Name: _______________________________

Deep Sea AquaculturePart Two: "The Future of Seafood"

  It is estimated there will be two billion more people on the planet by mid-century. To feed this booming world population, more fish will need to be farmed than ever before. One way to increase fish production in a sustainable way is to move aquaculture operations offshore – where there is plenty of available space and strong currents to flush out the pens to avoid polluting sensitive ecosystems.

In Part Two of this module we will learn more about new aquaculture technologies and the future of seafood with the help from cobia. You will be asked to watch the YouTube video and take notes on what you have observed. Remember to use the format directed by your teacher. Once you are finished, you may use these notes to answer the questions below.

1) What do we mean by the term "aquaculture"?

2) Aquaculture has earned a bad reputation from seafood consumers. Why has this happened?

3) Name four reasons why fish farming is NOT considered a safe solution for raising fish. (be careful not to use the same answer more than once)a. b. c. d.

4) What exactly is a "brood stock"?

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5) Fish require less feed than land animals. Provide two arguments that support this statement.

1.2.

6) We need to ___________ global seafood supply in order to meet the demand.

1. decrease2. triple3. double4. manage

7) What environmental factor can trigger cobia spawning to begin?

8) The brood stock at OpenBlue can produce ____________ fish eggs after each spawn. Select the correct answer.

1. one million2. three hundred thousand3. one to three million4. 1.3 million

9) Cobia breeding is an example of "artificial selection". Explain what this concept means and how it applies to the OpenBlue cobia fish farm.

10) OpenBlue is the largest cobia producer. Provide four reasons why cobia is an excellent choice for farmed fish.

1.2.3.4.

11) In nature, there are certain environmental factors that trigger spawning in large fish like cobia. What is the environmental factor that pushes cobia to start spawning?

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12) What is a "rotifer"?

13. Rotifers are fed to newly hatched cobia and yet they have no nutritional value. So why are they fed to the young fish? Explain.

14. Young cobia are vaccinated before they are introduced into the deep water fish pens. Why?

15. Cobia have the ability to thrive in waters featuring a variety of salinity measurements. How might this be an advantage for both the cobia AND the commercial fish farmer?

16. Farming cobia is not without significant challenges. Overcrowding, water pollution are two examples but what is the single greatest threat to cobia farming today?

1. habitat destruction2. genetic pollution3. solving mathematical equations4. disease

17. Which country outside of the United States is the largest producer of farm raised cobia?

1. Norway2. China3. Nova Scotia4. Venezuela

18. Adult cobia are considered "higher trophic level carnivores". What is a trophic level?

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19. Cobia are voracious feeders. Growing large amounts of cobia creates a unique challenge for cobia fish farmers. What is it?

1. catching enough live food2. preventing cannibalism3. providing too much sugar4. overfeeding causing cobia obesity

20. Moving cobia to deep water fish cages have at least three (3) major advantages. Describe what these advantages are:

1.2.3.

21. Describe a deep water fish farm operation. Be sure to include information about the physical characteristics of the cages or pens, the mooring system and unique features offered by the pens.

22. Another challenge to fish farmers is improving fish food efficiency. What do we mean by this?

23. What is the current ratio of fish food efficiency for cobia?

1. 1:12. 2:13. 7:14. not so bad!

24. Cobia meat is high in Omega-3 fatty acids. What is Omega-3 and what are the health benefits to consuming Omega-3?

25. In 2015, Monterey Bay Aquarium listed farm raised cobia as a seafood to avoid. What was their reason for this unfavorable recommendation?

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26. Fish feed relies heavily on fish meal and fish oil. Why is this a serious problem for the fish farm operation?

27. What is a possible solution to this problem?

28. Describe how the cobia are "harvested" from the deep ocean pens.

29. Shelf life is important in the seafood industry. What does this term mean and how does this term relate to the cobia?

30. What percentage of farm raised cobia will be heading for the United States?1. 40%2. 80%3. 60%4. 35%

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Anatomy of a Blue MusselMytilus edulis

Blue mussels, like many mussel species are found in bays and estuary systems attached to rocks, docks and jetties in the low and mid intertidal zones. They are usually clumped together which helps protect them from strong wave action.

Mussels are bivalves which means that the shell is comprised of two "hinged" halves or "valves". The valves are joined together on the outside by a ligament and can be closed by strong internal muscles. Mussel shells have a number of important functions including the support of internal organs, protection from predators and protection from desiccation or drying out. Like many mollusks, mussels have a foot that is shaped like a tongue and features a groove in it called a byssus pit. The byssus pit secretes a sticky material which hardens on contact with seawater forming a very strong, elastic thread. These threads can hold or anchor the mussel tightly to a surface and is often referred to as the "mussel's beard".

Mussels are filter feeders, pumping water through a siphon into and across gill filaments which filter out small food particles such as phytoplankton, zooplankton, detritus and other organic material. The waste water and any sediment is pumped out through another siphon while the food is retained and passed into the stomach for digestion.

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Critical Thinking Essay

The video introduces us to the idea that man's ability to feed itself will depend on the continued development of aquaculture. Although the farming of aquatic species as been taking place for thousands of years, the demand for seafood has never been greater. Ironically, a major portion of the fish food used to feed farm raised fish actually comes from fish harvested from the ocean. The cobia represents a tremendous opportunity for growth but not without serious challenges.

Students, your assignment is to prepare a thoughtful and carefully worded essay on one of the three topics you have selected from the list below. Successful essays will include carefully worded, supportive arguments and factual data from the video and online resources. Your teacher will provide you with the guidelines on length, font size, assignment deadline etc.

1) Describe how technology and the application of scientific methods have influenced the development of cobia deep sea farming. Your essay should include information on the life cycle of the cobia, the deep sea pen design and the sale and distribution of the processed cobia fillets.

2) Describe the impact of global warming on open ocean cobia fisheries. Your essay should include information on the cobia life cycle, oceanic food web as well as a description of ocean acidification.

3) Describe in detail the problems or challenges associated with traditional and current aquaculture methods. Your essay should include a global breakdown of the leading aquaculture countries and their use of inshore/inland fish ponds versus offshore. Essays should provide in depth information on design, environmental impact, waste processing and health risks associated with each respective design.

End of Part Two

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Marine Plankton Drawing ActivityHaeckel copepoda calocalarus

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