Aquaponics is often described as the combination of recirculating aquaculture with hydroponics. Many favour it as the ultimate circular food production system, utilizing waste from the production of fish to be used as nutrients for the production of plants like leafy greens and tomatoes. In our world today, the aquaponics model is still appealing and is an example of the circular food systems that we’ll need for a sustainable future. Currently, there are a few moderate to large aquaponics...

Past RAS Talk episodes have had a particular focus on various salmon and trout species because they’re known to be some of the more ‘established’ aquaculture species in Europe and North America. However, globally, barramundi, also known as Asian sea bass, is an aquaculture-established species. Production is especially established in Australia, where MainStream Aquaculture, said to have the largest warm water aquaculture farm of its type and is also the largest Barramundi fingerling supplier...

Looking to raise awareness and educate Americans of the benefits of regularly eating seafood to achieve a healthier diet, as well as advocate for the recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) sector and aquaculture industry to achieve an overall more environmentally-friendly and sustainable seafood industry, the Seafood Nutrition Partnership’s (SNP’s) Founder, Linda Cornish, sat down with hosts, Catarina Muia and Brian Vinci for this episode of RAS Talk. Linda discussed the important goals the...

Public fish hatcheries have a long history in North America, with many culture methods and innovations used in today’s commercial aquaculture industry, first developed at public fish hatcheries. This includes water reuse. While water reuse was initially very basic, as the understanding of fish biology and water quality increased, so did the ways in which water was treated for reuse. Some of the first water reuse systems that included a biofilter and oxygenation, were built at public fish...

The RAS-produced Atlantic salmon sector has come a long way since its inception in the late 1990s, with the industry has continuously striving for success. However, it took time to get the technology there, with RAS technological components evolving greatly in the past 20-23 years. Today, we continue to improve technology and RAS facilities to produce high-quality Atlantic salmon, but must look at the biology of Atlantic salmon as well, focusing on genetic improvements to the eggs to create...

With much talk, research and new projects circulating the land-based shrimp production sector, RAS Talk was curious to gain perspective from a shrimp recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) professional. Patrick Wood, global consultant and expert on shrimp production technology and innovation, sat down with RAS Talk hosts Catarina Muia and Brian Vinci, to discuss the current technologies being utilized in the land-based shrimp production sector including RAS technologies, the necessary areas...

This week, RAS Talk host Brian Vinci had the opportunity to speak with Yonathan Zohar, Professor and Chair of the Department of Marine Biotechnology at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET), University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Director, Aquaculture Research Center at IMET, as well as Program Leader of Recirculating Aquaculture Salmon Network (RAS-N). With more than 40 years in the marine biology industry, Yonathan discusses the use and combination of...

In this episode, hosts Mari-Len De Guzman and Brian Vinci talk with Árni Páll Einarsson, CEO of Matorka, a pioneer in land-based production of arctic char based in Grindavik, Iceland. Einarsson talks about his company’s journey through its RAS production and the opportunities for sustainable seafood production in Iceland. Guest: Árni Páll Einarsson, CEO, Matorka

Bridging the gap between seafood producers and consumers is key to pushing the agenda of sustainability in the aquaculture industry. In this episode, hosts Brian Vinci and Mari-Len De Guzman speak with sustainable seafood advocate Jennifer Bushman about some of the practical and meaningful ways seafood producers can engage their consumers.

Feeds are a critical component of any RAS production environment – it can make or break the health of both fish and systems. This episode provides a variety of perspectives when it comes to fish feeds in closed, containment, land-based aquaculture. Co-hosts Mari-Len De Guzman and Brian Vinci hash out the details of diets made for RAS. Guests: Kim Schøn Ekmann, senior product developer, BioMar George Nardi, VP of aquaculture services, Innovasea John Ng, president, Hudson Valley Fish Farm

Featuring the tech brains behind the innovative startup ReelData, this episode discusses the various applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning to aquaculture, particularly in land-based farming. ReelDate CEO Mathew Zimola and CTO Hossein Salimian are the guests for this high-tech conversation.

