On October 19th, 2022, Dr. Nicholas Romano, Assistant Professor from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), visited the Universidad del Magdalena (UDM), Santa Marta, Colombia, where he trained students and Colombian stakeholders in aquaponics, crab larviculture, fish nutrition, and biofloc technology (BFT).
Dr. Romano’s research and extension activities during this visit consisted of providing lectures on aquaponics, followed by a roundtable question and answer session with approximately 15 students. Based on on-going aquaponics research at UDM, Dr. Romano devised an experiment in which the students were able to compare the growth and subsequent transplantation of mangrove trees in both aquaponics and soil systems. Given UDM students’ interest in crab larviculture, fish nutrition and BFT, Dr. Romano organized workshops on these topics. More specifically, Dr. Romano taught students several techniques including Artemia enrichment (a common research practice, but not known by the students), feeding protocol, and caring for the broodstock, which is basically the use of sand for eggs to stay on the crab’s abdomen (practices not known by the students).
Regarding the training on BFT, Dr. Romano provided UDM students with an Excel file and trained them on how to calculate the level of organic carbon needed for an efficient feeding rate and crude protein content of the feeds as the main variables. Additionally, the BFT protocol assumptions and specific guidelines applicable to the students’ research plans were well explained during the workshops.
For fish nutrition, Dr. Romano gave a lecture on the topic and trained students on a feed formulation software that he developed years ago. UDM students were confident using these tools to formulate isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets for their research experiments. Prior to these training sessions, students were completely unaware of these processes and are glad now that they can use them for future fish nutrition research. Finally, Dr. Romano spent the final two days of his capacity building endeavor traveling to the fish farms and interacting with farmers.
