3/21/11-60 minutes
I have finally finished the twelve articles I found, but I just realized I did not read any of the articles from the Global Issues website, so I will probably check those out at some point. I have reference page entries filled out for all my articles, so I am all set there for now. The two articles I read today were very informative. The first one talked about the processing of aquaculture by-products; the scientist we talked to at the GCRL in Mississippi was having a problem with this because he had no use for the by-products created by his shrimp. Aquaculture would also create jobs for waste management people, green entrepreneurs, and environmental scientists. The article also mentioned the market for aquaculture by-products. Some can be used for pharmaceuticals and food sources. These goods are in high demand, so aquaculture can have double economic benefits.
The second article was daunting because it was an 17-page scientific report about a failed fish farm in Canada. It did have some gems of valuable information about what can go wrong with aquaculture. It mentioned the necessity of sufficient oxygen levels for the health of the fish as well as the aquatic environment. I think I may need to look up the different types of fish farms for the background section of my research paper disguised as a narrative essay.
Monday, March 21, 2011
3 Fathoms Down and No End In Sight
3/21/11-30 minutes
Today I read a collection of articles from LexisNexis database. Since they were news articles, they were easy to understand, as opposed to some of the scientific studies I have read. Two of the articles talked about the limits on the growth of aquaculture which will be important to address in my essay. One of the articles said aquaculture "could help with poverty alleviation and food security" (Radebe, 2011), which are two points I want to mention in my paper. I am feeling a little overwhelmed, because I have now read ten articles and I still have two to go as well as two books I picked up from the library. I hope I have enough research to fill ten pages, so after these last two articles, I will start working on my paper and get more research as I go if I need it.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Here There Be Treasure
3/20/11-90 minutes
I found a fantastic article entitled "Advances in Open Ocean Aquaculture Technology and the Future of Seafood Production." It was full of useful facts and the pros and cons of aquaculture. It also included information about what is being done to counteract the negatives of aquaculture. It provided me with another argument in favor of aquaculture. Other food industries may be employed to feed carnivorous stocks in fish farms. Scientists are currently trying to find alternatives to fishmeal and fish oil used to feed fish in farms because it requires harvesting and exploiting natural fish populations. They have experimented with soybean oil and achieved some success. It also provided statistics from last year, which are more recent than some I found in an earlier article.
The second article concerned the effects of FZTs (parasites that can use fish as a host to infect humans). Several researchers studied fisheries in Vietnam and discovered that FZTs are a serious problem that need to be addressed if the aquaculture industry is going to continue to expand and grow.
The third article I read today concerned a specific fish species used for open sea fish farming, cobia, but it had some excellent general information concerning aquaculture. It brought up another negative side to aquaculture (or what some may see as a negative): government regulation of the industry to prevent monopolies and control distribution of water real estate.
I found a fantastic article entitled "Advances in Open Ocean Aquaculture Technology and the Future of Seafood Production." It was full of useful facts and the pros and cons of aquaculture. It also included information about what is being done to counteract the negatives of aquaculture. It provided me with another argument in favor of aquaculture. Other food industries may be employed to feed carnivorous stocks in fish farms. Scientists are currently trying to find alternatives to fishmeal and fish oil used to feed fish in farms because it requires harvesting and exploiting natural fish populations. They have experimented with soybean oil and achieved some success. It also provided statistics from last year, which are more recent than some I found in an earlier article.
The second article concerned the effects of FZTs (parasites that can use fish as a host to infect humans). Several researchers studied fisheries in Vietnam and discovered that FZTs are a serious problem that need to be addressed if the aquaculture industry is going to continue to expand and grow.
The third article I read today concerned a specific fish species used for open sea fish farming, cobia, but it had some excellent general information concerning aquaculture. It brought up another negative side to aquaculture (or what some may see as a negative): government regulation of the industry to prevent monopolies and control distribution of water real estate.
Down Another League
3/20/11-30 minutes
This second article convinced me that some scientists just do not know how to write. It was choppy and lacked flow. Despite the technical shortcomings, it did have some valuable information. It pointed out that climate change will have an effect on aquaculture and also provided me with a lot of details on the role aquaculture plays in third world countries. The article gave me another point in support of aquaculture by mentioning that consumers are interested in organic and environmentally sustainable food products, which aquaculture can provide. It did mention that aquaculture attracts basic laborers, so its implementation in the United States could lead to an increase in illegal immigration, so I can include that in my opposing side section.
This second article convinced me that some scientists just do not know how to write. It was choppy and lacked flow. Despite the technical shortcomings, it did have some valuable information. It pointed out that climate change will have an effect on aquaculture and also provided me with a lot of details on the role aquaculture plays in third world countries. The article gave me another point in support of aquaculture by mentioning that consumers are interested in organic and environmentally sustainable food products, which aquaculture can provide. It did mention that aquaculture attracts basic laborers, so its implementation in the United States could lead to an increase in illegal immigration, so I can include that in my opposing side section.
Halfyard, L.C. (2010). Aquaculture: An international perspective and comparison to agriculture. The Journal of Ocean Technology 5 (2). Retrieved from http://firstsearch.oclc.org.madonnaezp.liblime.com.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
1 League Under the Surface
3/19/11-30 minutes
The first article was a very technical report concerning Chilean aquaculture, but it did give me some gems of information of how the process works and how it has become more efficient. It also mentioned the fact aquaculture creates jobs in technology and engineering fields as well as aqua-farming. Aquaculture requires technologists and engineers to come up with ways to house and grow the fish as well as making the field more efficient. The field will also require the basic laborers and farmers of land agriculture. I have also come up with an idea for the narrative part of my story. I think a researcher might do a presentation at a skeptical science lab so he can get the scientists' support to petition the government for grant money to establish an aquaculture facility at the lab or to get the scientists on the aquaculture bandwagon.
The first article was a very technical report concerning Chilean aquaculture, but it did give me some gems of information of how the process works and how it has become more efficient. It also mentioned the fact aquaculture creates jobs in technology and engineering fields as well as aqua-farming. Aquaculture requires technologists and engineers to come up with ways to house and grow the fish as well as making the field more efficient. The field will also require the basic laborers and farmers of land agriculture. I have also come up with an idea for the narrative part of my story. I think a researcher might do a presentation at a skeptical science lab so he can get the scientists' support to petition the government for grant money to establish an aquaculture facility at the lab or to get the scientists on the aquaculture bandwagon.
Di Girolamo, M., Salas, G.M., & Di Girolamo, G. (2010). Engineering applications in Chilean aquaculture. The Journal of Ocean Technology 5 (2). Retrieved from http://firstsearch.oclc.org.madonnaezp.liblime.com
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