Integrated aquaculture and bioremediation system and method
AssigneeMFM Environmental Co.
InventorsE. Allen Stewart, Mark Zivojnovich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An integrated aquaculture system and method are provided that include interrelated and symbiotic modules for adaptively bioremediating wastewater, producing food in the form of fish, and producing plant biomass for animal feed. The system is ecologically and economically self-sustaining. In one embodiment, the system contains a fish cultivation tank, an algal floway, and a water hyacinth system. Two modes of operation are contemplated: a recycle mode and a flow-through mode. The water hyacinth system includes harvesting, conveying, and chopping apparatus.
Claims31
An integrated aquaculture system comprising:
- fish culturing subsystem comprising means for culturing a desired species of fish, the culturing means having an inlet for admitting water and an outlet for removing water degraded by fish excretion;
- a vascular aquatic plant subsystem for treating the degraded water having an inlet in fluid communication with the body of water outlet and an outlet, the aquatic plant subsystem comprising a plant species adapted to remove excess nutrients and pollutants from the degraded water to produce water having improved cleanliness;
- and
- a cultured alga subsystem having an inlet in fluid communication with the aquatic plant subsystem outlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the body of water inlet, the algae subsystem for further removing excess nutrients from the water emerging from the aquatic plant subsystem and for replenishing dissolved oxygen to the water, the water exiting the cultured alga subsystem sufficiently clean and oxygenated to support growth of the desired fish species.
An integrated aquaculture system for treating water comprising:
- a first aquatic plant subsystem having an inlet for admitting incoming water needing treatment and an outlet and further having sufficient treatment capacity to produce water of a quality sufficient to support growth of a desired fish species;
- a fish culturing subsystem comprising an enclosed body of water adapted for culturing the desired fish species, the body of water having an inlet in fluid communication with the first aquatic plant subsystem outlet and an outlet for removing water degraded by fish excretion;
- and
- a second aquatic plant subsystem for treating the degraded water having an inlet in fluid communication with the body of water outlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the body of water inlet, the aquatic plant subsystem adapted to remove excess nutrients and other pollutants from the degraded water.
A method for treating wastewater comprising the steps of:
- introducing water to be treated into a first aquatic plant subsystem having sufficient treatment capacity to produce water of a quality sufficient to support growth of a desired fish species;
- passing water treated by the first aquatic plant subsystem into a fish culturing subsystem containing the desired fish species;
- and
- passing water degraded by fish excreta into a second aquatic plant subsystem for treating the degraded water by removing excess nutrients and other pollutants therefrom.
A method for maximizing a production of biomass from an integrated aquaculture system, the method comprising the steps of:
- culturing a desired species of fish within an enclosure;
- passing water degraded by fish excreta from the enclosure into an aquatic plant subsystem containing a vascular plant species adapted to remove excess nutrients from the degraded water;
- passing water treated by the vascular plant species over a periphytic system of algae;
- and
- recycling the water treated by the algae into the fish enclosure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.