1 00:00:03,470 --> 00:00:05,906 >>Major funding for this program was provided 2 00:00:05,906 --> 00:00:07,875 by the Batchelor Foundation. 3 00:00:07,875 --> 00:00:10,677 Encouraging people to preserve and protect 4 00:00:10,677 --> 00:00:15,682 America's underwater resources. 5 00:00:25,759 --> 00:00:30,764 >>NARRATOR: The oceans were once an abundant resource, 6 00:00:30,764 --> 00:00:36,770 holding what seemed to be a limitless supply of seafood. 7 00:00:36,770 --> 00:00:41,308 But today, roughly 80% of major marine fish stocks 8 00:00:41,308 --> 00:00:45,512 are either depleted or overfished. 9 00:00:45,512 --> 00:00:51,652 >>The worldwide seafood landings of wild-caught seafood 10 00:00:51,652 --> 00:00:54,121 essentially maxed out in 1990. 11 00:00:54,121 --> 00:00:57,057 So at a time when doctors are recommending we eat 12 00:00:57,057 --> 00:01:02,429 more seafood, it's imperative that we come up with other ways 13 00:01:02,429 --> 00:01:05,132 to supply that seafood than going after 14 00:01:05,132 --> 00:01:08,168 the remaining fish in the sea. 15 00:01:08,168 --> 00:01:13,273 >>NARRATOR: One solution is to farm fish and crustaceans. 16 00:01:13,273 --> 00:01:17,077 >>Aquaculture is farming the sea, just as agriculture 17 00:01:17,077 --> 00:01:19,279 is farming on land. 18 00:01:19,279 --> 00:01:21,081 >>NARRATOR: But just like agriculture, 19 00:01:21,081 --> 00:01:25,819 aquaculture can come at a cost. 20 00:01:25,819 --> 00:01:28,155 >>The issue now is, can we farm it in a wa 21 00:01:28,155 --> 00:01:31,658 that does not cause much harm for the marine environment? 22 00:01:31,658 --> 00:01:35,228 >>NARRATOR: Is aquaculture the way of the future? 23 00:01:35,228 --> 00:01:38,298 Can it help meet the ever-growing demand for seafood 24 00:01:38,298 --> 00:01:40,300 in a sustainable way? 25 00:01:41,201 --> 00:01:46,206 ♪♪ 26 00:02:11,164 --> 00:02:13,166 >>NARRATOR: The farming of fish and crustaceans 27 00:02:13,166 --> 00:02:16,370 is not a new concept. 28 00:02:16,370 --> 00:02:19,906 >>Aquaculture right now is supplying 35% to 40% 29 00:02:19,906 --> 00:02:21,742 of the seafood that we eat. 30 00:02:21,742 --> 00:02:24,811 >>NARRATOR: But the majority of that seafood doesn't come 31 00:02:24,811 --> 00:02:27,180 from U.S. waters. 32 00:02:27,180 --> 00:02:31,718 >>Our second largest natural resource trade deficit 33 00:02:31,718 --> 00:02:34,321 is seafood, second only to oil, 34 00:02:34,321 --> 00:02:38,759 and that's just a staggering statistic. 35 00:02:38,759 --> 00:02:42,796 >>Right now, over 80% of the seafood that we eat 36 00:02:42,796 --> 00:02:46,133 in this country is imported, and so that seafood 37 00:02:46,133 --> 00:02:49,936 is either being caught or produced in other countries. 38 00:02:49,936 --> 00:02:55,509 We know that the inspection process for imported seafood 39 00:02:55,509 --> 00:02:57,010 is very limited. 40 00:02:57,010 --> 00:02:58,779 And we know that there are contaminants 41 00:02:58,779 --> 00:03:01,615 that are coming in with that seafood. 42 00:03:01,615 --> 00:03:04,685 >>NARRATOR: Foreign aquaculture operations in Asia 43 00:03:04,685 --> 00:03:07,587 and South America have been criticized for using 44 00:03:07,587 --> 00:03:11,091 large amounts of antibiotics and other drugs, 45 00:03:11,091 --> 00:03:15,295 creating a potential health risk for the consumer. 46 00:03:15,295 --> 00:03:19,199 Others have caused environmental problems. 47 00:03:19,199 --> 00:03:21,702 >>Basically, large areas of mangrove forests 48 00:03:21,702 --> 00:03:24,237 along coastal waters have been bulldozed to make wa 49 00:03:24,237 --> 00:03:27,441 for shrimp farms and fish farms. 50 00:03:27,441 --> 00:03:30,711 And so you have a choice: you can either have more aquaculture 51 00:03:30,711 --> 00:03:33,046 under strict regulations in this country, 52 00:03:33,046 --> 00:03:35,816 or we can continue to buy seafood from other countries, 53 00:03:35,816 --> 00:03:38,385 which have a lot less regulations and we know 54 00:03:38,385 --> 00:03:40,520 are causing a lot more pollution. 55 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,390 >>NARRATOR: There are many different types of aquaculture, 56 00:03:43,390 --> 00:03:45,659 and much is being done in the United States 57 00:03:45,659 --> 00:03:50,664 to make the farming of seafood more environmentally friendly. 58 00:03:59,673 --> 00:04:04,177 In Cedar Key, a small town in Florida's Big Bend area, 59 00:04:04,177 --> 00:04:07,380 clam farming is big business. 60 00:04:20,127 --> 00:04:22,295 >>Allowing our fishermen to become clam farmers 61 00:04:22,295 --> 00:04:28,101 has allowed us to continue as a working waterfront. 