Optimizing Inland Tank Based Recirculation Aquaculture Methods To Produce Cobia Under Reduced Water Salinity Conditions

Virginia Cobia Farms Phase II USDA-SBIR grant is designed to assist our company at implementing discoveries made during our Phase research I into larger scale production where the process of cobia egg to market size fish production will be integrated into a single interlocking system. Building upon fundamentals established during Phase I, VCF proposes to investigate enhanced brood stock nutrition and its potential impacts upon hatchery output, determine optimal rearing temperatures during hatchery phase of production, establish a multiple grading protocols to increase production efficiencies during grow-out and optimize stocking densities for 1 kg and 2 kg market-sized cobia. This research collectively will produce 2 and 4.4 pound fish for the live market and fillet market, respectively, in RAS consisting of an integrated system of tanks designed as a prototype that will serve as the basis for VCF's large scale expansion scheduled to occur during Phase III. For this Phase II work, VCF will focus on both the production cycle and as well as the quality and consistency of its final product delivered to consumers in the Washington, DC metro area. We will also produce 4.4 pound market size fish for sale as "bullets" (head off gutted fish) to the retail fresh fish market. Continued development and optimization of our in house dietary formulations during Phase II will further the enhance VCF's efficiency and quality control during its rearing of cobia under low salinity conditions in RAS. This proposed Phase II effort will further augment USDA funded efforts awarded to VCF itself or its municipal partner, the Town of Saltville, VA, in the areas of renewable energy generation and rural business development. Successful completion of the Phase II effort will enable VCF to drive its integrated production methods into a modular design format and implement this format in a manner that will both reduce costs and shorten delay times in additional scale up and operations.