IMARES' new facility is located on the shore of the Eastern Schelde in Yerseke, the location where research, education and industry active in the field of aquaculture work together on innovations, national and international.
According to Fish Update, this state of the art facility is supplied with sea water through a pipe line, delivering high quality water to the site. Intake water is mechanically filtered, skimmed and treated with ozone, and if required with UV. The news agency says that the new facility consists of two research halls, each with its own recirculation systems, one technical support hall for water treatment, one for climate control and a water analytical lab. Part of the facility consists of a site for outdoor experiments directly at the shoreline.
This allows research with sea-water, fresh-water, flow-through, and recirculation systems in controlled climates and outdoor's exposed to seasonal influences. One advantage of the new facility is that is allows to work in heated and chilled recirculation and flow-through systems under controlled temperatures from 5 to 35 oC all year round. One of the research halls is dedicated to sole (Solea solea) reproduction and nursery.
The aquaculture department of IMARES uses these facilities to study the effects of interaction between fish and culture system, fish welfare, reproduction and nursery of various fish species, nutrition, sustainable aquaculture practices, shellfish reproduction, nursery and nutrition requirements, algae production, as well as the production of other invertebrates, such as ragworms.
Research Facility Looks to the Future
THE NETHERLANDS - A new aquaculture research facility has opened in the Netherlands aiming to bring new solutions to industry problems.