Sunday, 27 May 2012

Temperature and water-borne ecosystems

There's been some interesting news in the week regarding water temperature and water-borne ecosystems, specifically fish, and the fishing industry, so i've lumped them together into a special post.

Most farmed fish, if you didn't already know, are carnivorous, and so are fed flakes of other fish (carnivorous fish tend to be bigger than herbivorous fish).
“Studies have shown that fish, such as salmon and sea bass, eat less of the plant protein product and don’t grow as fast.  Their flesh does not receive the necessary levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are a key component of human nutrition.  The food also contains anti-nutrients that cause difficulties with digestion and absorption of nutrients, as well as toxins that can build up in the fish.”
This doesn't seem a tenable practice, so fermented plant feed is being pioneered.
“Fermentation methods could predigest the toxins and anti-nutrients in food, making it easier for the fish to absorb and maintain overall good health.  It will help resolve current technical limitations of the product and address the concerns about and food shortage in the years to come.”
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-alternative-fish.html
 

Farm salmon are fed on wild salmon, but outcompete them, and give them parasites (farming conditions favour pathogen populations), aswell as suffering from water temperature increases. On top of that, increased homogeneity's risking the fishes' health
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-hatchery-fish.html


Increasing water temperature is increasing fish gut activity, meaning they have to eat more to fulfill their nutritional needs
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-gut-reveal-effect-climate-fish.html
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-keys-sockeye-decline.html

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