Shrimps biofloc aquaculture technology in agricultural farms; towards the sustainable utilization of saline water intrusion in Al Batinah region

Al Batinah region is located in the northern part of the sultanate of Oman. The agriculture farms in this region are regarded as the main source of fruits and vegetables in the sultanate covering a land area of around 80,000 ha. However, since the 1990s, these farms encountered several challenges in crop cultivation mainly attributed to the increase in urbanization, the raise in temperatures and evaporation rates in the region and the overuse of ground water reserves which subsequently led to seawater intrusion. The annual loss from the affected farms is estimated to range from 7 to 13 million Omani Rials, leading to unemployment and other negative socio-economic consequences. The situation of Al Batinah region mentioned above has initiated numerous governmental and research efforts towards investigating better management approaches to combat the imminent increase in desertification. However, knowledge about the effective re-establishment of such farms through sustainable aquaculture is limited and usually confined to low valued freshwater species. The Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931) is one of the extensively cultured species worldwide. Currently, the grow out of shrimps is performed primarily using large coastal ponds requiring large land area, costly animal-based protein feeds and sizable water exchange rates. Presenting a great concern in regards to the impact of shrimp farms to the surrounding environment and its sustainability. Biofloc aquaculture systems resemble an excellent approach for the adoption of sustainable aquaculture. It provides many advantages including the effective use of land and water resources, waste nutrient recycling and zero to minimal water exchange which helps in biosecurity. Research has successfully proven the viability of biofloc systems to culture various shrimps? species at low scale. However, at present, the use of green energy powered and/or crop integration in biofloc systems is still lacking. The aim of this project is to effectively utilize salinity-affected farms in Al Batinah region for the sustainable integration of the highly demanded Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp aquaculture and crop production in biofloc culture systems using original and environmentally-sound approaches. The outcomes of this projects will pave the way for the implementation of such approach using different high valued species which ultimately benefits in the effective use Al Batinah region farms and help improve the socio-economic aspects of the concerned farmers.