62 00:04:28,101 --> 00:04:31,238 >>NARRATOR: The industry got started in 1994, 63 00:04:31,238 --> 00:04:34,541 after the Florida Net Ban put many local fishermen 64 00:04:34,541 --> 00:04:37,611 out of business. 65 00:04:37,611 --> 00:04:40,480 >>The infrastructure for this new industry came about 66 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,750 through federally funded job retraining programs, 67 00:04:43,750 --> 00:04:47,754 placing about 200 fishermen into the clam farming business. 68 00:04:47,754 --> 00:04:51,057 You don't require expensive waterfront property. 69 00:04:51,057 --> 00:04:54,861 You're leasing coastal submerged lands from the state of Florida 70 00:04:54,861 --> 00:04:57,397 at a fairly nominal fee. 71 00:04:57,397 --> 00:05:00,133 >>NARRATOR: Cedar Key is a perfect location 72 00:05:00,133 --> 00:05:01,635 for clam farming. 73 00:05:01,635 --> 00:05:05,005 The town's rural character and the lack of development 74 00:05:05,005 --> 00:05:08,175 have kept the local waters of the Gulf of Mexico 75 00:05:08,175 --> 00:05:11,678 pollution-free, yet rich enough in nutrients 76 00:05:11,678 --> 00:05:15,982 that the filter-feeding clams need to survive. 77 00:05:15,982 --> 00:05:18,485 >>There's no such thing as clam chow. 78 00:05:18,485 --> 00:05:21,087 In other words, Mother Nature is providing the food 79 00:05:21,087 --> 00:05:22,823 for your crop. 80 00:05:22,823 --> 00:05:24,925 And if you don't have adequate nutrients 81 00:05:24,925 --> 00:05:27,327 and phytoplankton in the water, you're going to have 82 00:05:27,327 --> 00:05:29,563 limited growth and production. 83 00:05:34,100 --> 00:05:36,403 >>NARRATOR: Farming clams from start to finish 84 00:05:36,403 --> 00:05:38,605 is a labor-intensive job, 85 00:05:38,605 --> 00:05:42,409 which begins at one of the local hatcheries. 86 00:05:42,409 --> 00:05:46,179 >>You're looking at hard clams, 87 00:05:46,179 --> 00:05:48,448 scientific name Mercenaria mercenaria, 88 00:05:48,448 --> 00:05:53,253 and these are our brood stock clams that we use to spawn 89 00:05:53,253 --> 00:05:55,889 and hatch out new baby clams. 90 00:05:55,889 --> 00:05:57,224 The brood stock came 91 00:05:57,224 --> 00:06:01,127 from actually a New England wild clam. 92 00:06:01,127 --> 00:06:03,997 Each clam is capable of producing 93 00:06:03,997 --> 00:06:05,699 about two million eggs. 94 00:06:05,699 --> 00:06:08,134 In the wild maybe only one or two of those eggs 95 00:06:08,134 --> 00:06:11,171 would become fertilized because nature's natural selection 96 00:06:11,171 --> 00:06:13,773 would eliminate most of those. 97 00:06:13,773 --> 00:06:16,409 In here, we create the ideal conditions 98 00:06:16,409 --> 00:06:20,080 for most of the eggs to become fertilized. 99 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:22,682 So we could get as much as ten or 20 million 100 00:06:22,682 --> 00:06:26,553 fertilized baby clams in just one spawn. 101 00:06:26,553 --> 00:06:28,755 >>This is the very act of domestication. 102 00:06:28,755 --> 00:06:30,757 We're maximizing nature's potential. 103 00:06:30,757 --> 00:06:33,960 >>NARRATOR: The farmers at hatcheries like Southern Cross 104 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:38,398 recreate the natural conditions clams need to spawn. 105 00:06:38,398 --> 00:06:42,035 After each spawning event, the fertilized eggs are moved 106 00:06:42,035 --> 00:06:44,371 into larvae tanks. 107 00:06:44,371 --> 00:06:49,442 >>There is approximately 11 million baby clam larvae 108 00:06:49,442 --> 00:06:51,344 in that tank as we speak. 109 00:06:51,344 --> 00:06:54,848 And they're about 40 times smaller 110 00:06:54,848 --> 00:06:56,583 than the naked eye can see. 111 00:06:56,583 --> 00:06:59,753 And they'll sit in there five days to a week, 112 00:06:59,753 --> 00:07:02,155 and they're swimming around as clam larvae. 113 00:07:02,155 --> 00:07:07,894 And after about a week or so, they'll actually develop 114 00:07:07,894 --> 00:07:10,063 a shell and a foot. 115 00:07:10,063 --> 00:07:12,933 And it's much like a caterpillar in a cocoon 116 00:07:12,933 --> 00:07:14,234 becoming a butterfly. 117 00:07:14,234 --> 00:07:17,704 It goes through a metamorphosis, a very critical stage 118 00:07:17,704 --> 00:07:19,072 in their life. 119 00:07:19,072 --> 00:07:21,474 And once they do that, they'll sink to the bottom 120 00:07:21,474 --> 00:07:22,943 of the water column. 121 00:07:22,943 --> 00:07:27,113 They are now a hard clam. 122 00:07:27,113 --> 00:07:31,785 Clams eat algae, and we grow algae for the clams. 123 00:07:31,785 --> 00:07:33,753 They're filter feeders. 