In certain markets, live fish can be sold for substantially higher prices than fresh dressed fish. A significant live-haul industry has developed in the U.S. and fish are commonly hauled 1,500-2,000 miles (25-30 hours) to market. The most common species hauled are tilapia, channel catfish, and rainbow trout; a smaller amount of marine rockfish, hybrid striped bass, and carp are also hauled. The most significant advancement in hauling technology in the last 20 years has been the use of bottled oxygen gas or liquid oxygen to maintain adequate dissolved oxygen levels. These types of systems can maintain significantly higher DO levels than systems using air. Some common stressors include harvest and loading procedures (pumping or out of water transfer), shaking as the transport vehicle is moving, low frequency sound from the vehicle and water treatment systems, crowding, and poor water quality (high ammonia and carbon dioxide levels, low dissolved oxygen), high light levels, or extreme water temperature. The physical shape and construction of the hauling unit may have an important impact on localized low DOs, physical damage to the fish, and survivability. Very little information has been published on the chemical and physical conditions in transport systems during long-distance transport and this limited data may not be representative of current commercial systems. This research will be conducted with NWFSC staff in cooperation with private fish farmers in the Pacific Northwest. Specific sub-objectives will include the following: (1) Documentation of water quality during transport and impact on mortality and product quality (2) Design of efficient aeration systems for oxygen transfer and carbon dioxide stripping (3) Determination of the impact of transport tank design and aerator type on the thermal balance during hauling. The impact of this project will be increased survival and product quality of transported fish as a result of adopting the recommended protocols and utilization of the models. Project outputs will include peer-reviewed publications, popular publications, and conference presentations. Total ammonia nitrogen will be measured using an Orion Ammonia electrode, calibrated daily with standard solutions (0.1, 1, 10, and 100 mg/Liter), and results expressed as mg/Liter TAN.

In certain markets, live fish can be sold for substantially higher prices than fresh dressed fish. A significant live-haul industry has developed in the U.S. and fish are commonly hauled 1,500-2,000 miles (25-30 hours) to market. The most common species hauled are tilapia, channel catfish, and rainbow trout; a smaller amount of marine rockfish, hybrid striped bass, and carp are also hauled. The most significant advancement in hauling technology in the last 20 years has been the use of bottled oxygen gas or liquid oxygen to maintain adequate dissolved oxygen levels. These types of systems can maintain significantly higher DO levels than systems using air. Some common stressors include harvest and loading procedures (pumping or out of water transfer), shaking as the transport vehicle is moving, low frequency sound from the vehicle and water treatment systems, crowding, and poor water quality (high ammonia and carbon dioxide levels, low dissolved oxygen), high light levels, or extreme water temperature. The physical shape and construction of the hauling unit may have an important impact on localized low DOs, physical damage to the fish, and survivability. Very little information has been published on the chemical and physical conditions in transport systems during long-distance transport and this limited data may not be representative of current commercial systems. This research will be conducted with NWFSC staff in cooperation with private fish farmers in the Pacific Northwest. Specific sub-objectives will include the following: (1) Documentation of water quality during transport and impact on mortality and product quality (2) Design of efficient aeration systems for oxygen transfer and carbon dioxide stripping (3) Determination of the impact of transport tank design and aerator type on the thermal balance during hauling. The impact of this project will be increased survival and product quality of transported fish as a result of adopting the recommended protocols and utilization of the models. Project outputs will include peer-reviewed publications, popular publications, and conference presentations. Temperature will be measured using the thermistor sensors in the YSI ProODO or YSI 556 MPS units.

In certain markets, live fish can be sold for substantially higher prices than fresh dressed fish. A significant live-haul industry has developed in the U.S. and fish are commonly hauled 1,500-2,000 miles (25-30 hours) to market. The most common species hauled are tilapia, channel catfish, and rainbow trout; a smaller amount of marine rockfish, hybrid striped bass, and carp are also hauled. The most significant advancement in hauling technology in the last 20 years has been the use of bottled oxygen gas or liquid oxygen to maintain adequate dissolved oxygen levels. These types of systems can maintain significantly higher DO levels than systems using air. Some common stressors include harvest and loading procedures (pumping or out of water transfer), shaking as the transport vehicle is moving, low frequency sound from the vehicle and water treatment systems, crowding, and poor water quality (high ammonia and carbon dioxide levels, low dissolved oxygen), high light levels, or extreme water temperature. The physical shape and construction of the hauling unit may have an important impact on localized low DOs, physical damage to the fish, and survivability. Very little information has been published on the chemical and physical conditions in transport systems during long-distance transport and this limited data may not be representative of current commercial systems. This research will be conducted with NWFSC staff in cooperation with private fish farmers in the Pacific Northwest. Specific sub-objectives will include the following: (1) Documentation of water quality during transport and impact on mortality and product quality (2) Design of efficient aeration systems for oxygen transfer and carbon dioxide stripping (3) Determination of the impact of transport tank design and aerator type on the thermal balance during hauling. The impact of this project will be increased survival and product quality of transported fish as a result of adopting the recommended protocols and utilization of the models. Project outputs will include peer-reviewed publications, popular publications, and conference presentations. The oxygen transfer coefficient (KLa) will be determined by deaeration with nitrogen gas followed by aeration (0.60 slpm) using a YSI ProODO dissolved oxygen meter. The KLa value will be computed from the ASCE Standard for the Measurement of Oxygen Transfer in Clean Water http://cedb.asce.org/cgi/WWWdisplay.cgi?156576 The measured KLa values will be reported at 20C using a theta = 1.047.

