AquaCulture Food & Marketing Development Project

The progress reported here is for activities under phase one of this project, i.e., for those initiated with FY 1998 funding. Research is underway for the FY 1999 funded project activities, but it is too early to report progress that research.

A questionnaire was developed, tested and implemented for researching opinions, preferences and characteristics of on-site fee fishermen. A number of fee fishing locations were visited and over 150 fee fishermen were surveyed. This activity was reduced due to the extreme heat of last summer and fall. However, these on-site interviews were continued in March-May 2000. A second questionnaire was designed, tested and implemented to gather data from West Virginia aquaculture producers and operators. The instrument is being used to collect both fee fishing and food processing related data. Interviewing producers began with the renewal of the fee fishing season in March, 2000. A database has been identified and obtained that identifies fishermen to be surveyed for collecting the overall (beyond the actual on-site interviews) fee fishing information. The database is now being stratified to obtain a representative sample. The on-site fee fishing survey is being redesigned to use in a mail survey, which will be administered to the stratified overall sample, identified above. The survey was administered in March, 2000 with a second wave of follow-up surveys mailed 3-4 weeks after the initial mailing.

A reference frame for the reseller market has been identified and the process of developing a sample frame to be surveyed is underway. This activity will be carried out in the current year (2000).

A team of researchers has been assembled to assist with the specific tasks of this objective. The following activities were undertaken with a view to providing baseline, production- and processing-related information relevant to hill-land, small-scale aquaculture, in an effort to improve firm decision-making, enhance the competitive position of producers and processors, and assist with policy formulation:

First-year research revealed significant variation in fillet yield and quality on the farms sampled. Five West Virginia and three Virginia farms were surveyed to characterize the impact of water characteristics and management practices on fillet yield and quality. Ten fish were harvested and water samples were collected from each farm. Fish were filleted, and yield (fillet weight and dressing percent) and processing data in a smoked trout fillet application (fillet pH, brine uptake, raw and cooked proximate composition, expressible moisture, texture) were collected. Ranges for dressing percent (raw fillet yield), fillet pH, raw moisture, raw fat, expressible moisture and smoked fillet hardness (resistance to shear) were 61.8 - 65.9%, 6.53 - 6.77, 74.3 - 78.6%, 2.3 - 6.3%, 19.5 - 25.0 %, and 8.3 - 13.4 kg, respectively. These findings support the initial premise that there would be significant variation in fillet traits for fish derived from small to mid-sized aquaculture operations. These findings also support the need for research and education to define the sources of variation and communicate recommendations to producers to enhance their ability to guarantee a consistent quality fillet. With producers participating in a cooperative marketing structure where fish from several producers may be processed at one location, establishing workable guidelines to enhance the marketing vehicle's ability to generate and retain customers is central to the future development of an aquaculture industry in West Virginia and the region. The survey work to assess seasonal effects as well as increase the body of information and, thus, confidence in forthcoming recommendations for producers will be continued for the remainder of FY 1999 funding. Evaluation of links between fillet data, water characteristics, and management practices is forthcoming.

Efforts have focused on assessing the status of West Virginia aquaculture and establishing working relationships with organizations influencing aquaculture development. Approximately 140 requests for literature or information from 46 different counties were addressed. Fifty four locations in 27 counties were visited in response to requests from county agents, farmers, prospective farmers, the West Virginia Aquaculture Association, and various public agencies. Specific initiatives to date include:

The research plan for each of the four objectives and varying numbers of tasks within each are described in this section.

The purpose of Objective 1 research is to develop and test a pilot-scale modular raceway aquaculture system for assessing the physical and economic feasibility of utilizing impaired waters discharged from coal mines; the system will be developed to serve a dual role as both a research and demonstration project. A flow diagram of the process is presented in Figure 1. It will be accomplished in two tasks: (1) determining water quality requirements for flowing water trout production; and (2) designing, constructing, installing and testing a composite material raceway system.

In the proposed system, impaired mine waters (i.e., waters with low pH and elevated dissolved metal concentrations) will be remediated and subsequently used as a culture medium for rainbow trout. The proposed system will be based on a modular configuration of “raceway” culture tanks in a flowing water platform and will, thus, permit both experimental and operational flexibility. The effluent from the culture tank will then be adequately treated to meet relevant State and Federal discharge standards prior to direct release into receiving waters.

The raceway configuration was chosen because it is the system of choice for commercial trout aquaculture in West Virginia. It is a proven system that is labor efficient; further, the modular approach is consistent with coal companies’ desire for a short term project without creation of permanent structures. In addition, the modular approach allows modification or transfer of a culture system to another site, something impossible with a fixed concrete structure. In short, it provides a measure of flexibility (and liquidity) to both operator and investor. This option is presently not available in concrete structures. Incorporating the modular approach with fiberglass construction is presently not available in simple block style assembly.

Task 1.1: Determining water quality requirements for flowing water trout production and pre-production water treatment-“entrance works.”

Task 1.1 research is being conducted to: (1) ascertain the need for additional remediation of mine waters prior to use in trout culture system, (2) design appropriate “pre-treatment” processes, and (3) design a water flow equalization system to provide an even supply of water to each raceway.

The need for treatment varies greatly from site to site; thus, a thorough assessment of mine water quality will be made at proposed mine sites prior to siting the experimental apparatus. In this study, only treated waters exiting a mine’s National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) discharge point will be used to raise trout. It is presumed that waters leaving the NPDES approved water outfall will be compliant with relevant regulatory requirements; however, it is recognized that such standards may not be sufficient for trout culture purposes. Because mine waters are anticipated to have a low pH, the presence, mobility, and concentrations of dissolved metals such as aluminum, iron, and manganese will be ascertained as part of water quality survey work being conducted under Special Grant 2. However, in the process of final mine site selection, a survey of trace heavy metals (e.g., mercury, cadmium, lead, etc.) will be conducted in addition to a bioassay consisting of trout raised in a “cage” culture system.

