. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. Lisa Christenwn. Harry Daniels examines baby flounder. the researchers can identify optimum culture conditions before passing the information to prospective flounder farmers. Currently, the researchers are raising the fingerlings in tanks, but Hodson is anxious to test their growth in ponds such as those used for hybrid bass and catfish. Pond culture is usually less intensive and less expensive than tank culture. But he must answer questions about how the soils used to build the ponds and the waters pumped
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. Lisa Christenwn. Harry Daniels examines baby flounder. the researchers can identify optimum culture conditions before passing the information to prospective flounder farmers. Currently, the researchers are raising the fingerlings in tanks, but Hodson is anxious to test their growth in ponds such as those used for hybrid bass and catfish. Pond culture is usually less intensive and less expensive than tank culture. But he must answer questions about how the soils used to build the ponds and the waters pumped to fill them will affect flounder growth. Interestingly, Daniels has learned that once the southern flounder metamorphose from larvae to fingerlings, they can live and grow in fresh water. "In growth trials, we can't tell the differ- ence in the growth rates of fingerlings grown in low-salinity water and no salinity," he says. If flounder culture isn't tied to the availability of brackish water, then flounder farms may be established miles from the coast on less expensive land without a waterfront. But for now the verdict is still out on salinity. Daniels and Hodson will continue to compare growth rates as the fish mature to a market size of 1 1/2 to 2 pounds during the next two years. Daniels estimates that the scientists are at least five years from having southern flounder ready for debut into commercial production. The scientists are optimistic, however, because of their hatchery successes. "Flounder farming looks doable on a large scale with a modest amount of effort," Hodson says. "And I know some fish farmers who are anxious for us to work out the ; Lee Brothers is one of them. Brothers, a man whose future once seemed dependent on agriculture, has now traded the plow for the pond, managing 150 acres of hybrid striped bass ponds and shipping his high-value pond- catch to fish markets in the United States, Canada and Japan. "Ther
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