Challenges of Sustainable and Commercial Aquaponics
by
Simon Goddek 1,5,*,†, Boris Delaide 2,*,†
, Utra Mankasingh 3, Kristin Vala Ragnarsdottir 3,4, Haissam Jijakli 2 and Ragnheidur Thorarinsdottir 5
Simon Goddek 1,5,*,†, Boris Delaide 2,*,†, Utra Mankasingh 3, Kristin Vala Ragnarsdottir 3,4, Haissam Jijakli 2 and Ragnheidur Thorarinsdottir 5
1
Aquaponik Manufaktur GmbH, Gelderner Str. 139, 47661 Issum, Germany
2
Integrated and Urban Plant Pathology Laboratory, Université de Liège, Avenue Maréchal Juin 13, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
3
Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Sturlugata 6, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
4
Institute of Sustainability Studies, University of Iceland, Sæmundargata 10, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
5
Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iceland, Taeknigardur, Dunhagi 5, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Academic Editor: Marc A. Rosen
Sustainability 2015, 7(4), 4199-4224; https://doi.org/10.3390/su7044199
Received: 9 February 2015 / Revised: 23 March 2015 / Accepted: 25 March 2015 / Published: 10 April 2015
(This article belongs to the Section Sustainable Agriculture)
The world is facing a number of serious problems of which population rise, climate change, soil degradation, water scarcity and food security are among the most important. Aquaponics, as a closed loop system consisting of hydroponics and aquaculture elements, could contribute to addressing these problems. However, there is a lack of quantitative research to support the development of economically feasible aquaponics systems. Although many studies have addressed some scientific aspects, there has been limited focus on commercial implementation. In this review paper, opportunities that have the potential to fill the gap between research and implementation of commercial aquaponic systems have been identified. The analysis shows that aquaponics is capable of being an important driver for the development of integrated food production systems. Arid regions suffering from water stress will particularly benefit from this technology being operated in a commercial environment.
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Keywords:
aquaponics; hydroponics; recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS); phosphorus; nutrient solubilization; pH stabilization; nutrient cycling; pest management; urban farming; water scarcity
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MDPI and ACS Style
Goddek, S.; Delaide, B.; Mankasingh, U.; Ragnarsdottir, K.V.; Jijakli, H.; Thorarinsdottir, R. Challenges of Sustainable and Commercial Aquaponics. Sustainability 2015, 7, 4199-4224.
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