The following standards presented by Heinen (1996) and Jenkins et al. (1995) will be used as a preliminary screen to ascertain the compatibility of mine waters with rainbow trout: (1) average iron concentration greater than 0.5 mg/L; (2) average manganese concentration greater than 1.0 mg/L; (3) average aluminum concentration greater than 87 ?g/L; and (4) pH from 6.0 to 9.0. Based on the water quality characteristics of the mine waters ascertained through Special Grant 2 research, the need for further treatment will be assessed. In the treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD), sufficient alkalinity must be added to raise water pH to ultimately form insoluble metal hydroxides that settle out of the water. The pH required to precipitate most metals from natural waters ranges from 6 to 9. An exception is ferric iron, which precipitates at a pH of ~3.5. The types and amounts of metals in the water directly influence the selection of an AMD treatment system. Since AMD contains multiple combinations of acidity and metals, each AMD wastewater source is unique and, thus, the required treatment can vary widely from site to site.

If additional remediation of waters below the mine’s NPDES discharge point are required to remove trace metals or to raise the pH, it is anticipated that chemical addition steps will be both cost effective and technically feasible. Six primary chemicals have been used to treat acid mine drainage: (1) quicklime, (2) hydrated lime, (3) limestone, (4) soda ash, (5) caustic soda, and (6) anhydrous ammonia. The selection of appropriate chemical treatment methods is largely site-specific and must be balanced against both technical and economic factors. Technical factors which affect the choice of reagents used in chemical treatment of AMD include: acidity levels, wastewater flow, the metals and corresponding concentrations in the wastewater, the chemical kinetics necessary for effective treatment, and the desired final water quality. A further technical consideration in raising trout is the

Further, a flow equalization basin will be designed and employed to ensure that sufficient water flow is delivered to each of the trout culture raceways. A schematic of the entrance works to the proposed flowing water aquaculture facility is presented in Figure 2.

The traditional “hydrograph method” from environmental/chemical engineering will be used to size the equalization structure to accommodate the maximum hourly flow and may serve a dual purpose as a mixing vessel and reaction tank for the removal of trace metals and for pH adjustment (Reynolds and Richards, 1996). A sedimentation basin will be located immediately after the equalization/reaction basin to facilitate the removal of metal precipitates from the system. The design of pre-treatment processes/operations will be conducted in-house by researchers from West Virginia University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (WVU-CEE).

Figure 2. Schematic of the Entrance Works to the Proposed
Flowing Water Aquaculture Facility

Task 1.2 research is to reduce handling and manufacturing costs of raceway fish production systems while improving structural performance and durability through the design, optimization, and implementation of a raceway system constructed of a novel Honeycomb Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (HFRP). Task 1.2 research will consist of two subtasks: (1) materials selection and testing and (2) design and construction of a modular pilot-scale raceway system.

The commercial development and implementation of advanced, low-cost, engineered materials has been motivated by the urgent need to alleviate major problems adversely contributing to infrastructure deterioration worldwide, such as corrosion of steel, high labor costs, energy consumption, and environmental pollution. In collaboration with Kansas Structural Composites, Inc. (KSCI), an industrial partner who will soon establish manufacturing facilities in the state of West Virginia, Dr. Julio Davalos and his collaborators have developed innovative, low-cost, honeycomb fiber-reinforced polymer materials, which have favorable attributes such as light weight, non-corrosive, non-magnetic, and non-conductive properties; exhibit excellent energy absorption characteristics and high strength, fatigue life, and durability; and surpass traditional materials on load-capacity per unit weight, ease of handling, transportation, and installation.

Honeycomb and foam products can provide flexural stiffness and strength per unit weight which is superior to any other known structural configuration. High stiffness-to-weight ratio is achieved by separating the faces with a light and inexpensive honeycomb core. While open cellular structures are prone to buckling, honeycomb structures continuously support the outer faces and virtually eliminate buckling. The HFRP panels that have been produced by the WVU-KSCI team will be used in this project to build the fish raceway system.

The design of individual raceway tanks will be based on a concurrent optimization of structural performance and manufacturing practicality while minimizing the weight. To accomplish this work, both explicit and numerical solutions will be used in conjunction with an optimization program to find the most viable solution by optimizing both the fiber architecture and the part geometry. The optimum design will be evaluated analytically by the “Finite Element Method.” Coupon samples of the material will be tested to verify material properties predicted through Micro/Macro Mechanics. Also, panel samples will be tested within the linear range and eventually to failure, and the results will be correlated with model predictions. The tanks will also be instrumented with strain gages and displacement transducers to monitor their performance in the field. These data along with visual inspections of the tanks will be used to possibly modify the design for future applications. To facilitate the field implementation of the tanks, an installation guideline booklet with step-by-step procedures will also be developed.

Through collaboration between aquaculture specialists and environmental engineering researchers, the functional requirements of the raceway tanks will be defined, together with other desirable features, such as ease of cleaning and operation. Particular attention will be paid to the design of the inflow headbox geometry at the upper end of the tank and the vertical board keyways on the longitudinal panels to control water flow.

The raceway system will consist of honeycomb panels, ~4 inches thick, manufactured from E-glass fibers and polyester resin. WVU-CEE researchers will collaborate with their industrial partner, Kansas Structural Composites, Inc., who will manufacture the composite material
raceways in either their Kansas facility or in a new site slated for development in the State of West Virginia. To ensure the construction according to the plans developed by WVU-CEE researchers, a member of the structural engineering design group will be present on-site at the KSCI facility during the manufacture of the raceway units and will accompany the units to the proposed experimental site.

The core of the raceway units will consist of sinusoidal corrugations sandwiched between the face sheets, with smooth finished exposed faces that will permit easy cleaning and minimize algae growth. A dark green pigment will be selected and added to the resin to achieve a permanent color that will not require painting over the service-life of the structure. Also, the resin will be formulated to have a UV resistance for outdoor applications of over 30 years. The resin will resist nearly any chemical exposure and wet-dry cyclic environments at low and high temperatures. Thus, the honeycomb panels will be highly durable and nearly indestructible.

The proposed raceways will be constructed from a novel composite material which is both durable and light. When compared with traditional concrete raceways, the composite material construction offers the benefit of portability; thus, the proposed system will not be a permanent fixture at the site. It is significant that the weight of the HFRP panels will be approximately 6 to 8 lb/ft2, with a total weight of each 30-foot unit of about 2,500 lbs; this is significantly less than the weight of a comparable concrete tank of about 15,000 lbs. Thus, we will be able to install the HFRP tanks using a light crane. Additionally, the HFRP tanks will be easily transported to and installed at any other site for future use.

