AQUACULTURE STUDENT

DOUG LAING

What They Did Back Then

* Master of Science in Aquaculture completed 2000, University of Guelph

Advisor: Professor Richard D. Moccia

Utilization of Open Pit Mines For Aquaculture: Nutrient Loading and Modeling Sustainability.

ABSTRACT

Moose Mountain fisheries is an arctic char aquacultural operation utilizing and abandoned open pit mine. Their original system design used open net pens which when combined with intensive feeding led to a decrease in water quality. A system design change ensued to improve their production capabilities. The new design incorporated Future S.E.A. Bags, Probiotic Nitrifying Bacteria Solution, Sedimentation Tanks, and Bio-Cord Lagoons. Water analysis found that these technologies decrease the following pollutants; total phosphorus 75%, ortho phosphate 10%, total nitrogen 45%, nitrite 5%, nitrate 43% and increase dissolved oxygen 24% and pH 15% as water moves through the system. This information was combined with waste estimation to produce a sustainability model for the site. The model predicts that at the end of 10 years the pit’s total phosphorous concentration will be 0.004 mg/L, and total nitrogen concentration will be 0.195 mg/L. This sustainability model will act as an effective benchmark which can guide the production activities of Moose Mountain Fisheries.

Doug sampling Arctic charr at the Alma Aquaculture Research Station