Codtech - a process oriented approach to intensive production of marine juveniles with main emphasis on cod

The Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is an important candidate for marine aquaculture. FAO regards cod as one of the most promising new aquaculture species, and assume that the production could be at least 1-2 million tons per year by 2015. The present Program me is a multidisciplinary biological-biotechnological-technological approach to some main challenges of intensive rearing of cod juveniles. Developments will be based on experience from seabass and seabream in Southern Europe and the current internationa l status for cod. Main tasks are: 1) Modelling, instrumentation, control and optimisation of hatchery processes; 2) Larval feed components; 3) Microbial interactions and control; 4) Controlled intensive first feeding and weaning of cod larvae. Future aquaculture production should benefit from the same technological advancement within process control and automation as experienced in conventional process industry. Methods and principles of cybernetics will be used as a framework for developments of equipment, instrumentation and automation of the production process of cod juveniles. The experimental work is focused on feeding regime, the resulting microbial regime, their interactions, and their components. A main target will accordin gly be to establish a feeding regime for cod larvae that is nutritionally and microbially acceptable and feasible for partial automation.