The proposed pilot-scale raceway trout culture features a paired raceway system in series, with four steps in each raceway for a total of 8 individual units. A preliminary schematic of the proposed production system is presented in Figure 3. (Note: only three of the four proposed raceway segments are shown in Figure 3.)

Pilot-scale raceway specifications will be designed by Drs. Viadero and Semmens to ensure the efficient use of influent water resources and to scale the pilot unit appropriately for data collection that is relevant to larger operations. A summary of preliminary raceway dimensions and water usage characteristics is presented in Table 1.

The raceway system will consist of four individual 30 ft by 6 ft tanks with a removable longitudinal partition panel to allow the division of the tank lengthwise (to form two individual 3 ft tanks) staged vertically to permit longitudinal gravity flow of water, as depicted in Figure 3.Based on typical topographic characteristics of mine sites in north-central West Virginia, it is anticipated that sufficient head loss will exist to allow reaeration of culture tank waters through gravity flow, alone. Water head losses necessary to ensure adequate reaeration of culture waters will be determined on a site-specific basis by Drs. Viadero and Semmens.

The modular pilot-scale raceway units will constructed under supervision of a WVU-CEE structural engineer who will accompany the units to the experimental site. Upon arrival at the experimental site, the WVU-CEE structural engineers will oversee the installation of the units

Figure 3. Preliminary Schematic of the Proposed Production System
(Note: only three of the four proposed raceway segments are shown)

To faciltiate the future use of the modular units at other locations, WVU-CEE engineers will train the aquaculture coordinator in the assembly/disassembly of the system and will develop a handbook for operations. Further, oversight of any necessary site preparation will be conducted by WVU-CEE’s structural engineers.

Once the modular raceways have been sited and installed, the units will be exposed to water to ensure structural integrity and verify the absence of leaks. Upon completing the initial shakedown of the modular raceway system, the hydraulic performance of the system will be benchmarked to verify flow conditions (as specified previously in Table 1). Any adjustments to influent water flow rates will be made at this time (i.e., prior to introducing fish into the system). Further, the quality in influent and effluent waters will be measured as a means to benchmark the performance of any additional impaired water treatment processes which have been installed as part of Task 1.1 research.

The economic analyses consist of three tasks: 1) quantification of the economic impacts of aquaculture, 2) evaluation of new technologies including use of genetically modified and organically-grown fish and their acceptance by consumers, and 3) economic analysis of use of impaired water and modular production facilities for fish production.

Task 2.1: To quantify the economic development impacts from expansion of the aquaculture sector in West Virginia.

A review of previous empirical studies dealing with analysis of the economic development impacts of aquaculture will be continued and completed. Following this review, the measurement of economic development impacts of the aquaculture industry will be undertaken utilizing input-output techniques together with data developed from project activities and secondary data. IMPLAN, or related input-output software, will be utilized to estimate development indicators including output, income and employment and their multipliers to better understand the role of aquaculture production, processing, and fee-fishing/recreational activities in regional development. This research will involve the continued monitoring of the growth of the aquaculture industry in West Virginia and assessment of the input and output structures of its production and processing sectors.

Task 2.2: To evaluate the impacts, potential for, and consumer acceptance of new production technologies, such as genetically modified, transgenic and organically grown fish, on aquaculture production, prices, and profits

Based on a growing use of techniques of genetic modification, it appears likely that an increasing number of transgenic aquaculture species will emerge in the near future with a variety of modifications and associated benefits, including improved feed conversion efficiency, growth performance, and product quality. Transgenic fish are designed to grow rapidly and, hence, the production cycle will be shorter with potentially lower production costs. However, consumer acceptance is unknown at this time. To assess consumer perceptions of seafood, farm-raised fish, transgenic, and organically grown aquaculture products, a nation-wide survey will be conducted. The survey will be designed with a view to determining the variation in consumer perceptions using demographic and socioeconomic variables such as gender, ethnicity, income, level of education, and location. A telephone survey, consisting of a national sample of 7,500 adults will be conducted. The expected response rate is 33 percent, or 2,500. The WVU Survey Research Center will be commissioned to obtain the sample and conduct the survey. The results will be analyzed using multiple regression to determine the effects of the demographic variables on acceptance of transgenic and organically-grown fish. The results of the statistical analyses should be useful to the industry, to policy makers and researchers, and will provide inputs for use in the economic impact study (Task 2.1).

As the pilot raceway system described in objective 1 is developed and implemented, data on construction and operating costs will be developed and analyzed together with production levels, marketing information and product prices to determine the economic feasability of utilizing impaired mine water to produce trout for commercial processing. Economic engineering approaches to determining costs will be used in addition to the actual costs of constructing the system developed for objective 1. The actual costs of developing the pilot system will exceed those for commercial adaptation of the procedures due to development costs. They will, however, provide a good basis for estimating costs of subsequent models for commercial use.

Research into improving the consistency and quality of fresh trout fillets through cost-effective harvesting and production techniques will be expanded to include the analysis of fish grown in impaired waters under objective 1. This will include examining the impacts of cost-effective production and handling techniques during the last stage of the production cycle on reducing product variability, improving overall product quality and improving producer reputation. Production and harvesting techniques need to be standardized because the stress associated with harvesting, handling, and poor water quality can adversely affect fillet quality. This objective will be met by determining the fish’s stress response to handling and harvest and evaluating the fillet for flavor (sensory) and texture (sensory and instrumental) differences during different cost-effective handling and harvest techniques.

Task 3.1: Assessment of Cost-Effective Production and Harvest on Product Quality

Production Facilities: Fish will be reared at The Freshwater Institute research farm in Shepherdstown, WV. Sixteen 500-liter and twelve 1400-liter fiberglass circular tanks supplied with single-pass, air-stripped and oxygenated spring water are available for these studies. The tank pad is enclosed in a weatherproof structure to maintain bio-secure access and contains telephone and state-of-the-art data acquisition and alarm capacity. The tanks can be configured with self-feeding demand (Babington) or mechanically timed (Sterner) feeders. The Freshwater Institute facility also includes an environmental water chemistry laboratory, a fish health diagnostic laboratory, a walk in cooler (0-5?C) and walk-in freezer (-20?C).

The Freshwater Institute also will provide office space and office support services, including telephone, fax and Internet access for WVU personnel stationed on-site.

