SBIR Phase II: Development of Design and Operational Criteria of Continuous Culture Hatchery Techniques for the Production of Brachionus rotundiformis (s-type) rotifers

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II project's overall goal is to commercialize a robust, continuous culture production system for rotifers (Brachionus rotundiformis; s-type), the major live feed source for marine larval fish. A major bottleneck in the expansion of the marine aquaculture industry in the United States remains the lack of commercial live feed production technologies to support the grow-out industry. Specifically for rotifer culture, there exist limited standardized design and operational criteria for continuous culture methods that could facilitate increased productivity and consistency of supply. The inability to supply microalgal/zooplankton feeds cost-effectively (quantity) and consistently (quantity and quality) continues to be a major limitation to the expansion of the marine aquaculture industry. The broader impacts of this technology are simplification of fingerling production which will lead to rapid expansion of marine hatcheries and hence a dramatic increase in the availability of lower cost marine fry and fingerlings for aquaculture grow-out in ponds, ocean cages and/or indoor recirculating systems. This research has the potential to help jump-start the marine aquaculture industry by eliminating one of the key limiting factors to increasing the production of many marine species, i.e. the unavailability and the high cost of fry and fingerlings. Aquaculture production of the more popular marine finfish will relieve the pressure on commercial fish stocks that are currently severely threatened or overfished and allow culture under highly controlled, biosecure conditions using commercial formulated diets.