Course content

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are widely used in land-based aquaculture to minimize water use and control water quality parameters. This course will begin with a broad introduction to RAS (small overlap with BT3102). It will cover the water treatment components necessary to maintain the required water quality for the production organism. The course will dive deeper into design, dimensioning, engineering and layout of the major components of a RAS. It will also include start-up, operation, monitoring and troubleshooting in a RAS. The course will focus on how microorganisms can be used to secure good chemical and microbial water quality and how biosecurity and mutualistic host-microbe interactions can be promoted.

The course will cover sustainability aspects of the installation and operating phases in a RAS. It will include methods for treatment and handling of waste streams from RAS. The students will be introduced to advanced RAS for market-size fish and the challenges associated with them. Finally, the course will give a brief glimpse into future trends in RAS. The students will participate in an excursion to a RAS. In the mandatory group assignment, the students will design and develop a conceptual RAS for a specific organism.

Learning outcome

At the end of the course, the student should gain all the learning outcomes of RAS basics (BT3102). Over and above, the student should be able to

Knowledge

1. Explain the water quality and system requirements for different species
2. Describe energy metabolism in microorganisms
3. Describe the microbial processes relevant in RAS and the beneficial and problematic compounds produced by microbes in RAS
4. Describe how microorganisms affect the health of the reared organism, and how microbial management can be used to increase the probability of mutualistic host-microbe interactions
5. Describe methods for biosecurity and disinfection, and how they affect the microorganisms and the cultivated organisms.
6. Describe challenges in RAS for market-size fish
7. Describe challenges in zero water exchange RAS
8. Describe basics of an aquaponic system and associated challenges
9. Explain the contribution of various inputs and outputs to a RAS in a sustainability context
10. Explain briefly methods for microbiological analyses of water

Application

1. Prepare a basic biological production plan
2. Dimension basic water treatment components of a RAS

Analysis

1. Assess possible causes of failure in function of RAS components
2. Assess possible causes of poor water quality in RAS
3. Illustrate differences in design and operation between freshwater and seawater RAS

Synthesis

1. Design a RAS rearing system for a particular production organism, taking into consideration the biological needs
2. Design the water treatment components of the RAS for the production organism
3. Plan the layout of the fish farm
4. Design the intake water, sludge and energy units of the RAS, in a sustainability context
5. Formulate a plan to startup and operate the RAS in a sustainable manner
6. Plan bioreactor startup for RAS with high or varying salinity

Evaluation

1. Advocate measures and stepwise action plans to troubleshoot water quality problems during operation of a RAS, when the major water quality parameters are outside the recommended safe limits, the fish show symptoms of disease or the water treatment components fail.
2. Suggest measures to design and sustainably manage inputs and outputs in a RAS
3. Suggest measures to avoid mass mortality due to H2S in a RAS
4. Suggest measures to reduce off-flavor in RAS
5. Appraise a RAS design to critically evaluate the design choices

Learning methods and activities

The course consists of lectures (40 hours), project assignment (40 hours), exercises (10 hours), excursion (10 hours), and self-study (100 hours). Total workload is estimated to 200 hours.

Compulsory assignments: Excursion and excursion presentation

Compulsory assignments

• Excursion and excursion presentation
• Term paper and oral presentation

Specific conditions

Recommended previous knowledge

Basic knowledge of aquatic biology, microbiology, aquaculture, chemistry and water treatment technology is an advantage.

Required programme of study, see specific conditions. Other students may apply to the department and be admitted depending on course capacity.

Course materials

"Recycling of water in hatchery production - Background Booklet for courses in recycling technology for hatchery production" 2nd edition 2017 by Fjellheim, A.J., Hess-Erga, O.-K., Attramadal, K.J.K., Vadstein, O., NIVA, NTNU, SINTEF, Marine Harvest and Scottish Sea Farms, 28 pp. ISBN: 978-82-577-6842-3.

A selection of scientific publications will be provided at the start of the course.

Credit reductions