The Freshwater Institute maintains an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee to oversee all research protocols and experimental facilities in compliance with the Animal Welfare Act of 1966, as amended. Work plans will be reviewed and approved by the Chair of the committee prior to experimental effort initiation. CSREES Assurance Statement Form CSREES-662 will be revised as appropriate. A veterinarian licensed to practice in WV and specializing in fish health issues is available on the Freshwater Institute staff.

Experimental fish utilized in this work will be from certified SPF stock hatched and reared at the Freshwater Institute. It is anticipated that rainbow trout (Kamloop strain, Trout Lodge, Inc.) and arctic charr (Yukon Gold? strain, Icy Waters Ltd.) will be the focus of study objectives.

Experimental Design: Fish (100 g and 8 inches) will be stocked in sixteen 130-gallon tanks at a density not to exceed 1 pound/gallon. Fish will have pit tags to allow identification of individual fish. Oxygen will be above 80% saturation with a water exchange of at least 2 per hour. Fish will be grown to approximately 350 grams and 10 to 12 inches, which is considered market size. This will be considered end of growout and harvest studies will begin.

Five methods of euthanizing fish before they are processed will be studied with three replications of each method. These include using carbon dioxide, Aqui-S ? (clove oil), ice slurry with and without salt and bleeding to death. The control treatment will be immediate removal of head and filleting. A total of 105 fish will be processed by each euthanizing method (35 per tank). Therefore, the experimental design will be 6 treatments x 3 replicates x 35 fish for a total of 630 fish. After death, 5 fish will be removed from each tank (15 per method) and fillet quality determined. The remaining 30 fish from each tank will be packed on crushed iced and hauled in 189 gallon insulted totes to determine the effect of time on fillet quality. Five fish from each batch will then be sampled at 12, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 hours after slaughter to determine the effect of “hauling” time on fillet quality. The premise is that it is better for farmers and processors if the fish can be held longer on ice after death without loss of quality.

Fish will be live hauled in triplicate in a simulated hauling tank for 6 hours (average time in West Virginia to a processor). Density will not exceed 1 pound/gallon. Oxygen and temperature will be controlled. Ten fish will be sampled for determining stress parameters and fillet quality (see below for details) immediately before loading on truck (30 total, 10 for each replicate) and every hour during the haul. Therefore, the experimental design will be 3 replicates x 7 sampling times x 10 fish for a total of 210 fish. Upon arrival at “processing plant” fish will be stocked into tanks to wait for “processing.” Ten fish from each tank will be sampled (30 total) at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours. The premise here is to simulate a haul and then hold at the processor for a period of time before fish are euthanized. The experimental design will be 3 replicates x 5 sample times x 10 fish for a total of 150 fish.

Experimental Conditions: Water Quality: Dissolved oxygen, total gas pressure, temperature and pH will be measured daily. Total ammonia nitrogen, free CO2, total hardness (as CaCO3) and alkalinity (as CaCO3) will be measured weekly throughout the experiment.

Water Velocity: Water velocity will be maintained by adjusting the orifice size on the inlet manifold to the rearing tanks and by adjusting the orientation of the manifold. Velocity will measured weekly by Teledyne Gurley Pygmy meter. In all cases, water flow to the rearing tanks will remain equivalent and loading will be adjusted to maintain 80% DO saturation to the heaviest experimental tank.

Feed: Feeding rates will be calculated by the method of Cho (1992). Feed utilized will be typical of feeds in use in the region (typical 42% protein, 15% fat as Zeigler #38-5315). Basal feed rates will be adjusted every 14 days, ration will auto-increment daily by fixed percentage to allow for growth. All feed will be purchased fresh in a single production lot and stored at 40 ?F until use.

Feeders: Automatic feeders will be used and will be recalibrated every 14 days.

Growth and conversion: All fish in each tank will be weighed initially and every 28 days, all feed applied will be pre-weighed and accumulated as weight of feed fed. Feed conversions will be calculated as weight of feed fed: biomass gain over period of interest.

Stress Assessment: Fish will be bled using heparinized syringes from arteries in the caudal peduncle. Fish will be stunned using clove oil. All fish will be bled within 5 minutes of initial disturbance and each fish will be sampled only once. Blood will be centrifuged and plasma stored at -55EC until analyzed. Plasma concentrations of cortisol will be determine d by radioimmunoassay (RIA) with a commercially prepared kit (Ciba-Corning Diagnostics Corporation, Medfield, MA). Plasma glucose will be determined using a clinical diagnostic kit (Sigma Chemical Company, St. Louis, MO) and plasma chloride levels will be determined using a chloridometer (Buchler Instruments, Lenexa, KS). In addition to the water quality parameters, mineral content (Fe, Mn, Al, Ca, and Mg) will be determined. Mineral content of the fillets alos will be quantified for the feed. At the end of the finishing phase of production, fish will be held off feed for 72 hours prior to harvest. Fish will be bled for determining stress parameters at 0 hour (when fish are placed in tanks), when fish are removed from tanks for harvesting, and after transport (when fish would arrive at processing plants). At each sample time, after bleeding, fish (fillets) will be processed for fresh and value-added products (see below).

Task 3.2: Fresh and Value-Added Product Manufacture, Quality, and Functionality Assessments

Fresh Fillet Evaluations: Fish will be filleted within 6 h of harvest for each of the treatment combinations applied. Fillet yield will be calculated for each fish from each producer. Fresh fillets will be graded according to the Code of Federal Register (50 CFR, Ch. 11, Part 260) entitled, "Regulations Governing the Processed Fishery Products and US standards for Grades of Fishery Products". Fresh fillet color will be measured using a Minolta chromameter when graded following 0, 24, 48, and 72 h of aerobic storage at 2 ?C. Thiobarbituric reactive substances will be measured as an indication of lipid oxidation (McDonald and Hultin, 1987) following each storage period. Mineral content of the dorsal musculature (Ca, Mn, Zn, Mg, Cu, Fe, Fe2+) will be determined as well.

Expressible moisture of fresh fillets will be measured according to procedures of Jauregui et al. (1981). This trait will indicate the water retention capability of postharvest trout muscle. Color, cook yields, instrumental texture, protein-water interactions (water binding potential, expressible moisture, protein solubility) and proximate analyses (moisture, protein, fat, and ash) will be evaluated in fresh and value-added products. Fresh fillets will be shipped overnight to Cornell University (Joe Regenstein) for sensory texture and flavor evaluations.

