MARUM Research Academy

Biocompatible ozone treatment step for cascade reactor systems in mariculture

I study the effects of ozone as a water treatment tool in marine aquaculture systems. Ozone (O3) is a gas with many positive effects on the quality of rearing water in saltwater aquaria and commercial aquaculture production. Yet its application comes with some difficulties that need thorough research before its full potential can be exploited: some ingredients of seawater react with ozone to form by-products which can become harmful to aquaculture organisms if certain concentrations are exceeded. The tolerance thresholds for these by-products are species-specific and have yet to be defined for many organisms raised in aquaculture systems.

Part of my research focus is finding out these threshold levels for tropical corals in aquaria and Gilthead seabream in commercial aquaculture production by studying the impacts of ozone use in these artificial ecosystems. Additionally, I will investigate the possibility of filtering ozonation by-products using marine algae and halophytic plants.