Animal husbandry – Aquatic animal culturing – Fish culturing
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-15
2003-09-09
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Animal husbandry
Aquatic animal culturing
Fish culturing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06615767
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The invention relates generally to the field of aquaculture and, more particularly, to a system and method for producing aquatic species for consumer consumption. Although the invention relates to a method and system for producing many aquatic specie, the preferred embodiments disclose a method and system for producing shrimp.
While seafood has always been a staple in the diets of many people in the United States and elsewhere, it wasn't until the 1980s that a significant increase in seafood consumption occurred. The consumption was largely the result of an increased awareness of the medical evidence that supported the health benefits and longevity accrued from a seafood diet. As a result, seafood distributors provided a greater abundance and selection of seafood products that further increased consumption. This increased domestic demand coupled with increased international demand by an expanding population led to more efficient methods for harvesting naturally occurring fish stocks from the oceans of the world. The increasingly efficient methods resulted in rapid depletion of these native fish stocks, requiring government intervention to impose restrictions on the size of the total harvest to preserve populations of certain native species. The smaller harvests resulted in increasing the price of seafood products, which helped stimulate the search for methods of growing fish stocks in a controlled artificial environment. The production of catfish in catfish farms is a dominant example of the growing, large-scale aquaculture industry. Other species produced by the aquaculture industry include crayfish, oysters, shrimp, Tilapia and Striped Bass.
The United States consumes about one billion of the approximately seven billion pounds of shrimp that are consumed annually by the world population. While seventy-five percent of this annual harvest is provided by ocean trawling, aquaculture in the form of shrimp farms provide the other twenty five percent. However, ocean trawling suffers from a limited season, a declining catch rate and environmental concerns. Shrimp farms may be categorized as open systems and closed systems.
Open system shrimp farms are generally open to the environment, such as open-air ponds constructed near oceans to contain and grow shrimp. These open shrimp farms suffer from vagaries of predators, the weather, diseases and environmental pollution. Saltwater from the ocean must be continually circulated through the ponds and back to the ocean to maintain adequate water chemistry for the shrimp to grow. The shrimp farmers must supply daily additions of dry food pellets to the shrimp as they grow.
Closed shrimp farms are generally self-contained aquaculture systems. While figs closed shrimp farms have greater control over the artificial environment contained therein, they have not been entirely satisfactory because of limited production rates, water filtration and treatment problems, and manufactured feed. Although some of these shortcomings can be overcome by increased capital expenditures, such as for water treatment facilities, the increased capital, labor and energy costs may be prohibitive.
It is desirable, therefore, to have a method and system for producing aquatic species, and particularly shrimp, that are not limited by a season, declining catch rate, environmental concerns, predators, weather, diseases, low production rates, water treatment problems, or manufactured feed. The system and method should not be limited to a specific location for access to a shipping facility or proximity to the ocean.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention provides a closed aquaculture system and method for producing aquatic specie and other aquatic species that is not limited by the seasons of the year, is not limited by a declining catch rate, does not exhibit environmental concerns and is not affected by predators, weather, or diseases. The present invention provides high production rates, does not exhibit water treatment or manufactured feed problems, and is not limited to a specific location for access to a shipping facility or proximity to the ocean. Use of automation results in reduced labor costs and greater system density.
Unlike existing systems and methods, the present invention replicates a natural biological cycle by combining live algae, live artemia and live aquatic specie in a controlled environment. This combination of algae, artemia and aquatic specie stabilizes key system parameters. In addition, the system can achieve higher algae, artemia and aquatic specie density than existing systems by using automation to continually monitor and modify the saltwater environment.
A method having features of the present invention comprises a method for producing adult aquatic specie in an aquaculture system that comprises growing algae within an algae subsystem containing saltwater illuminated by a light source, flowing the algae from the algae subsystem into an artemia subsystem and an aquatic specie subsystem, both containing saltwater, consuming the algae and producing artemia by adult artemia within the artemia subsystem, passing the artemia from the artemia subsystem to the aquatic specie subsystem, consuming algae and the artemia by an immature aquatic specie for producing an adult aquatic specie within the aquatic specie subsystem, and harvesting the adult aquatic specie. The method may further comprise filtering a waste outflow from the aquatic specie subsystem by a filtration subsystem for providing a saltwater return to the algae subsystem, the artemia subsystem, and the aquatic specie subsystem. The method may further comprise controlling the aquaculture system with a data acquisition and control subsystem. The method may further comprise replenishing saltwater lost in the aquaculture system due to evaporation and leakage.
The step of growing algae within an algae subsystem may comprise seeding a selected strain of algae into the algae subsystem containing saltwater, illuminating the algae subsystem with light for proper algae growth, maintaining a temperature of the algae and saltwater by a heater means, measuring pH, algae density, temperature, light output, dissolved oxygen and nitrates, and controlling CO2 inflow, saltwater replenishment inflow, saltwater return inflow from a filtration subsystem, and algae outflow to the artemia subsystem. The selected strain of algae may be selected from the group consisting of isochrysis galbana, skeletonema, thalassiosira, phaeodactylum, chaetoceros, cylindrotheca, tetraselmis and spirulina. The temperature value may be maintained within the range of from 27° C. to 32° C. Controlling a CO2 inflow value may maintain the pH value within a range of from 7.5 to 8.5. The saltwater return inflow value may be selected to maintain an algae density value within a range of from 1 to 10 million cells per milliliter. The saltwater replenishment inflow salinity value may be maintained within a range of from 30 to 35 parts per thousand.
The step of consuming algae and producing artemia by adult artemia within the artemia subsystem may comprise adding artemia to the artemia subsystem containing saltwater for consuming algae and producing artemia, maintaining a temperature of the artemia, algae and saltwater by a heater means, measuring waste, algae density, artemia density, temperature, pH, ammonia, and dissolved oxygen, and controlling oxygen inflow, saltwater return inflow from a filtration subsystem, saltwater replenishment inflow, and artemia outflow to the aquatic specie subsystem. The temperature value may be maintained within the range of from 27° C. to 32° C. The controlling an oxygen inflow value may maintain the dissolved oxygen value within a range of from 4.5 parts per million to 9.0 parts per million. The controlling a saltwater return inflow value may maintain an artemia outflow value to the aquatic specie subsystem to adequately remove waste from the artemia subsystem and provide sufficient artemia to the aquatic specie subsystem for food. The saltwater replenishment inflow salinity va
Easterling Gerald
Untermeyer Thomas C.
Williams Bill G.
Automated Shrimp Corporation
Jordan Charles T.
Nelson Judith A.
Taylor Russell & Russell P.C.
LandOfFree
Aquaculture method and system for producing aquatic species does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Aquaculture method and system for producing aquatic species, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Aquaculture method and system for producing aquatic species will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3029081