Postmortem Metabolism: Postmortem metabolism will be assessed at the time fish are sampled. Muscle pH will be monitored in five fish per tank with a pH/ion analyzer (Model 350, Corning Inc., Corning, NY) equipped with a needle probe. The pH probe will be placed in the dorsal musculature, just caudal to the head. Temperature will be recorded with a Doric data logger (Model 205, Beckman Industrial, Carlco, Inc.; Overland Park, KS) at a position in the musculature next to the pH probe. Placement of pH and temperature probes will alternate from left to right sides of the musculature. Temperature and pH measurements will be taken every 5 minutes for a 1.5 h period.

Rate and extent of pH changes, as a function of temperature, will be determined for use in evaluating the significance of these traits to processing quality of smoked trout fillets and restructured trout steaks. Because muscle's attempt to maintain ATP levels and thus cell viability modulates postmortem changes in muscle, ATP/IMP ratios will be determined according to the procedure of Khan and Frey (1971). ATP/IMP measurements will be taken every 0.25 h for 1.5 h and then at 6, 12, and 24 h postsampling. Sampling will be conducted as described by Korhonen et al. (1990); a 10 gram sample of dorsal musculature will be excised from 5 separate fish collected at the same time as those used for pH and temperature decline studies. Tissue will be collected from an anatomical location similar to where the pH and temperature were measured. Following sample preparation, absorbency will be measured using a Shimadzu UV-1201 spectrophotometer at 250 and 280 nm. Our samples will be blended with perchloric acid and then analyzed. K-value (Lowe et al., 1993) will be calculated following determination of ATP and its catabolites. These data will be related to sensory flavor evaluations conducted at Cornell University.

Smoked Trout Evaluations: Investigations of the impact of fillet quality on smoked trout will be determined using a two-stage brining protocol. Stage one will consist of subjecting fish to brine containing 8.7% NaCl for 150 min at 3EC. Stage two will consist of removing fillets from brine and allowing the salt to equilibrate for 48 h. Following removal from the brine and prior to storage for equilibration, fish fillets will be weighed and weights will be recorded in order to determine brine uptake. Muscle pH of fresh and brined fillets will be measured at the cranial, middle, and caudal third of each fish using a surface probe. Prior to thermal processing, a sample will be removed from one fish for protein solubility determination and myosin and actin quantification using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The remaining fish will be weighed to determine cooking yield. Fish fillets will be placed on smoke racks and thermally processed in a microprocessor-controlled smokeoven (Model CVU-490; Enviro-Pak, Inc.;Clackamas, OR). Following thermal processing to an internal temperature of 65EC, fish fillets will be weighed and vacuum packed for texture analyses.
Proximate analyses will be conducted for fresh and smoked trout using standard AOAC (1990) procedures. The pH measurements will be carried out using a pH/Ion analyzer (Corning, Inc.; Corning, NY). Proteins will be extracted using 2% NaCl, and extract pH will subsequently measured using the procedure described by Nayak et al. (1996). Characterization of soluble proteins will be carried out by SDS-PAGE, and actin and myosin will be quantified as described in an earlier report (Nayak et al., 1996) using video-image analysis of gels. Expressible moisture will be measured according to Jauregui et al. (1981). Percent NaCl will be determined using QUANTAB Chloride Titrators (Environment Test Systems, Inc., Elkhart, IN). Cooking yields will be determined based on weights prior to and following thermal processing. Brine uptake will be evaluated based on weights of fresh fish and brined fish prior to thermal processing.

Model System Evaluations: A trout mince will be prepared from 5 fish per treatment combination. Either 2.0% NaCl or 2.0% NaCl and 0.4% sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) will be added to 300 g of ground trout muscle. A water addition of 10% will be used in each evaluation. Water, ingredients, and ground trout will be chopped in a Cuisinart food processor (Model DLC-8M, Cuisinart Corp., NJ) for a total of 45 sec. Chopping will be interrupted at 15 sec intervals to scrape the sides of the bowl. Following chopping, preblends will be vacuum packaged and held for 12 h at 4EC. After 12 h, each batch will be stuffed into three, 2.8 cm dia. polypropylene centrifuge tubes and heated to an internal temperature of 65EC. Internal temperature will be recorded at one minute intervals on a temperature recorder (Model 205 Datalogger, Beckman Industrial, Carlco Inc.; Overland Park, KS). Gels will be cooled to room temperature, and 3, 12.7 mm thick X 19.1 mm diameter cores will be removed from each cooked trout gel. Using a Texture Analyzer? (Model TA-HDi; Texture Technologies; Scarsdale, NY) each core will be axially compressed at 127 mm/min to 50% of its original height for two cycles. Gel hardness (Bourne, 1978; peak force of the first compression) and cohesiveness (energy of second compression as a percent of energy of the first compression) will be determined. A portion of the raw batters will be extracted with either a 2.0% NaCl or 2.0% NaCl and 0.4% STPP solution that mimics the concentration of these ingredients in the aqueous phase of the raw batter. Total soluble protein and myosin will be determined (Nayak et al., 1996). Myosin will be separated from total soluble protein using SDS-PAGE. Gels will be stained with Coomassie blue, and following destaining, the gel image will be captured for evaluation by the Optimas image analysis system (Optimas Inc., Edmonds, WA). The gels will be scanned and individual bands of myosin quantified against a standard amount of myosin loaded in a reference lane. In addition to myosin quantification and to provide a more thorough characterization of protein changes, differential scanning calorimetry will be used to develop endothermic peaks for soluble proteins. Because protein-water and protein-protein interactions are significant to the functionality of muscle foods, any differences in the utility of the raw material from different operations will be rationalized on the basis of differences in these functional traits assessed by SDS-PAGE and differential scanning calorimetry.

Objective 4: Technology Transfer

Implementation of technology transfer activities is to disseminate information generated by this project to the aquaculture industry in Appalachia, to government agencies with aquaculture-related responsibilities, and to the general public. The approach is to develop appropriate procedures, including research to determine more effective methods, to disseminate information about technologies developed in this project to producers, processors, related businesses, public agencies, and the general public. Consequently, as the research results become available, programs will be designed, tested, and initiated to improve communications with the aquaculture industry, other public agencies and the general public. The investigators will continue to collaborate with the Freshwater Institute’s Aquaculture Program, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, the West Virginia Aquaculture Association, and other organizations to deliver research findings in the most user friendly manner possible. Evaluations of alternative delivery mechanisms will be carried out to assure that the more effective methods are determined and utilized.