124 00:07:33,753 --> 00:07:37,590 And when they're this small, we feed them a specific type 125 00:07:37,590 --> 00:07:40,460 of algae that is easier for them to eat. 126 00:07:40,460 --> 00:07:43,964 They go through hundreds of gallons of algae a day. 127 00:07:43,964 --> 00:07:47,233 And in order to keep up with their voracious appetite, 128 00:07:47,233 --> 00:07:50,136 we have to grow algae every day. 129 00:07:50,136 --> 00:07:52,973 These are approximately one month old. 130 00:07:52,973 --> 00:07:55,642 And they're one millimeter in size. 131 00:07:55,642 --> 00:08:00,680 There's approximately 250,000 clams in this one silo alone. 132 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:04,050 >>Once the clams reach a certain size, 133 00:08:04,050 --> 00:08:05,585 they are ready to be moved 134 00:08:05,585 --> 00:08:08,822 to silos on a floating dock outside. 135 00:08:08,822 --> 00:08:10,623 >>After they get out of the hatchery, 136 00:08:10,623 --> 00:08:12,359 this is the first time they're introduced 137 00:08:12,359 --> 00:08:15,295 to our wild natural algae. 138 00:08:15,295 --> 00:08:17,163 The water's pumped right out of the Gulf here, 139 00:08:17,163 --> 00:08:19,499 so they'll switch over from the food that we've made 140 00:08:19,499 --> 00:08:21,001 in there to this food, 141 00:08:21,001 --> 00:08:23,570 and we don't have to feed them anymore. 142 00:08:23,570 --> 00:08:25,505 >>NARRATOR: The clams will stay at the floating dock 143 00:08:25,505 --> 00:08:28,174 for several more weeks, until they reach 144 00:08:28,174 --> 00:08:31,344 roughly the size of an aspirin tablet. 145 00:08:31,344 --> 00:08:34,247 >>The clams are sieved. 146 00:08:34,247 --> 00:08:35,482 The small stuff will fall through, 147 00:08:35,482 --> 00:08:37,317 the big stuff will come down here. 148 00:08:37,317 --> 00:08:40,520 The big stuff we'll take out to the leases tomorrow. 149 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:44,424 So they'll be planted out in the wild. 150 00:08:44,424 --> 00:08:46,760 This is the final step in the whole nurser 151 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:50,730 part of the equation. 152 00:08:50,730 --> 00:08:52,832 >>NARRATOR: Once they've reached this size, 153 00:08:52,832 --> 00:08:56,136 the clams are put into bags and sold to farmers, 154 00:08:56,136 --> 00:08:58,138 who will plant them on their leased plots 155 00:08:58,138 --> 00:09:00,473 in the Gulf of Mexico. 156 00:09:00,473 --> 00:09:03,777 >>There's about 750 acres of state-owned submerged lands 157 00:09:03,777 --> 00:09:06,246 that are dedicated to shellfish aquaculture leases 158 00:09:06,246 --> 00:09:09,249 just here in Cedar Key. 159 00:09:12,685 --> 00:09:15,255 >>NARRATOR: One of the farmers is Bobby Whitt, 160 00:09:15,255 --> 00:09:17,690 who buys the little clams from a hatcher 161 00:09:17,690 --> 00:09:20,160 and then plants them on his lease. 162 00:09:22,929 --> 00:09:25,899 Bobby, who leases seven acres from the state, 163 00:09:25,899 --> 00:09:30,236 has been in the clamming business for 14 years. 164 00:09:36,209 --> 00:09:38,778 The warm temperatures of the Gulf make the clams 165 00:09:38,778 --> 00:09:41,481 grow faster than they would in New England, 166 00:09:41,481 --> 00:09:46,453 and it allows the farmers to plant and harvest year-round. 167 00:09:46,453 --> 00:09:49,389 Bobby says it takes roughly two years for the clams 168 00:09:49,389 --> 00:09:52,292 to grow into a marketable product. 169 00:09:52,292 --> 00:09:55,728 >>It's typical farming, just like farming on land. 170 00:09:55,728 --> 00:10:01,434 I try to rotate my planting, so I've got something to harvest 171 00:10:01,434 --> 00:10:05,038 all the time, which isn't always easy to do. 172 00:10:05,038 --> 00:10:07,574 >>NARRATOR: Once the bags are planted on the bottom, 173 00:10:07,574 --> 00:10:10,577 Mother Nature takes care of the rest. 174 00:10:10,577 --> 00:10:13,546 >>We tout ourselves as a very green industry, 175 00:10:13,546 --> 00:10:16,783 and that's because we do not have the use of feeds, 176 00:10:16,783 --> 00:10:20,386 fertilizers to stimulate any kind of growth, 177 00:10:20,386 --> 00:10:24,724 antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides. 178 00:10:24,724 --> 00:10:26,659 In fact, these would be detrimental 179 00:10:26,659 --> 00:10:31,898 to our shellfish crop. 180 00:10:31,898 --> 00:10:35,802 >>This is our product before we take them to the dock. 181 00:10:35,802 --> 00:10:38,605 He's about the first marketable size. 182 00:10:38,605 --> 00:10:41,641 They use them for all sorts of clams over pasta and whatnot 183 00:10:41,641 --> 00:10:44,277 as a pasta clam. 184 00:10:44,277 --> 00:10:46,546 But our optimum size is more the one-inch clam, 185 00:10:46,546 --> 00:10:47,714 that's what we're after-- 186 00:10:47,714 --> 00:10:50,617 the inch to the inch and an eighth roughly. 