Integrated

Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) is a practice in which the by-products (wastes) from one species are recycled to become input (fertilizer, food) for another. Fed aquaculture (e.g. fish, shrimp) is combined with inorganic extractive (e.g. seaweed) and organic extractive (e.g. shellfish) aquaculture to create balanced systems for environmental sustainability (biomitigation), economic stability (product diversification and risk reduction) and social acceptability (better management practices).

“ Multi- Trophic” refers to the corporation of species from different trophic or nutritional levels in the same system. This is one potential distinction from the age-old practice of aquatic polyculture, which could simply be the co-culture of different fish species from the same trophic level. In this case, these organisms may all share the same biological and chemical processes, with few synergistic benefits, which could potentially lead to significant shifts in the ecosystem. Some traditional polyculture systems may, in fact, incorporate a great diversity of species, occupying several niches, as extensive cultures (low intensity, low management) within the same pond. The ”Integrated” in IMTA refers to the more intensive cultivation of the different species in approximity of each other, connected by nutrient and energy transfer through water.

Ideally, the biological and chemical processes in an IMTA system should balance. This is achieved through the appropriate selection and proportions of different species providing different ecosystem functions. The co-culture species are typically more than just biofilters; they are harvestable crops of commercial value. A working IMTA system can result in greater total production based on mutual benefits to the co-cultural species and improved ecosystem health, even if the production of individual species is lower than in a monoculture over a short term period.

Sometimes the term “Integrated Aquaculture” is used to describe the integration of monocultures through water transfer. For all intents and purposes however, the terms “ IMTA ” and “ integrated aquaculture ” differ only in their degree of descriptiveness. Aquaponics, fractionated aquaculture, IAAS (integrated agriculture-aquaculture systems), IPUAS (integrated peri-urban-aquaculture systems) and IFAS (integrated fisheries-aquaculture systems) are other variations of the IMTA concept.

Part 3

СИТУАТИВНІ МАТЕРІАЛИ ІЗ АКАДЕМІЧНОГО ТА ПРОФЕСІЙНОГО СЕРЕДОВИЩА СТУДЕНТІВ

Тема 1. Exercise 1. Read and translate the following text: