1998 Annual Accomplishment Report

December 1, 1998

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The Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture, or CTSA, is one of five regional aquaculture centers funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The mission of CTSA is to support aquaculture research, development, demonstration and extension education to enhance viable and profitable U.S. aquaculture. Research projects span the American Insular Pacific, using its extensive resource base to meet the needs and concerns of the tropical aquaculture industry.

The Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture is jointly administered by the University of Hawaii and The Oceanic Institute. The Center's offices and staff are located at The Oceanic Institute's Makapu`u Point site on windward Oahu. 

CTSA funds aquaculture research, development and demonstration projects. Each year's program is the result of several groups working together for many months. A Board of Directors oversees the Center's programmatic functions, and an Executive Committee is responsible for the Center's administrative policy and functions.

In addition, CTSA has two working groups. The Industry Advisory Council (IAC) comprises members from financial institutions, aquacultural and agricultural enterprises, government agencies and other business concerns. The Technical Committee (TC) is made up of researchers, extension agents and fisheries officers.

The Board, the IAC and the TC draw their members from American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaii, the Republic of Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. 

In April 1998, projects funded under the Center's Eleventh Year Plan of Work were initiated. The Center has funded 126 projects in its 11 years of operation. These projects fall into six categories:

• National Aquaculture Priorities;
• Information Dissemination;
• Extension Support to Further Industry Development;
• Marketing and Economics;
• Development of New Technologies;
• Demonstration and Adaptation of Known Technologies.

A brief listing of the principal accomplishments of the active projects in these categories during 1998 is presented below. Details on each project's funding, participants, objectives, anticipated benefits, progress and future plans are presented in individual sections on each project.

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As a direct result of the project, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on February 12, 1996, that it will "defer regulatory enforcement against the unapproved sales and use of an approved Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (HCG) product as a spawning aid in fish by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian." This provides aquaculture farmers with a means of legally obtaining and using HCG until it is approved by the FDA.

In July 1998, the FDA approved Western Chemical Inc.'s supplemental New Animal Drug Application (NADA) for formalin solution to be used in the water of all finfish as an external parasiticide and all finfish eggs as a fungicide. This approval means that Western Chemical is the only manufacturer whose formalin can be labeled and sold for those uses. FDA's amendment of the animal drug regulations to reflect approval of Western Chemical's NADA became effective July 16, 1998.

Accomplishments

This project, initiated under the CTSA Eleventh Annual Plan of Work, will develop a general, standardized set of best management practices for Hawaii aquaculture. This will aid farmers in obtaining necessary permits, which has proved a major constraint to the aquaculture industry in Hawaii.

This project, known as the Pacific Regional Aquaculture Information Service for Education or PRAISE, established remote workstations equipped with modems. From these workstations, users can connect to the information service at the University of Hawaii to perform CD-ROM database searches 24 hours a day. Six remote sites were established in Hawaii and two were established in Guam. PRAISE entered a cooperative agreement with PEACESAT, a federally funded communications satellite, whereby residents at five Pacific Island sites can directly access the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA) database through an Internet connection between the local PEACESAT station and the mainland vendor. In addition, PRAISE established a home page on the WorldWide Web. Search requests can be sent to PRAISE personnel via the web page.

During 1998, the project provided PRAISE switched to Worldwide Web access of the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts database, thereby simplifying and expanding access to Hawaii users. All those with *@hawaii.edu email accounts log on to the Internet and conduct database searches via the Worldwide Web. Other users can submit search requests to PRAISE via the Worldwide Web site. In addition, PRAISE has established two remote sites, one of which is housed in the CTSA Administrative Offices at The Oceanic Institute, that can access Internet database searches.

This project produced a quarterly newsletter, and an annual technical bulletin on each of the Center's active funded projects. In addition, the project provided assistance to "RAC Results: Aquaculture Extension and Training in the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands." The publications project also provided production assistance to publish manuals from two projects. The manuals were titled "Spawning and Early Larval Rearing of Giant Clams" and "Pacific Threadfin Polydactylus sexfilis (Moi) Hatchery Manual." The project also established and maintains a home page on the worldwide web from which Internet browsers can download publications and learn about the Center.

This project provides extension and training support to aquaculturists and to government fisheries and aquaculture staff throughout the region. This support included conducting aquaculture training courses at various locations, providing scientific advice to the FSM National Aquaculture Center and other private and public concerns, and assisting with reef surveys and reseeding programs for giant clams, sponges, pearl oysters and other species as requested by local authorities. The project produced a manual and companion video titled "Spawning and Early Larval Rearing of Giant Clams."

