Aquaculture Science. Second Edition

NACTA Journal, Jun 2004 by King, Chad

Aquaculture Science. Second Edition, by Rick Parker, Delmar Thomson Learning, 2002, 621 pages, hardbound $77.95

Rick Parker begins the preface of the second edition of Aquaculture Science with the following clarification: "Writing a textbook on aquaculture is a lot like writing a textbook on all of agriculture... Deciding what to include and how much was a challenge. .. The author hopes that this book will help train the reader to. . .learn to learn." This textbook covers a broad range of material, rising to the challenge of organizing and presenting a wealth of information in an accessible manner. Imbedded in each chapter and the accompanying study/review sections are tools to encourage student inquiry and intrinsic motivation for learning.

Aquaculture Science provides an expansive overview of aquaculture, making it ideal for college classes. In many ways this text also serves as an introduction to anatomy, zoology, nutrition, water chemistry and animal husbandry. Main aquaculture topics begin with the history of aquaculture, progressing through important species, management, feeding, health, water quality and system construction. Associated topics critical to a complete understanding of the aquaculture industry such as marketing and processing, business, agencies and regulations and career opportunities are also addressed.

Information and methods of engaging the reader are varied, which helps this text succeed. Each chapter commences with an extensive list of aquaculture and science objectives. These illustrate many overlapping concepts and could also allow teachers to use this text in the science classroom and address science standards. Although these objectives focus on low level, knowledge based questioning, students are encouraged to participate in higher level questioning and hands on activities through "knowledge applied" questions at the end of each chapter.

This second edition makes several improvements on the first. New topics include alligator and frog culture, recirculating systems, and U. S. governmental agencies. Internet research guides for each chapter, and a series of color photographs of important aquaculture species, have also been added since the first edition. Organization of chapters and topics has also been modified to make the content more manageable.

While the text seems choppy at times due to an effort to cover so much material, the many figures, tables and graphs supplement the material well. Examples of calculations and problem solving placed in the text give a how-to approach for feeding calculations, feed conversion ratios, determining stocking densities, etc. From an industry standpoint, this practice is invaluable. With a glossary and numerous text box inserts for giving background details, the text is approachable for students at all levels of science.

The depth this book covers aquaculture topics is relative to the attention given that area in commercial aquaculture. A great emphasis is placed on cashcrop species such as catfish, tilapia and trout, and on pond culture. Management and feeding practices are covered comprehensively. Neither recirculating aquaculture systems nor marine shrimp culture, both areas of growing importance, receive detailed attention. Water quality is another area given an overview but lacking the depth and background required for a topic of such importance.

Parker's Aquaculture Science is a solid introductory text to the aquaculture industry. It touches on all of the main areas and covers many with surprising depth. While several topics may require supplemental reading, depending on the nature of the course, the overview of all aspects of aquaculture is well done. Amount of information, accessibility and use of learning tools make this a text worth checking out.

Chad King

Soil, Water and Environmental Science

University of Arizona