In certain markets, live fish can be sold for substantially higher prices than fresh dressed fish. A significant live-haul industry has developed in the U.S. and fish are commonly hauled 1,500-2,000 miles (25-30 hours) to market. The most common species hauled are tilapia, channel catfish, and rainbow trout; a smaller amount of marine rockfish, hybrid striped bass, and carp are also hauled. The most significant advancement in hauling technology in the last 20 years has been the use of bottled oxygen gas or liquid oxygen to maintain adequate dissolved oxygen levels. These types of systems can maintain significantly higher DO levels than systems using air. Some common stressors include harvest and loading procedures (pumping or out of water transfer), shaking as the transport vehicle is moving, low frequency sound from the vehicle and water treatment systems, crowding, and poor water quality (high ammonia and carbon dioxide levels, low dissolved oxygen), high light levels, or extreme water temperature. The physical shape and construction of the hauling unit may have an important impact on localized low DOs, physical damage to the fish, and survivability. Very little information has been published on the chemical and physical conditions in transport systems during long-distance transport and this limited data may not be representative of current commercial systems. This research will be conducted with NWFSC staff in cooperation with private fish farmers in the Pacific Northwest. Specific sub-objectives will include the following: (1) Documentation of water quality during transport and impact on mortality and product quality (2) Design of efficient aeration systems for oxygen transfer and carbon dioxide stripping (3) Determination of the impact of transport tank design and aerator type on the thermal balance during hauling. The impact of this project will be increased survival and product quality of transported fish as a result of adopting the recommended protocols and utilization of the models. Project outputs will include peer-reviewed publications, popular publications, and conference presentations. Following simulated hauling, fish from individual tanks will be transferred to 4 in diameter circular tanks for observation. Mortality will be recorded daily for 7 days.

Limited amounts of forage fish are available as an ingredient in feeds for the expanding aquaculture industry. Work is being conducted on a variety of underutilized materials to provide new sources of protein, oils, and minerals for fish feeds. These materials include invasive species such as carp and mussels, waste from fish and clam processing, and process waste from fish farms. Successful utilization of these materials adds needed protein and marine oils to the growing aquaculture industry, and eliminates the environmental impact of landfill or dumping at sea of these waste streams. Proximate analysis and solubility of new materials.

Our experience with juvenile sablefish and long term rearing of broodstock indicate that salmon grower feeds currently used by commercial sablefish farmers for grow out are not optimally formulated to support maximum growth and efficient feed conversion. However, there are no published studies examining the effects of dietary nutrient balance on productive performance and growth at any post larval life-history stage for this species, and there are currently no commercial diets specifically formulated for sablefish in the marketplace. Because of the large impact of feed cost on the economic viability of farming sablefish, we are focusing on grow out diets intended for use during the post larval stages of development when the fish are being reared to harvest size. In this research, we use a novel statistical mixture model and response surface analysis method to determine the optimal level of dietary protein, lipid and digestible carbohydrate for testing. This approach permits simultaneous testing of diet formulations encompassing the full range of protein, lipid and digestible carbohydrate that can be produced commercially using today’s most advanced extrusion feed manufacturing technology. Raw data on rearing densities, tanks, water temperature, mortalities, ration and feed size may be available.

Each sample that is received by NSIL is assigned a laboratory number and a case file is initiated by the sample custodian. The case file will contain all relevant paperwork for that sample including the sample submission sheet, laboratory raw data worksheets, the final results report and any other relevant documentation. The sample custodian enters the client information into the NSIL Sample tracking system (Sample receipt database) and generates appropriate client and sample receipt information. The laboratory analysts perform the appropriate analyses and record the results and whether the results are compliant or non-compliant with the assigned acceptance levels. The analysts also record the record of charges and the analytical and quality assurance units that were used to complete all analysis. The database is used to track samples analyzed by NSIL from sample receipt to reporting of results. It tracks numbers of samples, number of analytical units, types of samples, purpose for sampling ans analytical costs.

Seston data with phytoplankton and size fractioned non-living particles counted by flow cytomter from Penebscot River, Maine in April, May, and June of 2015. High frequent chlorophyll, dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature and salinity data collected by Sondes in Bronx, New York in the Fall of 2012.

NOAA Fisheries is a cooperator with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Lummi, Nooksack, and Stillaguamish Tribes in a 10-year program to rebuild the South Fork Nooksack River spring Chinook and Stillaguamish River fall Chinook stocks through a captive broodstock program. Raw data on rearing density, loading density, water temperature, ration, and feed size may be available. Raw data on administration of therapeutic drugs may be available.