The aquaculture industry has great potential for improving economic conditions in West Virginia and surrounding areas in Appalachia. Demand for seafood is growing while the supplies from capture fisheries is stable to declining. In the U.S., much of the increase in demand is being met by imports, a factor that contributes to the Nation’s burgeoning trade deficits. This situation presents an opportunity to help meet the increased demands from domestic aquaculture enterprises. Thus, research into alternative approaches to sustainable aquaculture production will contribute to the ability of the aquaculture industry to supply domestic consumers with a high quality product that is safe, wholesome and affordable.

Aquaculture production in the Central Appalachian Mountains, including West Virginia, can be characterized primarily as small-scale businesses producing rainbow trout for local and recreational markets. Water resources available for aquaculture development in West Virginia range from low flow cold water springs and streams with less than 200 gallons per minute (gpm) to large springs and discharges from active and abandoned mine sites with 1,000 to 5,000 gpm. The aquaculture industry possesses a limited infrastructure and is not well organized. There are a variety of constraints to growth and enterprise establishment in the aquaculture industry. Those targeted for remediation by this project include:

Water originating from active or abandoned mines may be the most important natural resource available for the development of aquaculture in West Virginia. In a mine water inventory conducted in 1994 by the Freshwater Institute (Jenkins et al., 1995), it was estimated that an aggregate volume of 118,000 gallons/minute (gpm) was available throughout West Virginia for development by the aquaculture industry. Further, it was reported that 53% of the available volume was suitable for production of rainbow trout without additional treatment. In another survey, over half of the producers cited inadequate water supply a factor in limiting their ability to expand (Campbell et al., 1995). The drought of 1999 hammered this point home to application-oriented aquaculture operators as well as members of the research community. In the survey conducted by Campbell et al., it was reported that 90% of the fish grown by private producers were rainbow trout. Virtually all the trout grown by private producers rely on flowing water systems in which groundwater flowing from springs is the primary source of water.

Since 1994, there have been changes in mining activities, and modification in treatment systems which influence available mine water volume and its quality. In the years since the studies conducted by Jenkins et al. (1995) and Campbell et al. (1995), rainbow trout have been grown commercially in mine water at two facilities near Beckley, West Virginia, thus demonstrating the biological feasibility and market acceptance of the resulting product.

Making use of the vast quantities of water available from West Virginia mining operations will require the development of methods and technologies to manage risk and provide a consistent water volume with suitable quality for the production of trout. Heinen (1996) concluded that mine waters are expected to be suitable for growing trout after treatment. However, the need for consistent water quality was stressed as being critical for the health of the fish and subsequent consumer confidence. In a cooperative agreement between Mettiki Coal Corporation (MCC) and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources – Freshwater Fisheries Division, the technical efficacy of using impaired mine waters was demonstrated. Since 1994, trout have been grown in net pens suspended in the flow from an acid mine drainage treatment system. The 5000 gpm discharged from the AMD treatment process has a pH of 8.1, dissolved oxygen of 8 ppm, temperatures ranging from 52º to 60º?F, and sulfate concentrations in excess of 1500 ppm (personal communication, J. Michael Dean, Maryland DNR, Oakland, Maryland).

In the Appalachian region, small food fish producers have difficulty competing on price and quantity, but seem to have an opportunity to compete on perceived product value. Perceived product value is the price a buyer finds acceptable for desired benefits (Johnson, 1998). In seafood, products that consistently deliver taste, convenience and acceptable shelf life in attractive packaging will carry a higher value perception (Johnson, 1988) and, critical to small food fish producers, may support a higher price. There have been a number of studies of farmed fish that differentiate characteristics based on treatments such as dietary modification and handling without focusing on the relative importance of the quality parameters measured (Bisogni et al., 1986).

Supporting work on aquaculture at WVU includes research on developing the trout genome, aquaculture as an aspect of technology, profitability and ecology of farm enterprises.

A review of the CRIS database indicated that there are some 825 projects that deal with aquaculture although only five for aquaculture and Appalachia or Appalachian; there are a number of projects by states in the Appalachian region, but many are not relevant to the type of research being conducted under this proposal. Of the total projects listed several are doing work that relate to be conducted under this proposal. The Appalachian projects include two by the ARS, USDA and two by the Conservation Fund (Freshwater Institute), with the fifth being the current project under the first year (FY 1998) of funding. These are concerned with or have addressed such issues as cool and cold water production, the arctic char, and development of systems for Appalachia. Most of the 825 projects listed in the CRIS search were not relevant to the research of this project, being for warm water, coastal fisheries, shellfish, inappropriate species, etc. Some 68 were identified as having some degree of relevance; over half of these dealt with production related research. These are being reviewed in greater detail to obtain guidance for the procedures used in this project and to assure unnecessary duplication of efforts. Eleven were on waste management, although most dealt with either species or technologies not being used in this project. Seven dealt with engineering or designing aquaculture systems with four of those being for handling wastes and two for systems that are not related to the type of facilities being considered for this project, and the other one being a strictly an experimental system in a laboratory type of setting. Three projects dealt with quality aspects of aquaculture products, but were for different species, systems, or factors being considered in this project. A small number involved diseases and health, marketing. One involved the uses of impaired water, was by the Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute, which has been cooperating on this project. A small number were concerned with product health/safety or marketing, components of activities under FY 1998 and 1999 funded projects, but which are not included for this year.

The physical facilities of West Virginia University will be utilized for developing, analyzing and reporting the study. Facilities of the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences will be utilized for objectives 2 and 3. Personal computers (IBM compatible) and software provided by the institution will be used in implementing this process.

The procedures of objective 3 will utilize the facilities of the Division of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at West Virginia University. Pertinent to these studies are a meat processing laboratory (1100 ft²), meat chemistry laboratory (750 ft²), coolers (940 ft²), and a walk-in freezer (150 ft²). The meat processing laboratory is equipped with a grinder, meat stuffer, band saws, mixers, and stuffers. A Griffith mincemaster emulsion mill, Hobart bowl mixer, and microprocessor controlled smokehouse are available. Additionally, an Instron Universal testing machine (Model TM), interfaced with data acquisition hardware and signal processing software is available for texture analysis. The meat chemistry lab is equipped with water baths, Beckman spectrophotometer, Minolta chronometer, drying oven, vertical slab gel electrophoresis unit, Goldfisch and Soxhlet fat extractors, and an ashing oven. A Tecator digestion and distillation unit for Kjehdahl nitrogen determinations is also accessible. The sensory analysis will be done at Cornell University.