RAS Talk hosts Mari-Len De Guzman and Brian Vinci talk about the year that was and the year ahead. From COVID-19 and RAS milestones to trends in sustainable food production systems and technologies, this podcast episode provides a rundown on the most important developments in 2020 and what to look forward to in 2021.

In this RAS Talk episode hosts Mari-Len De Guzman and Brian Vinci talk about the various aspects of investing in RAS. It’s an engaging discussion about investors’ perspectives in RAS technology and land-based aquaculture, the risks and the opportunities as well as their outlook on the sector. Guests: Maggie Fried, Head of the Oceans and Aquaculture Investor Consortium, CREO Syndicate Frank van Roest, Investment Director, Aqua Spark

RAS engineering and design specialist Marc Sorensen takes us through the history and evolution of RAS in aquaculture. Co-host Brian Vinci also provides his insights on the beginnings of RAS technology. In this episode, we get into the technical details of the why, the how, as well as the current and emerging challenges involved in designing and operating a recirculating aquaculture system. Guest: Marc Sorensen, president, Sorensen Engineering Ltd.

It started out as a small RAS operation in his home basement, today founder Eric Pedersen’s Ideal Fish is successfully producing Branzino for the domestic market. We talk to Pedersen and Ideal Fish’s sales and marketing director James MacKnight about the company’s journey, its innovative strategies to reach the market, and its quest to educate the consumers about RAS-grown fish. Guests: Eric Pedersen, president and CEO, Ideal Fish, and James MacKnight, sales and marketing director, Ideal Fish

Women account for 70 percent of the world’s seafood workers. However, many of them work in entry level, low-paying jobs and very few are leadership roles. Is the industry paying enough attention to diversity in the aquaculture industry? Is gender diversity playing a factor into the design of RAS facilities? What resources exist for women in aquaculture for skills development and training that will allow them to move into leadership roles? These questions are more are discussed in this episode...

The aquaculture industry continues to face challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. From social distancing protocols to mandatory work-from-home policies, how are RAS producers managing the day-to-day farm operations in this new norm? This episode is a discussion on Covid-19 and the impact it's having on RAS operations, with hosts Mari-Len De Guzman and Brian Vinci, and guests from New York-based Hudson Valley Fish Farms: John Ng, CEO, and Brittany Peachey, aquaculture operations manager.

As RAS operations across the world ramp up, it is increasingly important to effectively address off-flavour issues in RAS-grown fish. The research is available for effective mitigation measures and many RAS producers are successfully implementing these recommendations. Justin Henry, director of aquaculture at Habitat Life, and John Davidson, research scientist at the Freshwater Institute, discuss some best practice in mitigating off-flavours.

The potential of RAS for sustainability and financial gains is making it an appealing proposition for investors. At the recent Aquaculture America conference in Honolulu, host Mari-Len De Guzman sat down with Kimberley Player, director of research at Portland, Oregon-based Equilibrium Capital, discussing the opportunities and challenges for investments within the RAS value chain.

All eyes are on Maine as an emerging destination for RAS development projects. In this episode, Erik Heim, president of Nordic Aquafarms, takes us through the strategies and factors that led his company to choose Maine as the site for its proposed US$500-million Atlantic salmon RAS farm, as well as the challenges and lessons learned through the process.

Do you have what it takes to work in a RAS operation? This episode of RAS Talk tackles the current challenges as well as strategies for hiring the right people. Hosts Mari-Len De Guzman and Brian Vinci talk with Cristina Espejo, head of HR at Atlantic Sapphire in Miami, Florida, and Kirk Havercroft, CEO of Sustainable Blue in Nova Scotia, Canada. These two companies are not just investing in the technology, but more importantly, they are investing in their people to develop a highly-skilled...