth will be measured to test a method of prodution that combines traditional fishpond methods with modern production methods for the Japanese sea cucumber in Asian farms.