Water and mineral analysis proposed in Objective 3 will be done in conjunction with the analytical laboratory at the National Research Center for Coal and Energy which is located on the West Virginia University campus. The laboratory is EPA certified for performing analysis under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System of the Clean Water Act. All analytical methods are EPA approved and have a standard Quality Assurance/Quality Control protocol. The laboratory was recently awarded an analytical contract for water inorganics by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection for mining and reclamation projects. The laboratory is in close proximity of those of the Division of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and the collaboration under this project will most likely lead to additional cooperation between the two organizations.

Experiments will be run at the Freshwater Institute. Blood (stress) analysis will be conducted at the Freshwater Institute and West Virginia University. The chloride analyzer and spectrophotometers are available at the Freshwater Institute. Gamma counters for cortisol determination are available at WVU.

For objective 1 research, the facilities of the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources will be utilized. Work will be conducted in West Virginia University's Mineral Resource and Engineering Science Buildings (MRB and ESB, respectively) which contain over 5000 ft2 of laboratory space. In particular, WVU-CEE has recently renovated and re-equipped a wet chemistry laboratory which will be utilized in objective 3 work. Analytical equipment on the premises includes: one atomic absorption spectrophotometer; three gas chromatographs with multiple detector arrays (PID and FID) and a purge and trap apparatus; two total organic carbon analyzers; three automated pH titrators; one scanning electron microscope; and one UV-visual light absorbence spectrophotometer. Further, the National Research Center for Coal and Energy (NRCCE) located adjacent to the engineering facilities will also conduct water quality analyses as part of Objective 3 research. The NRCCE facility is currently a West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection certified laboratory.

Under objective 4, the publication facilities and publications personnel of the WVU Extension Service and College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences will be used for development and implementation of technology transfer activities. Project personnel also have access to the internet and the Extension Service’s Aquaculture Web Page.

Principal Investigator
Robert A. Dailey. Dr. Dailey, Interim Dean of the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, will oversee the execution of the project’s activities, assist the co-investigators with problems and issues that arise, facilitate resource allocation, help assure that the project is carried out in a timely manner, and work with the project coordinator to integrate and promote cooperation and to integrate all project activities in promoting the aquaculture industry in West Virginia.

Co-Investigators
Julio Davalos is C.W. Benedum Distinguished Teaching Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, West Virginia University. His primary research interests are analytical and applied mechanics, characterization of wood and fiber-reinforced polymer composites, structural and bridge engineering, and effective teaching methods. Dr. Davalos has produced design manuals and taught courses on composite materials. He will assist with the development of the modular raceway under objective one.

Gerard E. D'Souza. Dr. D'Souza will have primary responsibility for developing and estimating the economic models and for conducting related economic/financial analysis. In addition, he will collaborate with the other agricultural and resource economists and the marketing specialists on the team, assisting in development of (a) enterprise budgets and performing related farm-level analysis of costs and returns, and (b) the marketing studies. He has previously performed economic studies in aquaculture in West Virginia.

P. Brett Kenney. Dr. Kenney, with technician support, will coordinate collaborations with aquaculture producers and processors to assess effect of management practices on quality of fresh and smoked trout products. He will supervise a research technician and Post-doctoral Fellow in the conduct of experiments that link raw material quality to processing characteristics of the raw material. He will work with Dr. Frank Saus of the National Research Center for Coal and Energy to conduct mineral analysis of muscle and water samples.

Patricia M. Mazik. Dr. Mazik, with technical support, will coordinate and manage the fish holding facilities and maintenance of the fish. She will supervise a Post-doctoral Fellow in conducting the stress experiments, taking care of the fish, and coordinating the overall fish sampling. She will supervise data interpretation and information dissemination through scientific and popular press. Dr. Mazik has previously performed fish biology and aquaculture research in Alabama.

Kenneth J. Semmens. Dr. Semmens, is State Extension Specialist for Aquaculture and specializes in aquaculture with twenty years of experience producing and marketing a wide variety of warm, cool and coldwater fish species. He holds a joint appointment with the Cooperative Extension Service and the West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. He will collaborate with the Principal Investigator to insure compliance with all CSREES guidelines. He will provide leadership for implementation of the technology transfer objective and will collaborate with the engineering components of the impaired water objective.

Dennis K. Smith, Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics, will work in the collection and analysis of data from the aquaculture facility. He will be involved in the design and analysis of the consumer survey data and the assessment of the economic development impacts of aquaculture. Dr. Smith has extensive research experience in rural development and enterprise analysis.

Roger C. Viadero, Jr. Dr. Viadero, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will work with Drs. Semmens and Davalos in designing and optimizing the pilot-scale experimental apparatus in addition to assessing impact(s0 of the experimental setup on native receiving waters. Dr. Viadero has previously led research on engineering aspects of water treatment in recirculating aquaculture systems used to raise yellow perch. Further, Dr. Viadero is a member of the U.S. Department of Agriculture/U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Joint Subcommittee on Aquaculture’s Effluents Task Force. Dr. Viadero’s budgeted time commitment is 15 percent per year for two years.

Ronald H. Fortney is Research Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, West Virginia University. His research interest focuses on plant community studies, vegetation mapping, and functional assessments of wetlands. Dr. Fortney will lead the assessment of receiving water ecological health as part of objective one.

Joseph A. Hankins is Program Director of the Freshwater Institute. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in General Science from Purdue University and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Biology from Hood College. From 1993 through 1996, he served as chairman of the USDA/CSREES Northeast Regional Aquaculture Center Technical Committee, and from 1989 through 1992, he was a board member of the Maryland State Aquaculture Association. He is currently serving on the West Virginia Aquaculture Task Force, and has authored or co authored numerous scientific publications. He facilitates the FWI activities under objective 3.

