Florida Tech Earns Grant to Promote Marine Ornamental Fish Aquaculture

– Dr. Ralph Turingan, Florida Tech associate professor of biological sciences, has earned a $60,000 Florida Sea Grant to research the key factors that
affect the survival of marine ornamental fish in their larval stage.

These include angelfish and anemonefish. His work will focus on the critical period of first feeding, a major bottleneck in the aquaculture industry.

Turingan will take a novel approach. He will use state-of-the-art, high-speed digital videography, with contemporary and traditional experimental
techniques, to evaluate the development of feeding performance in these larvae.

The marine ornamental fish business is one of the fastest-growing industries in Florida . Almost all of the current supply comes from countries that use
destructive methods of collecting these fishes from coral reefs.

“The Florida Sea Grant wants to promote the development of marine ornamental fish aquaculture in the state. At the same time it wants to explore ways to
protect the marine environment,” said Turingan.