Factores que contribuyen a la variación espacial de la concentración de oxígeno disuelto en estanques acuícolas en época fría

Abstract

The increase in aquaculture production has been such that today more than half of the seafood comes from this industry. However, this increase in production has led to the appearance of problems in the crop due to overexploitation, greater susceptibility to diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms and bad management practices, which cause alterations in the physical-chemical factors of the aquaculture environment. A common problem is the fluctuation of oxygen in the ponds, caused among other reasons by the indiscriminate use of fertilizers, overfeeding, the pond's exceeded carrying capacity and poor management of water quality. Although these problems are frequent during the hot season, there are occasions during the cold season where drastic reductions in dissolved oxygen can occur, due to the lack of luminosity and cloudiness typical of this season of the year, which extends the respiration of the phytoplankton. The lack of oxygen in the aquaculture ponds can seriously affect the culture organisms, because it causes: a decrease in feed intake, an increase in the use of energy spent in surviving, a reduction in growth, a weakening of the immune system and finally death. The strategies to overcome the decrease of oxygen in aquaculture ponds during the cold season are based on modifying production protocols, taking into consideration the climatic factor. In addition, it is important to manage the stocking density before the climate change, to install mechanical aerators, as well as a more strict control on the feeding rate and water exchange rate in the ponds.