IEO-MAP

In this project, IEO puts forward three installations for TNA. The facilities include the Marine Aquaculture facilities of Murcia (IEO-ICRA and IEO-MAP) and Vigo (IEO-AquaCOV), three experimental aquaculture facilities fully equipped. These facilities include several areas, such as breeding, hatchery, nursery, phyto and zooplankton cultures and pre- and ongrowing. There are also several available on-site biological laboratories: wet labs, genetic, histology, nutrition, chemistry and biochemistry as well as rooms for feeding preparation. Murcia facilities are devoted to develop techniques for bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) reproduction in captivity and juvenile production of bluefin tuna, as well as breeding and juvenile production of other Mediterranean fish species.
The involved IEO teams (Vigo and Murcia) hold expertise to carry out scientific research in: Rearing protocols for new and consolidated species for aquaculture such as Atlantic bluefin tuna, wreckfish, European hake, greater amberjack, sparids, flatfish and cephalopods, reproductive performance and physiology, nutritional requirements of cultured marine species, health and welfare, immune system and vaccine development and genetic analysis for selective breeding of aquaculture stocks.

Name of the infrastructure: IEO-MAP (Marine Aquaculture Plant)
Location: Puerto de Mazarrón (Murcia), SPAIN
Website address: http://www.ieo.es/murcia
Contact: Aurelio Ortega García

Facilities

IEO-MAP has a total surface of 8,000 m2 with a building of 3,500 m2. It includes more than 200 culture units, between 200 l and 100 m3 each, with a total volume of 1,300 m3. It provides automatic systems for controlling biological and physic-chemical parameters, as well as monitoring and control systems for feeding, nutrition and fish behaviour by means of self-feeders and video cameras.
- Office area (upper floor) of 700 m2
- Laboratories: Wet laboratory, Laboratories for histology, nutrition, chemistry and biochemistry, lyophilized and sample treatments, Image and video laboratory, Room for feeding preparation and Genetics laboratory
- Water inlet system including 3 submersible pumps of 12.5 Kw each (individual water flow 40-60 l/s) and a 15 Kw self-priming emergency pump (water flow of 40-60 l/s)
- Cold and freeze rooms at 2ºC (18 m2) and at –20ºC (27 m2).
- Gas oil heaters of 300 Kw each for warmed sea water supply. In close circuit with four pumps generating a water flow of 40 l/s. In open circuit the system is able to warm and generate a water flow of 5 l/s. They are located in a isolated 27 m2 room. - Sea water cooler system of 43 Kw of cooling performance.
- Biological filter of 36 m3 (3m x 3m x 4m) in a 28m2 area.
- Air blower system consisting in 6 electrical air blowers of 8 Kw (0.6 - 0.2 Kg/cm2 of pressure).
- Power generator of 222 Kw and 250 kVA of electrical power.
- Phytoplancton production unit (Tetraselmis, Nannochloropsis, Isochrysis and Rhodomonas)
- Small isotherm room (30 m2) for phytoplankton strains conservation
- Small isotherm room (26 m2) for phytoplankton production
- Greenhouse (80 m2) for massive phytoplankton production
- Isotherm room for rotifer production and enrichment (29m2) with 4 (1.6 m3) and 5 (600 liters) cylindrical tanks.
- Unit for Artemia hatching and enrichment. Isotherm room (24 m2) with 11 cylinder-conical (160 l) tanks for Artemia hatching and enrichment.
- Incubation room (22 m2) provided with 4 (500 l) and 3 (1000 l) cylinder-conical tanks.
- Unit for tunids juveniles stockage consisting in 1 (100 m3) and 4 (50m3) cylindrical tanks.
- Mesocosm unit (400 m2) for larval rearing consisting in 2 (45 m3) cylindrical tanks and living prey culture facilities: phytoplankton, Rotifer, Artemia and copepod (Acartia) dimensioned for covering the total mesocosm needs
- Building with 4 (23 m3) and 8 (13 m3) cylindrical and 4 (8m3) rectangular tanks.
- Water recycled full control unit for larval rearing with 27 (500 l) cylindrical tanks.
- Greenhouse for phytoplankton massive culture (83 m2).
- Larval rearing area with 7 (5 m3) and 18 (1m3) cylindrical tanks
- Two experimental isotherm rooms with 12 y 27 (170 l) cylindrical tanks respectively.
- Broodstock area with 7 (45 m3) square-based tanks and 1 (90 m3) rectangular-based tank.
- Pre-ongrowing and ongrowing area with 4 (14m3), 28 (2m3), 8 (7m3) and 4 (14m3) (4) rectangular and square-based tanks.

Services currently offered by the infrastructure

IEO-MAP is devoted to develop techniques for juvenile production of bluefin tuna, as well as breeding and juvenile production of other Mediterranean fish species.
IEO-MAP is currently used as a research infrastructure by IEO scientific staff and other Spanish institutes and universities. It has also hosted many experiments from private companies.
Services:
- SPECIES DIVERSIFICATION
- TUNA FARMING
- NUTRITION AND FOOD: Feeding strategies and diets specifically adapted to the species. Study of the physiological processes involved in the regulation of feeding behaviour, food intake and food selection. Using food products and developing alternative sources of feed and; Study of food additives for fish that provide to the fish an additional paper apart of the basic nutritive one; such as a health benefits on the treatment of human disease (i.e. obesity, atherosclerosis, etc.).
- RECIRCULATION SYSTEMS (RAS) DEVELOPMENT
- ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELFARE
- TECHNICAL larval culture

Modality of access

IEO-MAP will carry out experiments for potential users and provide physical access to its facilities during crucial periods of the running experiments. As the standard procedures and the general maintenance will be carried out by trained and experienced staff, each user is expected to stay 10 days, typically 5 days at the beginning of the experiment to finalize the technical protocol details and start the experiment and 5 days at the end of the experiment for final measurements and sampling.
Access will comprise the use of tanks including maintenance, water supply, daily feeding and husbandry of fish; manipulation, and sampling of fish. Access to all dry laboratory facilities and other infrastructural, logistical, technical and scientific support to external users is offered, as well as access to internet, desk, fax and printing service, copy machine, etc. Users will be provided with any necessary technical assistance, training and advice on methodologies, experimental design and data analysis.
IEO-MAP provides standardized experimental protocols, documentation of results, and appropriate sampling and conservation of samples.

Unit of Access

The unit of access is one week (5 days) per person. The typical access consists of 10 units. Unit of access is defined as one week during which a user is given access to IEO-MAP facilities to use a set of experimental tanks or biological labs. The unit of access will include the preparatory work of the experiment and the technical support during the project.
There are 40 units of access allocated to IEO-MAP over the life of the project.