This project is identifying factors that may contribute to the occurrence of bacterial disease during growout of Chinese catfish (Clarias fuscus) and developing strategies to control those diseases. In addition, methods of decontaminating shrimp ponds infected with the IHHN virus are being tested, groups of imported freshwater tropical fish are being surveyed to document mortality patterns, portray environmental conditions and determine the presence and prevalence of certain parasites and bacterial pathogens, and the effects of ectoparasites on cultured tilapia and mullet are being assessed.

This project is promoting cooperation between the Guam legislature, Guam Environmental Protection Agency (GEPA), Department of Commerce (DOC), Department of Agriculture (DOA), Bureau of Planning (BOP), Chamorro Land Trust Commission (CLTC), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), Department of Land Management (DLM), University of Guam, Marine Lab (UOGML) and others. The benefit will be the direct participation of relevant agencies in the consideration and formation of sound aquaculture policy.

Results from experiments and nursery runs at commercial farms indicate that farmers can be very successful at raising threadfin, given proper guidance through extension activities. Farmers have gained confidence that survival and growth can be kept at profitable levels provided that proper facilities and techniques are employed. Feeding trials for both threadfin and milkfish have aided both in identifying the best commercial feeds and formulations for threadfin growout and in ways to minimize feed costs, which typically represent 50 percent of the production costs of any fish farming operation. Water use costs can also be lowered with the identification of threadfin loading rate requirements. Market tests have shown that threadfin is a versatile, high quality product that can be sold for $6 to $7 per pound. Markets will purchase and sell threadfin that range from 0.5 pounds to 2 pounds. The most appropriate size for farmers to grow threadfin is between 0.5 and 1 pound, which can be attained at 6 to 8 months of age at most Hawaii farms. Given estimated survival rates of fish produced under this project, the average price of $6 per pound in the round and 0.75 pound harvest weight, this CTSA Year 9 project will contribute an estimated $414,000 in net sales to Hawaii threadfin farmers. Total net sales attributed to this project during CTSA Year 8 and Year 9 is estimated at percent $508,500. The project continued to provide seedstock and technical assistance to participating farmers. This has resulted in improved on-farm survival rates averaging 98 percent.

This project developed a technique for spawning and culturing hard corals for the aquarium trade. It has also identified an artificial substrate that can be used for settling corals, which will help to identify them as cultured in the marketplace.

This project compared growth of various sponges to determine which would be best used to replant a farm. The study determined that high growth rate sponges were best to replant a farm because the sponges maintained high growth rates after being divided into cuttings, whereas slow-growing sponges maintain their slow growth rates when divided into cuttings.

Significantly greater growth of triploid fish at higher temperatures was observed. These higher water temperatures are perhaps representations of typical water temperature at most Hawaii aquaculture sites. However, triploid growth was only about 10 percent greater on average than that of diploids. This is less than expected based on earlier results with Clarias macrocephalus but still could prove to be an advantage to farmers because triploids would reach marketable size about one month earlier than diploids. Triploid fish also exhibited significantly greater fat content when cultured at both high and low temperatures and on different feeds. Those fat profiles are considered "healthful" and could add to their market appeal. The project produced an extension fact sheet that will be published at the end of 1998.

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During 1998, the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture completed work on projects funded under its Eighth Annual Plan of Work and continued work on projects funded under its Ninth and Tenth Annual Plans of Work. In addition, the Center initiated work on projects developed under its Eleventh Annual Plan of Work and began developing its Twelfth Annual Plan of Work.

Ten projects were funded under the Center's eleventh year program, which was approved by the Center's Board of Directors on January 27, 1998. Three projects were new, and seven were continuations of projects begun under the programs of previous years.

One sign of the effectiveness of the Center's program is the willingness of other agencies to provide supplemental funding for projects. Over the life of CTSA, other agencies provided $3,337,348 in additional or in-kind support to projects.

The development of the Year Twelve program was initiated in March 1998 at the annual meeting of the Industry Advisory Council (IAC). The IAC reviewed the progress of funded projects and recommended Year Twelve research priorities that would aid industry development. Members identified nine project areas, four of which were new areas, and five of which were continuations of projects funded under previous years. The priority areas were:

1. Library Aquaculture Workstation -- Year Twelve;
2. Extension and Training Support for the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands -- Year Eleven;
3. Disease Management for Hawaiian Aquaculture -- Year Seven;
4. National Coordinator for Aquaculture New Animal Drug Applications -- Year Four;
5. Marine Ornamental Aquaculture (new priority);
6. Freshwater Ornamental Aquaculture (new priority);
7. Marine Food Fish Seedstock Production (new priority);
8. Red Tilapia Seed and Tilapia Aquaponics in Guam (new priority);
9. Publications.

