Spring Break
UConn professor gives new insight into aquaculture, marine harvesting
Betsy Cohen
Issue date: 11/7/08 Section: News
11/07/08 - For University of Rhode Island students, going to the beach is just another day in the life. Sunbathers and surfers are frequently seen enjoying the scenic views and riding the waves rushing in with the tides. This may sound blissful, but on most days, mounds of seaweeds can be seen piled up along the shoreline and rolling around the shallow coastline.
For Professor Charles Yarish of the University of Connecticut though, this is the highlight of a trip to the beach.
"I'm really a seaweed enthusiast," Yarish said.
Monday afternoon, a large crowd of URI undergraduate and graduate students, professors and colleagues welcomed the professor of biology and marine sciences to the URI campus.
Yarish spoke at the Weaver Auditorium in URI's Coastal Institute as part of the URI Ecological-Distinguished Speakers Series.
Yarish's work was entitled "Exploring Multi-Trophic Linkages Through Aquaculture Systems: Using Ecological Methods to Integrate the Cultivation of Seaweeds and Fish." It addressed the modern usage of aquaculture with the integration of seaweed as a means to increase quality and quantity of stock.
Yarish said "there is a good group [of people interested] in seaweed biology, fish biology and shellfish at URI."
Unaware to many, seaweeds have multiple uses, including food, animal feed, fertilizer, leather, cosmetics, textile and medicines. They are also a major source of phycocolloids, which are gelatinous compounds used in various products worldwide. The colloid industry alone is worth approximately $700 million.
According to a 2003 report on the composition of North American aquaculture, 78.1 percent is finfish, 20 percent is mollusks and 1.9 percent crustaceans.
The purpose of farming seaweeds along with other aquaculture produces is to "increase aquaculture without exacerbating nutrient levels of coastal waters," Yarish said. "We're trying to promote a balanced ecosystem management known as integrated multi-trophic aquaculture."
For Professor Charles Yarish of the University of Connecticut though, this is the highlight of a trip to the beach.
"I'm really a seaweed enthusiast," Yarish said.
Monday afternoon, a large crowd of URI undergraduate and graduate students, professors and colleagues welcomed the professor of biology and marine sciences to the URI campus.
Yarish spoke at the Weaver Auditorium in URI's Coastal Institute as part of the URI Ecological-Distinguished Speakers Series.
Yarish's work was entitled "Exploring Multi-Trophic Linkages Through Aquaculture Systems: Using Ecological Methods to Integrate the Cultivation of Seaweeds and Fish." It addressed the modern usage of aquaculture with the integration of seaweed as a means to increase quality and quantity of stock.
Yarish said "there is a good group [of people interested] in seaweed biology, fish biology and shellfish at URI."
Unaware to many, seaweeds have multiple uses, including food, animal feed, fertilizer, leather, cosmetics, textile and medicines. They are also a major source of phycocolloids, which are gelatinous compounds used in various products worldwide. The colloid industry alone is worth approximately $700 million.
According to a 2003 report on the composition of North American aquaculture, 78.1 percent is finfish, 20 percent is mollusks and 1.9 percent crustaceans.
The purpose of farming seaweeds along with other aquaculture produces is to "increase aquaculture without exacerbating nutrient levels of coastal waters," Yarish said. "We're trying to promote a balanced ecosystem management known as integrated multi-trophic aquaculture."
