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Prawn Farm, Queensland, Australia
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Prawn farms are regarded by prawn farmers as feeding enclosures in which small prawns can be grown to marketable size. From the perspective of a microbial ecologist, prawn farms are habitats dominated by micro-organisms. Only a small proportion of the feed added to the ponds is consumed directly by the prawns, the remainder finances a rich community of bacteria, algae and protozoa. Even then, much is left behind and settles to the bottom where the continued oxygen demand by micro-organisms places the pond at threat of becoming anoxic. If this happens, the stock dies. Algae in the pond can also provide shade for the prawns, but if algae can form a scum on the surface, this can prevent oxygen from penetrating into the water and again puts the stock at risk. Good management requires that attention is given to the abundance, diversity and character of the microbial communities as these characteristics can provide warning signs and so lead to appropriate correctional management. Patterson, D. J. and Burford, M. 2001. A guide to the protozoa of marine aquaculture ponds (published by CSIRO , Collingwood, Australia), is a simple guide to some of the microbes found in these habitats. Tis image was taken by David Patterson and colleagues. Image copyright: D. J. Patterson, used under license to MBL (micro*scope).
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