187 00:10:50,617 --> 00:10:53,553 These are more your... your primary marketable clams 188 00:10:53,553 --> 00:10:56,823 would be these, once again because they bring the money. 189 00:10:56,823 --> 00:11:00,393 >>NARRATOR: Once his clams have grown to market size, 190 00:11:00,393 --> 00:11:05,398 Bobby can harvest them on demand and take them back to the dock. 191 00:11:06,599 --> 00:11:08,601 >>They'll get rewashed and tumbled. 192 00:11:08,601 --> 00:11:11,204 Then I'll sort them again as they come out of the tumbler 193 00:11:11,204 --> 00:11:13,873 and then I'll look at them one more time before I sell them 194 00:11:13,873 --> 00:11:15,508 to the wholesaler. 195 00:11:15,508 --> 00:11:17,510 >>In the early years of the industry, 196 00:11:17,510 --> 00:11:20,580 it took some convincing of the local fishermen 197 00:11:20,580 --> 00:11:22,916 to get into the business. 198 00:11:22,916 --> 00:11:26,186 >>I was a net fisherman and after they banned the nets, 199 00:11:26,186 --> 00:11:29,289 I was retrained as a clam farmer. 200 00:11:29,289 --> 00:11:31,891 I didn't have a whole bunch of faith that it would work. 201 00:11:31,891 --> 00:11:34,327 >>I was a little more positive. 202 00:11:34,327 --> 00:11:36,296 Most people were more skeptical. 203 00:11:36,296 --> 00:11:38,464 I did like the idea of staying working on the water 204 00:11:38,464 --> 00:11:39,999 because the alternative 205 00:11:39,999 --> 00:11:41,768 was to get a job on the hill, of course. 206 00:11:41,768 --> 00:11:46,339 So I pursued it because it looked like an opportunity. 207 00:11:46,339 --> 00:11:47,607 >>It definitely works. 208 00:11:47,607 --> 00:11:49,842 Cedar Key is great for it. 209 00:11:49,842 --> 00:11:52,712 It's helped it to retain some of its fishing heritage, 210 00:11:52,712 --> 00:11:56,482 and there's no doubt that it's a viable way to make a living. 211 00:11:56,482 --> 00:11:59,686 >>The first-ever USDA aquaculture census 212 00:11:59,686 --> 00:12:02,021 conducted in 1998 showed 213 00:12:02,021 --> 00:12:04,824 that Florida was one of the leading producers 214 00:12:04,824 --> 00:12:07,994 of farm-raised hard clams by volume. 215 00:12:07,994 --> 00:12:11,097 And we know from our state surveys that Cedar Ke 216 00:12:11,097 --> 00:12:14,234 is one of the dominant production areas. 217 00:12:14,234 --> 00:12:17,503 Florida produces about 190 million clams. 218 00:12:17,503 --> 00:12:20,440 I think that was based on a 2007 survey, 219 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:22,642 and it does fluctuate from year to year. 220 00:12:22,642 --> 00:12:27,513 That equates to something like $19 million, dockside. 221 00:12:27,513 --> 00:12:30,350 But that's not all of the story. 222 00:12:30,350 --> 00:12:33,152 We have the hatcheries that produce the seed. 223 00:12:33,152 --> 00:12:37,423 We have seamstresses that make the clam bags, 224 00:12:37,423 --> 00:12:40,360 boat builders that specialize in clam work skiffs, 225 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:43,529 and wholesalers that distribute statewide and nationwide. 226 00:12:43,529 --> 00:12:46,899 So the economic footprint is obviously much larger 227 00:12:46,899 --> 00:12:49,102 than the dockside value. 228 00:12:49,102 --> 00:12:52,038 Florida was estimated at something close to $50 million, 229 00:12:52,038 --> 00:12:53,406 very important. 230 00:12:53,406 --> 00:12:57,510 >>And I'm trying to get them washed up real good. 231 00:12:57,510 --> 00:13:00,546 >>NARRATOR: Clamming provides a source of revenue to Cedar Ke 232 00:13:00,546 --> 00:13:03,216 and other communities around the state, 233 00:13:03,216 --> 00:13:05,051 and it does so without 234 00:13:05,051 --> 00:13:08,154 much of a negative environmental impact. 235 00:13:08,154 --> 00:13:10,790 >>Most of the jobs are out here on the water, 236 00:13:10,790 --> 00:13:13,359 so the local government and the county government 237 00:13:13,359 --> 00:13:16,896 is very interested in keeping the water clean and natural 238 00:13:16,896 --> 00:13:20,400 and normal here to support this industry. 239 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:23,069 >>Clam farming is a dramatic success story, 240 00:13:23,069 --> 00:13:26,072 but it's built upon one species. 241 00:13:26,072 --> 00:13:29,008 And so, we're basically a monoculture industry. 242 00:13:29,008 --> 00:13:32,378 So we are starting to look at what other alternative species 243 00:13:32,378 --> 00:13:34,914 could be cultured alongside the hard clam 244 00:13:34,914 --> 00:13:39,619 and offer an alternative marketing opportunity. 