Project Number: 6225-32000-004-05
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Apr 15, 2008
End Date: Apr 14, 2010

Objective:
Estimate costs/returns and develop a risk analysis related to production of hybrid striped bass fingerlings in ponds and tanks; document summer zooplankton dynamics in hybrid striped bass fry ponds filled by two different rates; develop a green-water pond-side nursery system for hybrid striped bass fry; determine dominant cyclopoid copepods in Arkansas fish ponds; determine LC50 values of effective copepod control agents in pond and mesocosm studies; develop new winter feeding recommendations and feeds for channel and channel X blue hybrid catfish; determine viability of eight important fish pathogens that pass through the gastrointestinal systems of brids, crawfish and turtles; determine the effectiveness of replacing menhaden fish meal and oil with Alaskan Pollock meal and oils in diets of hybrid striped bass and catfish.

Approach:
Enterprise budgets for production of hybrid striped bass fingerlings in ponds and tanks will be developed. Risk analyses of costs and returns will be developed for production of hybrid striped bass in ponds and tanks. Cyclopoid copepods frequently found in Arkansas fish ponds will be identified and effective copepod control strategies developed to allow pond water reuse. Vat studies will be conducted to correlate feed intake with water temperature for channel catfish and channel X blue hybrid catfish. Pond studies will be conducted to evaluate performance in ponds of new winter feeding recommendations for channel and channel X blue hybrid catfish. Common Arkansas fish-eating birds from central and southeastern fish farms will be collected and their intestines sampled for presence or absence of important fish pathogens including viruses. Diets will be formulated for hybrid striped bass and catfish containing Alaskan Pollock meal and feeding trials conducted. Fish tissues spiked with fish pathogens, including VHSV, SVCV, CCV and LMBV viruses, will be fed to chickens, turtles and crawfish to determine pathogen viability by PCR analysis.