In April 1998, the Technical Committee (TC), acting on the IAC's recommendations, drafted problem statements for new or expanded projects. Those formed the basis for the Preliminary Plan of Work, which was approved by the Board of Directors in May. The Center staff then solicited proposals for projects, and eight proposals were submitted.

In July, the Center began its four-month review process. New proposals were first subjected to external peer review by at least three experts in the project topic area. The expert peer reviewers were identified with the assistance of the directors of the other Regional Aquaculture Centers and the U.S.D.A. program administrators. Proposals for both new and continuing projects then underwent review by panels comprising members of the Industry Advisory Council and the Technical Committee. The final version of the proposals will be incorporated into the Twelfth Annual Plan of Work, which will be sent to the Center's Board of Directors for approval. Following Board approval, the plan will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service for final approval.

Since the inception of the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture in 1988, it has funded 126 research, demonstration, development and extension projects. Thirteen projects were active during 1998. These projects fall into six categories:

• National Aquaculture Priorities;
• Information Dissemination;
• Extension Support to Further Industry Development;
• Marketing and Economics;
• Development of New Technologies;
• Demonstration and Adaptation of Known Technologies.

Projects addressing national aquaculture priorities comprise:

• National Coordinator for New Animal Drug Applications;
• Development of Best Management Practices for Hawaiian Aquaculture.

Projects addressing information dissemination comprise:

• Library Aquaculture Workstation;
• Publications.

Projects addressing extension support to further industry development comprise:

• Aquaculture Extension and Training Support in the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands;
• Understanding Gracilaria Gall Syndrome;
• Disease Management for Hawaiian Aquaculture;
• Public Policy Impact on Aquaculture Development in Guam.

Projects addressing development of new technologies comprise:

• Development of Threadfin (Polydactylus sexfilis) Fry Production Technology;
• Development of Pacific Threadfin and Milkfish Growout Technology and Production of Live Feeds and Seedstock.

Projects addressing demonstration and adaptation of known technologies comprise:

• Differential Growth Rate Studies in Cultured Commercial Sponges;
• Expansion and Diversification of Freshwater Tropical Fish Culture;
• Development of Improved Growout Culture for Chinese Catfish through Ploidy and Feed Applications.

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Title XIV of the Agriculture and Food Act of 1980 and the Food Security Act of 1985 authorized establishment of aquacultural research, development and demonstration centers in the United States (Subtitle L, Sec. 1475[d]) in association with colleges and universities, state departments of agriculture, federal facilities, and non-profit private research institutions.

The five Regional Aquaculture Centers encourage cooperative and collaborative aquaculture research and extension education programs that have regional or national applications. Center programs complement and strengthen existing research and extension educational programs provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and by other public institutions. The Centers' objectives are to:

• promote aquaculture research, development and demonstration for the enhancement of viable and profitable commercial aquaculture production in the United States for the benefit of producers, consumers and the American economy;
• utilize the Regional Centers in a national program of cooperative and collaborative research, extension and development activities among public and private institutions having demonstrated capabilities in support of commercial aquaculture in the United States.

The Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture is co-administered by the University of Hawaii and The Oceanic Institute. CTSA's Administrative Center is located at The Oceanic Institute, on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. The Administrative Center staff provides all necessary support services for the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, the Industry Advisory Council, the Technical Committee, various project review panels and delegations and project work groups. Dr. Cheng-Sheng Lee, Center Director, supervises operation of the Center.

The Executive Committee is the legal entity responsible for the Center's overall administrative policy formulation, budget and procedures. It also appoints the CTSA Director. The members of the Executive Committee are:

• Dr. Gary D. Pruder, The Oceanic Institute, {Executive Committee Chairman}:
• Dr. Dean Smith, University of Hawaii.

The Board of Directors is responsible for the development and implementation of the Center's program policy, including concurrence on total budget issues. The Board is also responsible for development of ancillary agreements with other agencies and institutions.

The members of the Board of Directors represent educational, state and non-profit private research institutions throughout the region. The Board of Directors:

• establishes initial guidelines for regional aquaculture research, development and demonstration activities;
• appoints and removes members of the Industry Advisory Council and the Technical Committee;
• approves the proposed strategy for project selection;
• approves the priority areas and goals for industry development identified by the Industry Advisory Council and Technical Committee;
• approves the Annual Plan of Work, including budget allocations;
• approves the Annual Accomplishment Report for consistency with the goals and objectives of CTSA and the authorizing legislation;
• develops ancillary agreements with other institutions.