245 00:13:39,619 --> 00:13:43,056 >>NARRATOR: The northern hard clam culture techniques used 246 00:13:43,056 --> 00:13:46,326 in Florida were originally developed by scientists 247 00:13:46,326 --> 00:13:49,228 at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute 248 00:13:49,228 --> 00:13:52,498 in Ft. Pierce, on Florida's east coast. 249 00:13:52,498 --> 00:13:56,202 Experts there are now looking at other clam species, 250 00:13:56,202 --> 00:13:59,706 which could be commercially harvested. 251 00:13:59,706 --> 00:14:00,973 >>The species that we're examining right now 252 00:14:00,973 --> 00:14:04,043 is the Sunray Venus clam, Macrocallista nimbosa. 253 00:14:04,043 --> 00:14:07,513 This clam is a local species and it was commercially fished 254 00:14:07,513 --> 00:14:09,048 years ago in Florida. 255 00:14:09,048 --> 00:14:10,550 We're in the research phase still. 256 00:14:10,550 --> 00:14:13,086 The first couple of years were spent learning how to breed it. 257 00:14:13,086 --> 00:14:15,488 We've now moved on to growing it in the field 258 00:14:15,488 --> 00:14:17,223 and we have market-sized clams. 259 00:14:17,223 --> 00:14:19,559 These clams have been actually tested in restaurants, 260 00:14:19,559 --> 00:14:22,061 and the response back has been very good. 261 00:14:22,061 --> 00:14:24,297 So the next part actually is to do the research 262 00:14:24,297 --> 00:14:27,800 in the wholesale distribution level. 263 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:29,369 >>NARRATOR: Experts at Harbor Branch's 264 00:14:29,369 --> 00:14:32,105 Aquaculture Development Park 265 00:14:32,105 --> 00:14:34,307 are perfecting techniques for raising everything 266 00:14:34,307 --> 00:14:37,877 from conch to tropical fish. 267 00:14:37,877 --> 00:14:39,045 In a study done in conjunction 268 00:14:39,045 --> 00:14:41,414 with the U.S. Department of Agriculture 269 00:14:41,414 --> 00:14:43,683 Agricultural Research Service, 270 00:14:43,683 --> 00:14:47,854 scientists are studying ways to make the raising of pompano 271 00:14:47,854 --> 00:14:51,691 for food consumption more economically viable. 272 00:14:51,691 --> 00:14:54,660 While freshwater fish aquaculture has been around 273 00:14:54,660 --> 00:14:58,097 for a while, only a few marine fish have been raised 274 00:14:58,097 --> 00:15:00,900 commercially in the United States. 275 00:15:00,900 --> 00:15:05,238 >>Marine fish, in general, is probabl 276 00:15:05,238 --> 00:15:08,074 the most up-and-coming area of aquaculture. 277 00:15:08,074 --> 00:15:10,543 >>NARRATOR: One of the things that make it more difficult 278 00:15:10,543 --> 00:15:14,914 to raise marine fish from an egg is that in their early stages, 279 00:15:14,914 --> 00:15:19,585 the larvae require live feeds which need to be grown. 280 00:15:19,585 --> 00:15:23,656 >>These are pompano larvae that are hatching right now. 281 00:15:23,656 --> 00:15:28,394 Starting at day two through approximately day 17 or so 282 00:15:28,394 --> 00:15:30,062 until they're metamorphosed 283 00:15:30,062 --> 00:15:34,233 and change into a juvenile fish requires live feeds. 284 00:15:34,233 --> 00:15:36,169 So you have to culture the live feeds, 285 00:15:36,169 --> 00:15:39,505 care for them as you would the larva, and so that adds 286 00:15:39,505 --> 00:15:43,676 an extra dimension to the whole scenario of growing the fish. 287 00:15:43,676 --> 00:15:45,344 So it's much more difficult. 288 00:15:45,344 --> 00:15:49,115 Most freshwater fish that are commercially cultured, 289 00:15:49,115 --> 00:15:51,651 they don't require live-feed organisms. 290 00:15:51,651 --> 00:15:54,720 They'll feed on dry feeds. 291 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:58,491 >>NARRATOR: Once the pompano reach a certain size, they, too, 292 00:15:58,491 --> 00:16:02,528 are ready to be fed commercially available fish meal. 293 00:16:02,528 --> 00:16:05,798 >>It's very important that we find replacements for fishmeal 294 00:16:05,798 --> 00:16:08,634 and fish oil because we don't want to be taking a lot 295 00:16:08,634 --> 00:16:11,304 of fish out of the ocean to feed fish on land. 296 00:16:11,304 --> 00:16:15,074 >>NARRATOR: A 2006 U.N. report estimates 297 00:16:15,074 --> 00:16:20,012 that 35% of the world's fishmeal is used for aquaculture, 298 00:16:20,012 --> 00:16:23,916 leading some to criticize the industry for adding 299 00:16:23,916 --> 00:16:27,086 further pressure to wild fish stocks. 300 00:16:27,086 --> 00:16:30,423 Experts with the Agricultural Research Service 301 00:16:30,423 --> 00:16:32,258 are currently evaluating 302 00:16:32,258 --> 00:16:36,062 eight alternative feed ingredients for pompano. 