MUSCAT: As part of the research undertaken by Sultan Qaboos University, Dr. Winristi Gallardo, Associate Professor in the Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, tested valuable fish and plants in the greenhouse aquaculture system at the Agricultural Experiment Station (AES), with the aim of identifying types of farmed fish and plants that are suitable for growth in the aquaculture system, under Oman’s climatic conditions. Dr. Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Suti – Supervisor of the Fish Farming Unit at Al-Hail North Station of the College – provided support for this research project, which was funded by the Oman India Fertilizer Company.

The Asian sea bass, also known as barramundi, is an expensive fish species that can grow in both freshwater and seawater. Fish were successfully reared with an expensive variety of Netherland cherry tomatoes in small and medium ponds, in two types of recycled aquaculture system (floating and standing medium). The results showed that the numbers of cherry tomatoes grown were more in the aquaculture system based on small media, while there was no significant difference in the number of fruits in the system of floating media, based on medium scale.

It is important to note that aquaculture is an environmentally friendly way to raise both fish and plants in one system. The water is completely recycled and wastewater is not discharged into the surroundings; the wastewater from fish ponds is used for plant growth after bacteria have naturally converted it from ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate as fertilizer for plants.