The members of the Board of Directors, in alphabetical order, are:

• Dr. Jeff Barcinas, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Guam;
• Mr. John Corbin, Hawaii State Aquaculture Development Program;
• Dr. Michael Harrington, Hawaii Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii.
• Dr. Charles Helsley, Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawaii;
• Dr. Gary D. Pruder, The Oceanic Institute {Executive Committee Chairman};
• Dr. Singeru Singeo, Land Grant Program, College of Micronesia;
• Dr. Dean Smith, University of Hawaii, {Board Chairman}.

Members of the Industry Advisory Council include commercial aquaculture farmers, aquaculture suppliers and members of government bodies and financial institutions. Members are appointed by the Board of Directors for three-year, renewable terms. In the Industry Advisory Council's capacity as an advisory body, it provides an open information exchange forum for those involved in the aquaculture business. With the approval of the Board of Directors, contributions of the IAC can be incorporated into annual and ongoing plans for CTSA. The Industry Advisory Council:

• recommends research and development needs and priorities from the perspective of the aquaculture industry;
• participates as needed in the review of proposals, project progress reports, program review delegations and other functions of the Center;
• recommends to the Board actions regarding new and continuing proposals, proposal modifications and terminations.

Members of the Industry Advisory Council are:

• Mr. Bo Alexander, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii;
• Mr. David Barclay, Aquatic Culture and Design;
• Mr. Dennis Bishop, Kona Mariculture;
• Ms. Mary Brooks, Pacific Aquaculture;
• Mr. Steve Chaikin, Molokai Sea Farms;
• Mr. Shinji Chibana, Palau Biotech Marine Tropicals;
• Mr. Michael Crisostomo, Kurumaya SeaHorse Restaurant;
• Mr. Richard Croft, Pohnpei Natural Products;
• Mr. John Gourley, Micronesia Clam Company;
• Ms. Linda Gusman, Island Aquaculture;
• Mr. Steve Katase, Royal Hawaiian Sea Farms;
• Mr. Jeff Koch, Mokuleia Aquafarm;
• Mr. Ray Kosaka, Discus of Hawaii;
• Mr. Andrew Kuljis, Aquatic Farms;
• Dr. Craig MacDonald, Hawaii State Ocean Resources Development;
• Mr. Jerry B. Norris, Pacific Basin Development Council;
• Mr. Ramsey Reimers, Robert Reimers Enterprises;
• Dr. Richard Spencer, Hawaiian Marine Enterprises {Industry Advisory Council Chairman and ex officio member of the BOD}
• Mr. John Taitano, Guam Aquafarms;
• Mr. Ron Weidenbach, Hawaii Fish Company;
• Dr. James Wyban, High Health Aquaculture;
• Dr. Leonard Young, Hawaii State Aquaculture Development Program.

The Technical Committee's members represent participating research institutions and state extension services, other state or territorial public agencies as appropriate, and non-profit private research institutions. The Technical Committee provides research expertise to address priorities set by the Industry Advisory Council. Members are appointed by the Board of Directors for three-year, renewable terms. The Technical Committee:

• prepares Problem Statements for priority areas identified by the Industry Advisory Council;
• participates as needed in project review panels, Program Review Delegations and other functions of the Center.

The members of the Technical Committee are:

• Dr. Harry Ako, University of Hawaii {Technical Committee Chairman and ex officio member of the BOD};
• Dr. Maqsudul Alam, University of Hawaii;
• Ms. Kristen Anderson, Hamilton Library, University of Hawaii;
• Mr. Richard Bailey, Sea Grant Extension Service, University of Hawaii;
• Dr. James Brock, Hawaii State Aquaculture Development Program;
• Mr. Mark Brotman, Land Grant Cooperative Extension, Northern Marianas College;
• Dr. Christopher Brown, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii;
• Dr. John Brown, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Guam;
• Mr. David Crisostomo, University of Guam Cooperative Extension Service;
• Mr. Simon Ellis, Land Grant College Program, College of Micronesia;
• Dr. Kevin Hopkins, University of Hawaii;
• Dr. Robert D. Howerton, Sea Grant Extension Service, University of Hawaii;
• Mr. Tom Iwai, Anuenue Fisheries Research Center;
• Dr. Christopher Kelley, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology;
• Dr. Andrew Kuniyuki, Cooperative Research and Extension, College of the Marshall Islands;
• Dr. PingSun Leung, University of Hawaii;
• Dr. Shaun Moss, The Oceanic Institute;
• Mr. Obichang Orak, Palau Mariculture Demonstration Center;
• Dr. Anthony Ostrowski, The Oceanic Institute;
• Dr. James Szyper, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology;
• Mr. Howard Takata, Sea Grant Extension Service, University of Hawaii
• Dr. Clyde Tamaru, Sea Grant Extension Service, University of Hawaii.

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