303 00:16:36,062 --> 00:16:39,699 >>We have had quite a bit of success with some soy products. 304 00:16:39,699 --> 00:16:42,101 Other things that we've been focusing on a lot 305 00:16:42,101 --> 00:16:45,304 are by-products of other industries. 306 00:16:45,304 --> 00:16:49,976 And one where we have an abundance of material 307 00:16:49,976 --> 00:16:52,979 that isn't being utilized as well as it could be 308 00:16:52,979 --> 00:16:56,082 is from the poultry processing industry. 309 00:16:56,082 --> 00:16:57,783 Cost is a big deal. 310 00:16:57,783 --> 00:17:01,554 We think we can substantially reduce the cost of feed. 311 00:17:01,554 --> 00:17:04,624 Also, by tailoring the feeds to meet the animal's requirement 312 00:17:04,624 --> 00:17:08,160 as closely as possible, we can make the animal more efficient, 313 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:11,664 which reduces any waste discharge to the environment. 314 00:17:11,664 --> 00:17:13,533 What we're doing here is what's called 315 00:17:13,533 --> 00:17:17,136 a digestibility study, where we can quantif 316 00:17:17,136 --> 00:17:19,639 the nutrients that are going into the animal 317 00:17:19,639 --> 00:17:22,441 and then quantify what's coming out of the animal, 318 00:17:22,441 --> 00:17:26,212 the difference being what's available to the animal. 319 00:17:26,212 --> 00:17:28,180 >>We're hoping that what we do here 320 00:17:28,180 --> 00:17:31,117 eventually will spark an industry. 321 00:17:31,117 --> 00:17:33,286 So we're trying to spend time to go through 322 00:17:33,286 --> 00:17:36,389 all of these problem-solving exercises 323 00:17:36,389 --> 00:17:39,058 so the commercial producer doesn't have to. 324 00:17:39,058 --> 00:17:42,128 >>NARRATOR: Aside from developing alternative feeds, 325 00:17:42,128 --> 00:17:44,764 the scientists are also perfecting the use 326 00:17:44,764 --> 00:17:50,136 of recirculating aquaculture systems for marine fish. 327 00:17:50,136 --> 00:17:51,537 There are many benefits 328 00:17:51,537 --> 00:17:54,774 to recirculating aquaculture systems. 329 00:17:54,774 --> 00:17:57,977 They are almost completely self-contained 330 00:17:57,977 --> 00:18:00,947 and use a lot less water than more traditional methods 331 00:18:00,947 --> 00:18:02,848 of farming fish. 332 00:18:02,848 --> 00:18:05,618 They also greatly reduce the amount of wastewater 333 00:18:05,618 --> 00:18:08,888 which is discharged into the environment, 334 00:18:08,888 --> 00:18:12,325 something that has been a big problem in the past. 335 00:18:12,325 --> 00:18:14,393 >>Mostly, you see that in other countries. 336 00:18:14,393 --> 00:18:16,329 In Japan and Southeast Asia 337 00:18:16,329 --> 00:18:18,230 and certain parts of South America as well 338 00:18:18,230 --> 00:18:20,499 where you have very large aquaculture operations 339 00:18:20,499 --> 00:18:22,234 in inshore waters, 340 00:18:22,234 --> 00:18:24,370 you do generate very large algal blooms. 341 00:18:24,370 --> 00:18:26,105 It does cause a lot of environmental problems. 342 00:18:26,105 --> 00:18:28,874 And indeed, in some cases they generate red tides 343 00:18:28,874 --> 00:18:31,577 which then turn around and kill the fish they're trying to grow. 344 00:18:31,577 --> 00:18:35,181 >>NARRATOR: At the Mote Aquaculture Park in Sarasota, 345 00:18:35,181 --> 00:18:38,284 scientists are also looking into ways to raise fish 346 00:18:38,284 --> 00:18:41,854 using similar recirculating systems. 347 00:18:41,854 --> 00:18:44,790 >>We are located 20 miles away from the ocean. 348 00:18:44,790 --> 00:18:48,027 >>NARRATOR: The facility makes its own seawater, 349 00:18:48,027 --> 00:18:51,664 which then is used over and over after going through 350 00:18:51,664 --> 00:18:55,001 a filtration process to remove the fish waste 351 00:18:55,001 --> 00:18:57,937 and leftover food particles. 352 00:18:57,937 --> 00:19:01,641 >>Recirculating aquaculture is using different types 353 00:19:01,641 --> 00:19:05,911 of filtration systems to take that water that's flowing out 354 00:19:05,911 --> 00:19:09,415 of the tank and clean it up so that you can bring it 355 00:19:09,415 --> 00:19:13,686 right back into the tank-- and we do that using a whole series 356 00:19:13,686 --> 00:19:15,354 of different types of filters, 357 00:19:15,354 --> 00:19:18,958 everything from what we call mechanical filtration, 358 00:19:18,958 --> 00:19:21,260 where we remove the solids out of the water, 359 00:19:21,260 --> 00:19:23,896 to bio-filtration, where we remove 360 00:19:23,896 --> 00:19:26,932 the dissolved waste products that go into the water. 