Daniel Miller, M.S., is presently a Research Assistant in the Agricultural and Resource Economics Program at West Virginia University. He has worked with aquaculture research at WVU since August 1999 on the creation of enterprise budgets, assessment of mine water sources suitable for economical production of food size trout in West Virginia. Mr. Miller’s work emphasizes the biological and production aspects of aquaculture and fisheries. He has served as a manager of and consultant on several aquaculture related projects in various parts of the U.S. and overseas. He will assist Dr. Semmens with the Technology Transfer objective and production component of the impaired water objective.

Joe M. Regenstein, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Food Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University. He conducts research on functionality of proteins in meat systems; scombrotoxin in fish; fish gelatin; K value as a fish quality index; food and fish waste composting; legality of FDA's fish HACCP program; and issues in kosher and halal food regulations.

Nu Nu San, Ph.D., is a Post Doctoral Fellow in the Agricultural and Resource Economics Program at West Virginia University, Morgantown, a position she has occupied since October 1999. Dr. San’s area of expertise is economic modeling. She has worked on several projects with national and international organizations in areas including regional development, agricultural sector modeling, and commodity analyses. Her work on the project will focus on the assessment of economic impacts and the design and analysis of the consumer survey.

Richard Zimmerman is Director of the Center for Agriculture and Natural Resource Development, WVU Extension Service, Morgantown. He will oversee the execution of technology transfer activities (objective 4), facilitate extension resource allocation, and work with the project coordinator to integrate outreach efforts into the extension program in West Virginia.

Table 2. Time Commitments of Project Participants

Investigator

Objective

Percentage of Time

Robert A. Dailey

All

Julio Davalos

One

Gerard D�Souza

Two

Ronald Fortnoy

One

Brett Kenney

Three

Patricia Mazik

Three

Kenneth Semmens

One, Four

Dennis Smith

Two

Roger Viadero

One

Richard Zimmerman

Four

Post-Doctoral Fellows and Technicians

Nu Nu San

Two

100

Dan Miller

Two, Four

100

Rodney Kisner

Three

100

Two Post-Docs

Three

100

A variety of collaborative efforts between West Virginia University, and other educational institutions as well as State, Federal, and private sector agencies and enterprises will occur throughout. Project investigators in the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences, and College of Engineering and Mineral Resources will collaborate with each other and with the West Virginia University Extension Service in data collection. Collaboration will also take place with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, WV Division of Natural Resources, and WV Division of Environmental Protection with respect to state regulatory issues involving aquaculture product safety, quality, and processing practices.

The research initiatives outlined in this project are expected to complement the research areas identified as priorities for the new USDA/Agricultural Research Center for Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture Research, located in Leeton, West Virginia including genetics, diseases, and production of cool and cold water fishes. This proposal addresses research issues in marketing and economics of cold water fish species which are equally important to the development of an aquaculture industry in Appalachia. The continuation of research devoted to advancing the aquaculture industry in Appalachia at both West Virginia University and the Leeton ARS facility will likely lead to more significant collaborative research efforts in the future.

Additionally, project researchers will utilize the resources of the Northeast Region Aquaculture Center. In turn, West Virginia University expects that research from this project will add to NRAC's database of knowledge concerning fish culture that they share with the aquaculture industry. West Virginia University researchers and extension specialists have already had projects funded through NRAC and an extension specialist in aquaculture serves in the Regional Extension Project Work group.

The Conservation Fund's Freshwater Institute in Shepherdstown, West Virginia will participate in and contribute to the project. Their special expertise will come to bear with certain engineering aspects of production systems and with the technology transfer activities. In addition, West Virginia fish producers and processors will collaborate with project researchers in various aspects of the project. These include continued collaboration with High Appalachian, Mountain Aquaculture and Production Association, and Trout Lodge and Anglers Resort as well as a number of producers who will be recruited to participate in the yield verification and related studies. Consolidated Coal Companies will collaborate with the impaired water objective and provide a site for assembling and testing the modular raceway.

Subcontracts used for carrying out project activities will include the Freshwater Institute and Cornell University. The Freshwater Institute will be contracted to raise fish and participate in the fish product quality research of objective 3 ($60,000). Cornell University will be contracted to conduct the sensory analyses on fish fillets for the quality improvement research, also under objective 3 ($15,000).

Coordination of Special Aquaculture Grant 3

The research to be carried out under this project is interdisciplinary with several units within WVU as well as outside agencies and organizations involved in its activities. For a successful outcome, these activities will need to be coordinated. This coordination will be carried out by Dr. Kenneth J. Semmens, State Aquaculture Specialist, WVU Extension Service.

The long run expected impact of this research is a strong, economically viable aquaculture industry that contributes to the economic development of West Virginia and other states in Appalachia. The research to be carried out under the FY 2000 funding will have impacts that contribute to that long run expected result through a set of specific research activities under four objectives. Under objective 1, the impact of task 1.1 will be to develop techniques and treatments for utilizing impaired water, i.e., water from mining operations, for fish production. West Virginia has abundant water resources but much of that water is not useful for the aquaculture industry without adequate treatment. The research will enable that water to be used therefore to impact is substantially increase production, employment and income. Task 1.2 is to research the use of lightweight materials to produce modular trout production raceways. The impact of this is to replace permanent, concrete structures with a modular system that could be moved, if a site became unsuitable for production, reducing the capital loses that would occur with the use of expensive, permanent structures. The manufacture of components in various sizes would enable a system to be configured for each site. The potential impact is to reduce the costs of production, making the industry more competitive.

The economic analyses will have impacts on the economic viability of the industry by providing data that producers and potential producers can use in planning their operations and providing financial institutions to more realistically evaluate applications for financing construction and operation of aquaculture facilities, enabling producers to become more efficient and economically viable. The consumer survey to be carried out will provide producers with information that will enable them to provide the types of products consumers prefer and to develop educational programs and materials to overcome consumer biases. This should expand the market for aquaculture products and make the industry both larger and more profitable.

Objective three research is designed to determine the factors that affect the quality of trout, the major species produced in West Virginia. A major constraint to expanding the market for products from the state is the variability in quality due largely to small scale operations that follow various practices. By better understanding the factors affecting quality, production assistance programs can be developed to help assure a more uniform, high quality product that consumers can purchase with confidence. This will enable a larger, less variable market for the state’s aquaculture products.

The final objective is to develop and implement effective technology transfer procedures to assure that research results from the project are transferred to client groups more rapidly and effectively which will increase the rate and effectiveness of growth of the industry in the Appalachian Region.

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