Location Funding Institution Principal Investigator(s)
Hawaii $116,000 Oceanic Institute Zhi Yong Ju, Ph.D., Fabio Soller, Ph.D.

Overall Project Goal

The overall goals of this project are to develop cost-effective tilapia feeds using locally sourced ingredients, and to evaluate those feeds on a commercially relevant scale.

Objectives

1. Formulate cost-effective tilapia feeds using local ingredients using feed formulation software and update the local feed ingredient database;
2. Optimize processing conditions to produce floating tilapia feed at commercial scale at OI’s Feeds Research and Pilot Production Facility;
3. Test feed performance on tilapia growth and survival and product quality at OI’s Makapuu laboratory and at UH-Hilo’s PACRC facility;
4. Test feed performance on tilapia growth and survival and product quality at local tilapia farms on Oahu and the Big Island;
5. Evaluate the fish performance, feed efficiency and the economic benefits from tilapia trials at the commercial tilapia farms and the research labs;
6. Organize a workshop for local farmers and other industry stakeholders to share results.