361 00:19:26,932 --> 00:19:32,171 Then, the water will have to go through a sterilization process 362 00:19:32,171 --> 00:19:37,109 where you are removing any types of bacteria organisms, 363 00:19:37,109 --> 00:19:40,079 and we do that with ultraviolet light and with ozone. 364 00:19:40,079 --> 00:19:43,449 And finally, we're going to remove carbon dioxide 365 00:19:43,449 --> 00:19:46,419 and replace it with oxygen. 366 00:19:46,419 --> 00:19:48,654 >>NARRATOR: Experts at USDA, 367 00:19:48,654 --> 00:19:50,956 Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute 368 00:19:50,956 --> 00:19:54,927 and Mote Marine Laboratory are also developing techniques 369 00:19:54,927 --> 00:19:58,397 to raise pompano in lower salinity water, 370 00:19:58,397 --> 00:20:01,033 which would make it easier and more cost-effective 371 00:20:01,033 --> 00:20:03,869 to raise these fish inland. 372 00:20:03,869 --> 00:20:07,173 >>The goal of this technology is to be able to place a farm 373 00:20:07,173 --> 00:20:08,641 anywhere in the country. 374 00:20:08,641 --> 00:20:13,145 Many people in agriculture are interested in diversifying 375 00:20:13,145 --> 00:20:17,116 from corn production or wheat production and also 376 00:20:17,116 --> 00:20:20,119 incorporate fish production within those operations. 377 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:24,423 And it's a perfect linkage because you have the fish 378 00:20:24,423 --> 00:20:27,226 that are being produced through aquaculture 379 00:20:27,226 --> 00:20:28,861 and you have high-nutrient water 380 00:20:28,861 --> 00:20:31,464 coming out of those fish production environments 381 00:20:31,464 --> 00:20:37,369 that then can be used to fertilize plant crops. 382 00:20:37,369 --> 00:20:39,872 >>NARRATOR: Recirculating systems aren't just to grow fish 383 00:20:39,872 --> 00:20:41,474 for food production. 384 00:20:41,474 --> 00:20:43,109 Mote Marine Laborator 385 00:20:43,109 --> 00:20:45,611 and the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute 386 00:20:45,611 --> 00:20:48,647 are also members of a statewide network 387 00:20:48,647 --> 00:20:53,552 whose goal is to replenish popular game fish in the wild. 388 00:20:53,552 --> 00:20:56,622 >>Stock enhancement is essentially adding 389 00:20:56,622 --> 00:21:00,493 to a fairly healthy population in order to help take 390 00:21:00,493 --> 00:21:02,528 some of the pressure off the wild stocks. 391 00:21:02,528 --> 00:21:05,664 >>Florida likes to consider itself 392 00:21:05,664 --> 00:21:07,600 the "fishing capital of the world." 393 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:11,303 About 39% of all the marine fishing in the United States 394 00:21:11,303 --> 00:21:12,972 happens right here in Florida. 395 00:21:12,972 --> 00:21:14,840 Sport fishing in Florida 396 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:17,376 is about a $5 billion to $6 billion industry. 397 00:21:17,376 --> 00:21:21,347 >>Wow, nice. 398 00:21:21,347 --> 00:21:24,483 >>NARRATOR: The Stock Enhancement Program is overseen 399 00:21:24,483 --> 00:21:29,355 by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 400 00:21:29,355 --> 00:21:32,558 It is a partnership between the FWC 401 00:21:32,558 --> 00:21:36,462 and several private and nonprofit organizations. 402 00:21:36,462 --> 00:21:39,131 FWC scientists have been rearing red fish, 403 00:21:39,131 --> 00:21:41,200 also known as red drum, 404 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:43,836 at the Stock Enhancement Research Facilit 405 00:21:43,836 --> 00:21:47,373 in Port Manatee since 1988. 406 00:21:47,373 --> 00:21:51,076 For years, the popular sport fish were entirely raised 407 00:21:51,076 --> 00:21:54,947 in ponds, but now the program is transitioning 408 00:21:54,947 --> 00:21:58,951 to recirculating technology. 409 00:21:58,951 --> 00:22:02,822 Recirculating facilities use only 10% of the water 410 00:22:02,822 --> 00:22:07,359 a pond requires, and they only take up a tenth of the space. 411 00:22:09,528 --> 00:22:12,631 >>145, 168. 412 00:22:12,631 --> 00:22:16,769 >>NARRATOR: Experts involved in the research say their goal 413 00:22:16,769 --> 00:22:19,839 is to have stock enhancement take place in concert 414 00:22:19,839 --> 00:22:22,942 with existing marine fishery management. 415 00:22:22,942 --> 00:22:25,544 >>61.9. 416 00:22:36,689 --> 00:22:39,692 >>NARRATOR: Between 1988 and 2004, 417 00:22:39,692 --> 00:22:42,261 more than six million juvenile redfish 418 00:22:42,261 --> 00:22:45,264 have been released in various areas across the state. 419 00:22:48,067 --> 00:22:51,036 >>Once we let the fish go, there are other people 420 00:22:51,036 --> 00:22:53,372 following these fish, tracking their movements, 421 00:22:53,372 --> 00:22:56,075 their survival and growth. 