Aquaponics

Aquaculture – a sustainable alternative to conventional fishing

Aquaculture offers an important and economically viable alternative to conventional fishing strategies, especially in light of declining fish stocks and their significant impact on aquatic environments. By integrating fish production systems (aquaculture) with modern cultivation systems for high-quality vegetables and berries, this environmental impact can be reduced or even avoided.

These integrated production systems are known as aquaponic systems, and the method is called aquaponics. Nutrient-rich water circulates between fish tanks and the root systems of plants.

Currently, aquaponic systems are primarily designed to meet the needs of the fish, which often results in lower plant quality. In this project, we draw on more than 20 years of experience to optimise the plant-focused part of aquaponic systems. Our work focuses on:

• Human and plant pathogens, as well as microbial contamination
• Optimised plant nutrition and fertilisation strategies
• Use of aquaponic residues for fish feed production
• Microbial biogeography in aquatic systems.