422 00:22:56,075 --> 00:22:58,244 >>NARRATOR: In order to be able to track the fish, 423 00:22:58,244 --> 00:23:01,347 they are tagged prior to their release. 424 00:23:01,347 --> 00:23:04,083 >>They're anesthetized. 425 00:23:04,083 --> 00:23:05,985 So I'm going to be tagging these with a coded wire tag. 426 00:23:05,985 --> 00:23:09,421 It's a very small tag that you can use on small fish. 427 00:23:09,421 --> 00:23:12,591 You can put it anywhere in their body because it is so small. 428 00:23:12,591 --> 00:23:16,328 And it actually comes on a roll of wire, stainless steel wire 429 00:23:16,328 --> 00:23:20,532 that is then cut into one-millimeter sections. 430 00:23:20,532 --> 00:23:22,835 It has a laser-etched number on it. 431 00:23:22,835 --> 00:23:25,638 This is kind of a dummy tag to show you how the numbers 432 00:23:25,638 --> 00:23:29,108 would look on it, and it's magnetized 433 00:23:29,108 --> 00:23:33,512 so we can detect it by that magnetism later in the field. 434 00:23:33,512 --> 00:23:37,116 >>And so we've put great efforts into marking 435 00:23:37,116 --> 00:23:41,420 and releasing fish experimentally in pilot releases 436 00:23:41,420 --> 00:23:45,457 to understand the effects of release habitat on survival, 437 00:23:45,457 --> 00:23:48,227 the effects of size at release on survival 438 00:23:48,227 --> 00:23:52,064 and the effects of the timing of releases on survival, 439 00:23:52,064 --> 00:23:55,467 and the effects of the magnitude of the release. 440 00:23:55,467 --> 00:23:59,371 How many fish can a habitat support without starting 441 00:23:59,371 --> 00:24:02,441 to impact other species in a negative way? 442 00:24:04,443 --> 00:24:07,112 >>NARRATOR: Keeping close track of the genetics of the fish 443 00:24:07,112 --> 00:24:09,381 is also important. 444 00:24:09,381 --> 00:24:12,251 >>If you're not careful, you could easily put inbred fish 445 00:24:12,251 --> 00:24:15,454 out into the wild in great numbers, 446 00:24:15,454 --> 00:24:18,357 which would then grow up and spawn with wild fish, 447 00:24:18,357 --> 00:24:22,227 and that would begin to reduce the genetic diversit 448 00:24:22,227 --> 00:24:24,496 of the wild stock. 449 00:24:24,496 --> 00:24:25,965 >>There's a west coast variety of red fish 450 00:24:25,965 --> 00:24:29,735 and an east coast variety of red fish. 451 00:24:29,735 --> 00:24:32,137 So it's important to have brood stock that are 452 00:24:32,137 --> 00:24:34,540 from the areas where you're going to release them. 453 00:24:34,540 --> 00:24:38,310 >>We take a fin clip from the fish, and what that is, 454 00:24:38,310 --> 00:24:41,480 it's like taking a fingerprint from a human. 455 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:43,649 We'll send that out, and that's how we know 456 00:24:43,649 --> 00:24:45,684 our genetic diversity; we know who contributed 457 00:24:45,684 --> 00:24:48,187 to the spawn and the offspring we released. 458 00:24:48,187 --> 00:24:51,390 We're trying to have as much genetic diversity per spawn 459 00:24:51,390 --> 00:24:53,525 as possible. 460 00:24:53,525 --> 00:24:55,728 >>NARRATOR: Keeping close tabs on the health 461 00:24:55,728 --> 00:24:58,497 of the farm-raised fish is also an important part 462 00:24:58,497 --> 00:25:01,667 of the program. 463 00:25:01,667 --> 00:25:03,802 Scientists have made great strides 464 00:25:03,802 --> 00:25:07,940 incorporating stock enhancement into fisheries management, 465 00:25:07,940 --> 00:25:10,042 but much still needs to be learned to make it 466 00:25:10,042 --> 00:25:13,712 cost-effective to release fish on a large scale 467 00:25:13,712 --> 00:25:16,715 and to ensure it has the desired impact. 468 00:25:21,954 --> 00:25:24,790 Marine aquaculture, or mariculture, 469 00:25:24,790 --> 00:25:28,127 has come a long way since its inception. 470 00:25:28,127 --> 00:25:30,596 >>Six some odd billion of us on the planet love seafood. 471 00:25:30,596 --> 00:25:33,832 I believe it's the way of the future. 472 00:25:33,832 --> 00:25:36,068 >>NARRATOR: Much promising research is happening 473 00:25:36,068 --> 00:25:38,470 in Florida and elsewhere to come up 474 00:25:38,470 --> 00:25:45,344 with new and innovative methods to farm-raise marine species. 475 00:25:45,344 --> 00:25:48,447 There is much at stake for the oceans 476 00:25:48,447 --> 00:25:54,253 and for an ever-growing human population that depends on them. 477 00:26:25,250 --> 00:26:28,020 >>Major funding for this program was provided 478 00:26:28,020 --> 00:26:29,988 by the Batchelor Foundation. 479 00:26:29,988 --> 00:26:32,658 Encouraging people to preserve and protect 480 00:26:32,658 --> 00:26:36,658 America's underwater resources.